# Tucker's Tail - ACC, Don't Look!!



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Do you ever actually see him chew his tail? Is it when he is playing? Or do you think he does it in the crate?

Brady will occasionally chase his tail when playing, but I have never seen him pull anything off it.


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

I've never seen him do it, he probably does it while he's crated at night. He needs more exercise I just have to try and find someone to wear him out when I'm not here... no one ever wants to play with him except me and I'm barely here because I work so many weird hours.


----------



## DanielleH (Nov 4, 2006)

oh my, I guess he does chew his tail.. is there anything on his tail that would cause him to chew at it?


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Nope, the vet's looked at him, he's not touching the skin at all, just the fur. He's been doing it for about 6 months now, ever since his fur started growing in.


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Boy, do I understand THAT problem. This summer I neutered a perfectly gorgeous boy, sired by one of my champions. "Graham", Nitelite's Formula One, had 12 points with a major, and specialty class wins under his belt. Moved like what I dream of any of my dogs moving. GORGEOUS head, beautiful, correct coat, sweet heart temperament. BUT, I mean BUTT...he chewed his pants off and looked like a baboon...always after I had worked my tail off (forgive the pun) growing it out, keeping him sprayed with Bitter Apple, etc etc, and said "TADA! Now, I will finish you!" And sent the check. As soon as that entry check went in the mail, Graham would chew that hair off. Once, I even told him that he'd just PLEASE not chew it until he was finished, once he was a CH I would spread butter on his butt mySELF and he could make a feast of it... Now, before anyone says "stress", or, he hated showing, etc, I will tell you that he LOVED LOVED showing. So I dunno. But I sure did not want to perpetuate it, nor did I want to keep trying til he was in the Veteran's Classes to finish him. So, I neutered him, and he went to live with Kelly's family, (the wonder girl who stays here when I am gone and takes AWESOME care of the dogs) who in one year lost their old rescue Lab, and 2 rescue Saints. Graham is in Golden Heaven. They live on a 20 acre orchard, overlooking Grand Traverse Bay, and he is the Prince of his Domain.


----------



## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

OMG! What did he do to his tail? (just kidding, I know he is a lab!)


----------



## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

GL, does his coat look healthy everywhere else, are there any thin patches or does his coat feel dry like straw? I'm just curious if it might be related to thyroid deficiency, it caused Robbie's coat to literally fall out and his tail was naked down the bottom half, and it itched so he chewed. Has your vet run a thyroid test?


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

Aww poor Tucker. I feel bad that his tail is not in tack.


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

His coat is nice and even, it's not super thick and curly but I think that's just his genetics. His coat is soft on the bottom half of him and his face/ears/neck then the fur on the top of his back is coarse.

The vet hasn't ran any tests. She said he's not itching because he's not biting his skin, he's just biting the fur off. She reckons it's boredom, as does everyone else... which is why I said I just have to find someone to give him a good run when i'm not here.


----------



## Sivin (Nov 23, 2006)

Hi,

I think our dogs are about the same age. Cara turned a year in late July. She has always enjoyed chasing her tail in fun. I do find that spraying it with Bitter Apple is a big deterent. The thing is that you have to remember to do it regularly.

Regards,
Helaine


----------



## boyd114 (Mar 7, 2007)

Bless him!!!


----------



## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I've seen that before. Not sure if the owners ever solved the problem. I remember one dog that chewed another dogs tail feathers and not his own.


----------



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Maybe it is a habit that needs to be broken. What does it take 2 weeks to break a habit or create a new one? As much as I hate those Elizabethan collars, maybe if you have him wear one for 2 weeks when he is by himself, and have his chew toys with him, he will break the habit???


----------



## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Poor Tucker.


----------



## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

You've really got to deal with it now... have you looked at his teeth lately? "They" say biting hair is extremely abrasive on enamel and can wear down his front teeth to nubs in short order if allowed to continue. Its your responsibility to figure out how to get him more exercise... either in quantity or intensity or both. You know what the problem is... now to figure out a solution. You might want to read that old Bicycling With Your Dog thread that I started long ago. Is there a park near-by? Can Tucker be trusted off lead? Does he retrieve reliably? I could maybe give you some suggestions on activities to try but I really need more info on Tucker's abilities, proclivities and personality...

BTW, if he is chewing the hair off his tail while in he's in the crate... have you actually seen that hair in the bottom of the crate or in his poops (if he is swallowing it all)? That's an aweful lot of hair to be just 'missing'.... he is about a year old now, correct?


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

He's a year old. As for your suggestions. he's afraid of bikes, he freaks out over them and runs away. There's a park near by, but he can't be trusted off lead, he'll run off, and he doesn't retrieve very well, he'll bring it back to me once or twice then thats it. 

I've never seen any fur in his cage. There's some in his poop but its not really a whole lot or anything.


----------



## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

I am with the lack of exercise crowd. I know it is hard on you but if you don;t have any help then it is up to you. Just don;t trip over him while you guys are out walking.

Hooch


----------



## dglvr1225 (Oct 4, 2007)

Belle had this horrible habit of chasing her tail! I'm not kidding...it was adorable when she was a pup and we encouraged it! DOH! stupid us! As a 100 lb golden she's still do it all the time and grab huge chunks of hair out! UGH! she was my silly girl...that's for sure!


----------



## kerribear's golden kids (May 17, 2007)

Hire a dog walker! If know one has the time to walk the dog!
High school kids love to walk dogs for alot cheaper than a pro dog walker!
Just an idea!


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I was going to also suggest bitter apple....


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

RickGibbs said:


> I was going to also suggest bitter apple....


I've tried that... I think he likes it :doh:

I can look up dog walkers, it just annoys me that I'd have to do that when there's 3 other people in this house that could take him out when I'm gone.

Its hard for me to wear him out before bed sometimes because of my shifts, some nights I work till midnight, some 11pm, but sometimes I work till 2:30 in the afternoon, those days are alright but I never have a set schedule. It's different every week. (another reason I hate working there).

I guess everyone in my family just figures he's my dog, I have to deal with him.


----------



## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> I've tried that... I think he likes it :doh:


Have you tried mixing vinegar with water in a spray bottle. I can't remember what the ratio of mix is (maybe 1/2 and 1/2) but I've heard that works for dogs who "like" the Bitter Apple stuff.


----------



## Emmysourgolden (Oct 10, 2007)

Some people chew their nails...Tucker chews his tail.:gotme:

It's kind of funny that he has a bad habit. I don't mean to joke, I do you can get this remedied, it's just kind of cute.


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

That's exactly what a girl at work said to me yesterday when I came into work upset. She's like "do you bite your nails? " I said "no" she says "Well, I bite my nails...your dog bites his tail. It's just a bad habit"

I'm not overly concerned, I mean yes, I would love for him to have a nice fluffy tail like he should, but if everything fails and he still chews it, then ah well. I love him either way.


----------



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Because of your work schedule, try exercising his mind. It is amazing what can be taught with a clicker, and it can be done right in the middle of your livingroom at 3:00 am if need be.


There are threads on this forum to train different tricks with a clicker.


----------



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

The earlier post is correct about the teeth. My Goliath's front teeth were worn down to the gum line because he would occasionally chew his fur on his paws... and he never pulled any of it out.


----------



## goldencity (May 26, 2005)

You have a young, fit and active dog, he's bored! If your shift work is a problem, then get up early and take him out, or go to bed later and take him out then. Hire a dog walker, put him in dog day care. You wont like me saying this, but your work problems are yours, not his. You know the answer, the good point is you'll get super fit from lots more exercise! Your family has a point- he's YOUR dog!
At least it's only his tail he's chewing, some dogs chew furniture, walls, doors, whole houses!.


----------



## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

GoldenLover84 said:


> He's a year old. As for your suggestions. he's afraid of bikes, he freaks out over them and runs away. There's a park near by, but he can't be trusted off lead, he'll run off, and he doesn't retrieve very well, he'll bring it back to me once or twice then thats it.
> 
> I've never seen any fur in his cage. There's some in his poop but its not really a whole lot or anything.


Okay then from what you've told me so far, I will still suggest the bike. However you need a device to keep Tucker attached to the bike while not transmitting any of his sideways motion to the bike (and rider). My suggestion is the Springer (please read that thread on Biking with Your Golden). First put treats all over your bike... the fender, the chain guard, etc. Feed Tucker treats while you're straddling the bike etc. And remember to keep a constant happy, positive patter. I suggest using a sled dog harness, attach Tucker to the Springer and you slowly walk the bike and Tucker up and down your driveway stopping for treat breaks and do this say 3X a day for 10-minutes each time... if you religiously follow this regiment I am sure Tucker will be ready for you to actually ride the bike in 2 or 3 days. You ride a few feet, Tucker gets a treat... repeat this over and over. Well before the end of the week Tucker will be in LOVE with the bike! Now you can start an exercise program based around biking with Tucker. BTW, just the experience of adjusting to the bike is mental stimulation that will do Tucker a lot of good... then being able to be out-n-about with you on the bike will further stimulate Tucker's mind... all of it good. Biking is a wonderful activity that in time will build communication skills between you and Tucker... as you need to operate as a team (turning is a good example). Please consider all I have said here and when you've had time to seriously think about things tell me what you've decided... I really am interested.


----------



## kellange123 (Apr 13, 2007)

Daisy chases her tale too, but she does get a mouth full every once in a while. She gets a "No" when she does it so I am hoping it doesn't become habit.



cubbysan said:


> Do you ever actually see him chew his tail? Is it when he is playing? Or do you think he does it in the crate?
> 
> Brady will occasionally chase his tail when playing, but I have never seen him pull anything off it.


----------



## Griffyn'sMom (Mar 22, 2007)

Oh No! Maybe he was a barber in another life! Yikes!

Griff's tail is getting pretty sparce - his coat seems to be thinning. I hope it's just getting ready to re-bloom in a way.

If he keeps that up he's gonna be really cccold this winter there!


----------



## Ashivon (May 3, 2008)

Lisa's problem is on her neck where the collar rubs...one sides pretty, the other side (it's okay) Her top hair is longer and curlier, the bottom sparse and thin.......LOL


----------



## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

Sienna chases her tail and if she catches it sometimes she pulls off a few hairs and chews them and swallows. Don't see how it could taste good. I think she chases more for attention now, but I don't want her to get into the habit of pulling her feathers out for a meal! :doh:


----------



## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

GoldenLover84 said:


> I've never seen him do it, he probably does it while he's crated at night. He needs more exercise I just have to try and find someone to wear him out when I'm not here... no one ever wants to play with him except me and I'm barely here because I work so many weird hours.


Sounds like he's b...o...r...e...d. Perhaps there's a doggie daycare in Peterborough that he could go to a couple of days a week. I know my daughter/husband take their girl, Riley, to a doggie daycare in London, Ont if their shiftwork doesn't work in Riley's best interest. Riley just LOVES going to see all of her four legged friends, gets lots of play time & is tired when she comes home. It works great for them as all Adam & Shannon want to do after 12+ hours of work is go to bed! Riley gets her exercise, is stimulated, has fun & her Mom & Dad get their sleep.


----------

