Dog chewing his tail

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misterjinglejay

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I'm after any tips for stopping my lad chewing his tail when he's in his crate at night. I've ruled out any sort of pain or discomfort, and he just seems to be bored - he has 'special night time' chew toys which he makes full use of lol and his crate is massive. He is crated next to his sister and our other dog so he has company.

He's done it for ages, and just seems to pull the fur out, not actually chewing the skin. I've tried bitter bite, cheap perfume etc.
I just want to break the habit.
 
Bitter apple is the best of the yukky taste sprays but you may need a Buster collar to break the habit.
Have you tried a nice juicy bone for night time or a frozen kong?
 
Thank you fro your reply - the bone or kong idea; I think he does it when he wakes in the morning before I get downstairs, and so any food will be long gone lol

I'll order some Bitter Apple spray, although bitter bite is pretty grim - I can taste it for ages after I've sprayed him.

I'm trying to avoid the collar route if at all possible :)
 
The problem with bitter apple, bitter bite and bitter lime is that it goes not last for long. Try Vicks vapo rub the smell will last a lot longer and it is non toxic. I would also make sure he has had a good long walk before you put him to bed and therefore more likely to sleep through the night
 
Dogs that eat there own tails, and it's a common trait with sheepdogs, do so through frustration, the claustrophobia of being contained, and general inactivity. Kennelled sheepdogs will often do it when left unattended, which is why most fare better on a chain. It's rarely to do with exercise levels, and more often to do with occupying the mind.

It's actually a mild form of self harming.

Alec.
 
Cribbox for horses is pretty strong and disgusting. My horse is would eat anything but even he is repulsed by this. Just don't put your hands in your mouth after you have sprayed it!

If it doesn't improve I would put a buster collar on asap and get it sorted because I have seen a couple of dogs that have developed nasty infections from this. One had to have surgery on it - sorry don't mean to scare. Both were collie types as Alec Swan says.
 
Rather than offering preventatives to stop the unwanted behaviour, I'd have thought that the trick would be to look at the cause, and alleviate the animal's distress. Simply telling the animal to put up with its obvious misery, whilst painting it with unpleasant potions, really isn't the answer. When I said previously that it was a "Mild form of self harming", I should have added "Initially". As the last poster pointed out, if the habit isn't resolved, the dog may very well do considerable damage to itself.

O_P, I'm sorry if that's all a bit blunt, that isn't really my intent, but you've asked for opinions, and the above are mine!

Alec.
 
I really don't want to go down the route of collars if I can avoid it, and Alec, you are absolutely right - it is self harming.

Him and his sister are very high energy, high 'intelligence' working sled dogs; they need to be active both physically and mentally, and get bored easily.

He isn't distressed, as such, at being crated; he sees it as his safe zone, even at night with the door closed. Myself and several experienced mushers/behaviourists believe it is down to boredom (which obviously is a form of distress). I spoke to a friend who is a vet today, and she thinks the same.

I am working on alleviating that boredom at the mo, and not putting anything on his tail - just watching what happens.

Thank you for your answers - I really appreciate them, even Alec's ;)
 
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