# Iq test?



## chrste (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm wondering if there is an IQ test to give to my 6 month old GSD.  Joke. But I think I've got a dumb one. lol He constantly chases his tail. And I don't mean once in a while, I mean all day. He has an almost bald spot on the center of his tail. It's almost like an OCD issue. As I sit here typing he is running in a circle biting at his tail. Now doing somersaults because he "caught it" between his back legs and yanked so hard on it. It used to be cute and funny............but now it's just annoying. He is a chewer also. He has torn up every toy he had and 2 beds so far. I came home from work one day and he was sitting in a pile of stuffing in his kennel. We bought him a red kong recently and he really likes that but the tail is the best. It just won't stop following him. Is this going to stop anytime soon? thanks!! :help:


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## DonP (Apr 13, 2009)

Poor pup. You got to find something else for him to chew. Have you tried bully sticks. At his age a 12' bully stick should last quite a while. Maybe a big rawhide bone. Just not the tail.


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## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

ooooh. Having owned a tail-chaser in the past, I'd say it does NOT get better with time. Quite the opposite actually! 

First, do NOT laugh at or encourage this behavior. As you can see, it stops being funny pretty quickly. It isn't almost like an OCD issue, it IS an OCD issue.

Second, do you have him in some kind of training class? What kind(s) of activity do you do with your dog?


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

You joke but there are actually IQ tests for dogs


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## chrste (Jul 21, 2010)

I'd be afraid of the results if he really took an IQ test. lol. I will have to try the bully sticks. Not sure what they are, but I'll ask at the store. Do they sell them at Petsmart? No, he's not in any training classes. My husband works with him diligently at home. He listens well (99% of the time) and plays well with our 3 year old (human) daughter. It's just he hates his tail. :smirk:


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Tail chasing is not funny and must be stopped immediately. Many dogs that start and are allowed to continue, end up having the tail amputated and still chase themselves. It is a nightmare.
One of the biggest causes, at first, is too much confinement and too little stimulation.

Tail Chasing in Dogs

Dog Tail-Chasing Linked to High Cholesterol : Discovery News

Tail Chasing in Dogs - Page 1


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

The tail chasing IS serious OCD behaviour and can cause a lot of problems. Dogs have had their tail amputated because they kept chasing, catching, and chewing on their tail. This behaviour is often a symptom of boredom and a lack of exercise. This is not a sign of a dumb dog, but a smart dog who is not being challenged and stimulated enough.

What ever he is getting for exercise and training and socializtion now, TRIPLE it!!! QUADRUPLE IT. Make him so tired physically AND mentally that he has no energy left to even think about chasing his tail. As others have said, it will not go away on its own, and since he has been doing it for a long time, it will take a long time to make it go away. 

Always watch and supervise, interrupt and redirect him as soon as he even thinks to look at his tail. Get him involved in obedience, tracking, agility, flyball, dock-diving, herding, Schutzhund, anything at all you can think of that will keep him busy give him appropriate outlets for his energy. Do not, ever, use a laser pointer to play with him, not even once. It can cause OCD light and shadow chasing, and since your pup already has OCD behaviours, he is almost likely to develop light and shadow chasing OCD too from a laser. 

This is serious and your poor dog will need a lot of consistent effort from you to get over this self-destructive habit.


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

chrste said:


> I'd be afraid of the results if he really took an IQ test. lol.


You might be surprised  A lot of the tests are based on the dog's ability to problem solve and not at all on obedience or how much it cares about its owner... mostly getting food or treats out of different predicaments... you could also use those same exercises to stimulate his brain and hopefully stop the tail chasing if it's caused by boredom. 
There is a theory about laser pointers (or similar) that will "flip a switch" in the dog's brain triggering the prey instinct which is normally turned off when the prey is caught... but with laser pointers, they remain in prey mode and chase their tails.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Your dog is bored out of his skull. Why not get him a job or hobby?


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## chrste (Jul 21, 2010)

I do not think it's funny. I did at first but not anymore. All dogs chase their tails at some point (from my experience anyway). I just thought it would have stopped by now. I've never used a laser pointer with him. I don't own one. My mom has a Boston Terrier who chases shadows, especially birds flying through the air (he chases their shadow on the ground). My GSD has never done this sort of thing. He just hates his tail.

The IQ Test was only a joke.....I guess you can't tell from reading if I'm being serious or not. But it was a joke. My dog is very smart, he just LOOKS dumb when he's doing somersaults as he pulls on his tail. I work full-time and I have a 3 year old. So basically I have two full-time jobs. My husband works shift work, so there are not many days in a month that our dog has to stay in his kennel all day (like many dogs with two working "parents"). I would not consider him a dog with too much confinement. He does go in his kennel at nighttime. If he was not a chewer, we would allow him to sleep at the foot of our bed as we did with our other GSD. But maybe, with time, that will happen.

Thank you. I will take your advice and try to stop him from chasing his tail. Offer him some other activity, etc. He's only 6 months old, so hopefully we can reverse this. I will continue to be on the lookout for indestructible toys. And I will start a job search for him.......


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Good luck. Just remember to exercise that puppy (physically and mentally) as much as you can. It is well worth it in the long run.


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## Sierra's Mom (May 17, 2011)

I own a cat who went through a period of time where she mauled her tail to the point where it was a bloody mess. It is a behavorial problem. We ended up wrapping it up and using kitty prozac. She is now off prozac but still likes to chase it sometimes. We have to make a loud noise to get her to stop. 

I am sorry about your issue. I hope you find a solution.


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## Leika 11 (Mar 1, 2008)

Hi,

What do you mean by "OCD behaviour"?

Cheers,


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