Kim, The Whole Dog Journal reported success with faithfully using a modification program.Found owner attention intensified the problem. Their solution as follows. A modification protocol that consisted of the owners leaving the room immediately as soon as the behavior started, and making an effort to pay more attention to him when he wasn't chasing his tail.
Also, if physical restraint-- chaining,kenneling, or other close confinement-- is one of the situations of conflict or frustration that can contribute to compulsive behavior. Frustration refers to a situation in which the animal is motivated to perform a behavior but is prevented from doing so. In the above case the dog needed more freedom and exercise in a fenced yard, thereby reducing the confinement frustration while tiring him out to the point that he had little energy left to chase his tail( a tired dog is a well behaved dog school of behavior modification) The above dog got more supervised walks, freedom in a fenced yard to exercise and the owner leaving the room during the tail chasing, and paying more attention to him when he was not chasing the tail resulted inside a month, the tail chasing had subsided. I hope this is helpful. Patricia Powers Pratt Cavaliers -----Original Message----- From: Kim Kaslow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sunday, February 24, 2002 4:33 PM Subject: [CKCS-L] Tail spinning?? >Hi, > >I was wondering if anyone on the list has dealt with a dog that chases it's >tail obsessively....for hours on end. I would have to say that I would >classify it as an OCD as even when one tries to discourage the dog by >giving it something else to do, the tail chasing starts agin within a few >minutes. Frequently she almost seems not to hear us when trying to >redirect her attention. It seems to be worse when a season is approaching >and lessens a little bit after a season for a short spell. > >I would be interested if anyone has dealt with this if they have found any >successful treatments, homeopathic, behavioral or otherwise. We tried a >short round of medication, but it did not seem to help and behaviour >modification hasn't seemed to help either. I feel so badly for this little >girl...it is heartbreaking to watch her. > >Thanks, >Kim >Ballymena Cavaliers > >========================================================= >"Magic Commands": >to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL >to start it up gain click here: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL > > E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. >Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html > >All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author. > ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
