Flower Essences for Tail Chasing
March 9th, 2010
Angie’s Letter
I have a one-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd who chases his tail.
Its seems as though he does it when he gets aggravated. He spins constantly and does this while either barking or moaning for his tail. Sometimes when he is still, lying on the floor, and you go to pet him, he gets mad and starts spinning.
I don’t want to get rid of him, but I don’t know how dangerous this is.
We have him on a prescribed medication. This helps him a little bit but not as much as we would like. Aside from the spinning, he is a fabulous puppy.
Which flower essences would you recommend?
Thanks
Angie
My Response
Dear Angie,
Greetings, and thank you for writing about your dog. By the way, what is his name?
Tail chasing can become a stereotypic behavior, which is defined as “a ritualistic, repetitive, constant sequence of movements that appears to serve no obvious function.” This is more common with certain breeds of dogs (such as bull terriers and German shepherds), and can sometimes occur when they are overly confined.
It would be helpful to know your boy’s past history; if he’s left alone; what comprises his diet (in fact, recent studies have shown a correlation between high cholesterol and disruptive, compulsive behaviors in dogs); if he has had other homes; if there are other dogs or animals in your home; if he receives proper, loving, consistent training, etc. etc. But for now, let’s work with the information you provided.
Tail chasing can be a complicated behavior with many different causes, including medical. He may be in some kind of pain; he may need chiropractic; or he could have a disturbing physical condition that is deeply upsetting for him. Or he may simply be expressing some form of anxiety. In addition, tail chasing may be attention-seeking behavior. Lastly, though not likely as you described the situation, he may be bored.
Since flower essences may help considerably and also will not cause harm in the form of any side effects, you could try him on the following program: Strawberry Essence for 3 days, to help him orient in a solid way to his environment; followed by Orange Essence for 2 days, to help with his sense of panic; then Peach Essence for 6 days, in case there is a need for nurturing or if he left his birth mother too soon; and lastly, Almond Essence for 7 days, to address the repetitive, self-comforting aspect of his behavior.
Please let me know how he does on this program.
Very best wishes, and a scratch behind the ears for your boy,
Lila
