If you’re someone who’s obsessed with dogs then ask yourself this question- “how well do I understand dogs?”

The everlasting bond of friendship between a dog and its owner is something hard to put into words. Dogs are one of the most friendly, compassionate, loyal, and understanding creatures ever. But do we humans understand them as well as they understand us? Do you know why do dogs bite their tails?

Keep reading to find out why!

7 Reasons: Why do dogs bite their tails?

1. Curiosity

Dogs especially puppies are curious and excited about everything happening around them. Being new to this world with little or no experience they first become aware of their tail and consider it a toy that they’re supposed to chase and chew on. This is completely normal behavior of dogs during their puppyhood days.

2. Woof! Woof! Give attention

Dogs are smart creatures that crave your attention. When dogs see you be impressed with their tail-chasing or tail-biting behavior they feel acknowledged and believe that this is how they can be praised or rewarded. In order to stop them from continuing with this behavior, one should not neglect their dog and give attention whenever possible.

3. Infections / Allergies

In today’s world, allergies have become prevalent among every living being on this planet. So, do not forget to take your furry friends for frequent check-ups to the vet. After all, a healthy dog is a happy dog and an even happier you. Allergies can be caused by a variety of allergens due to the food, water, environment, etc.

Dogs often bite their tails in order to reduce the discomfort felt due to allergic reactions caused by ticks, fleas, and mites that make their body or tail in specific itch. There are many products available to help deal with this however if a dog continues this for a long period of time or aggressively then immediately going to the vet is the best alternative.

4. Distress

Do you know what else you have in common with your pet dog? Surprisingly the answer is stress. There are many reasons why dogs can feel stressed out. These include improper exercise, being left alone in a closed house for long, being locked in a crate, fear, new place, climate change, not getting indulged in games or other frequent activities.

Another similarity between us and dogs is the need to socialize. So not being able to spend much time interacting or playing with either their owners or their other furry friends can often be distressing.

In order to cope with such kinds of situations, they bite their tail just like humans tend to bite their nails.

5. Unnoticeable wounds

Dogs try their best to communicate with us humans if anything is wrong. It’s up to us to be able to crack the code and help them out. Sometimes when dogs get their rear end wounded or injured, they might compulsively chew their tail in order to draw attention towards it and get treated.

Keeping an eye on your dogs during walks and ensuring they don’t scratch themselves or get caught up in thorns while peeing or playing around is also important. Cleaning dogs after a walk is also crucial. Dogs biting their tail is a symptom of one of the most common injuries amongst dogs that go unnoticed i.e. is a tailbone fracture.

6. Simply bored

Most often than not, dogs bite their tail simply out of sheer boredom. The same way we tap our feet, click pens or play with our hair. However, too much of anything is bad and so is being bored for too long.

Dogs too can have a psychological disorder called Obsessive-Compulsion disorder (OCD) or Canine Compulsive Disorder and end up chewing their tails too much and injure themselves or make the region sore.

7. Age

Old age can lead to cognitive disabilities in dogs that could potentially amount to mental diseases. One such symptom of mental disorder is old dogs biting their tails. Medications or behavior treatment therapy should be looked into only after being prescribed by the vet.

How to Stop Your Dog Biting Their Tail?

I recommend this video by Sara Ondrako where she gives important tips on how to stop your dog from chasing and biting its tail frequently.

Conclusion

There are many reasons for dogs to bite their tails. Some are simply behavioral traits while others might be regarded as a medical condition that might need treatment. So, being able to understand the reason behind dogs biting their tail and taking the right steps to rectify it is key for your furry friend to live a happy healthy life. Hope this article was of some help.

Why Do Dogs Bite Their Tails?