Why does my German Shepherd puppy keep chasing his tail? Is it normal?

At that age, he's exploring and figuring things out and just having fun! With an older dog, I'd be worried about it being more of an obsessive compulsive disorder if it was very frequent or hard to distract him from, but it's normal behavior for a baby.

A degree of tail chasing is normal but there is a condition where is becomes a compulsive disorder. Unfortunately it is incredibly hard to treat compulsive tail chasing and uf it becomes an issue it usually requires the help of both a vet and behaviourist.

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this. The first step is to determine if Duke is chasing and chewing at his tail due to itching. If not, then it may actually be an obsessive/compulsive type of behavior. So, the first step I would recommend would be having your vet examine the skin on his tail to determine if they suspect there is something physical going on with his skin. This may involve them doing some simple skin tests or trying some more potent anti-itching medication since Benadryl has helped a little. They may also check his anal glands and anus region since German Shepherd can have some additional problems there. Don't forget that the tail base if the most common area that we will see dogs chew if they have a flea allergy (even if you never see fleas), so make sure that Duke is on a monthly flea preventative. If your vet is unable to find a physical cause or resolve the chewing, then it might be worth trying medication for a possible behavioral component. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that you are able to find a solution. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Although puppies will want to chew and bite, this behavior should be corrected with a little training. Keeping your hands away (placing them behind your back or folded) when he tries to go for a play bite will help eliminate the behavior. Also, making sure he has plenty of tactile toys around he enjoys to chew on will help as well. Lastly, a German Shepard needs PLENTY of exercise, so I would make sure he gets walked at least once daily (more is better). All of these behavioral tips can help decrease and eliminate the biting behavior. I hope this helps!

Typically when dogs chase their tails in an obsessive manner it is because they have excess energy they need to burn off. When Jerry starts this behavior try to redirect his attention to something else that would be a better outlet for his energy like playing ball or going for a fast paced walk. If you think Jerry is doing this because his tail is painful or irritating him, then you may want to take him to the vet to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello, sorry to hear about Jaxx. This can be associated with abnormal sensation at his tail either due to an old injury or something such as flea bites. This may also be associated with abnormalities of her anus, such as impacted anal glands or an anal gland abscess. More rarely, this may be associated with a main neurologic disease such as a seizure. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I am unsure what your question is concerning your pets tail because this is more of statement than a question. However, if you have concerns about the tail, then this is probably normal for him because he is a large breed growing puppy. As he gets bigger his body will become more and more proportionate and his body length and tail will balance each other out better. If you still have other concerns about this, then please don't hesitate to re-post with a specific question in mind.