In search of ponies: There are reasons dogs chase their tails

Everybody loves a tail chaser.

C'mon, admit it. You know you laugh when they turn in those tight little circles, round-and-round, over-and-over again at a dizzying speed.

Apparently it's "normal" to laugh.

Of course people know on some gut level that spinning around in circles trying to catch one's own backside is a bit redundant but there's something entertaining about watching a dog give it all they've got as if oblivious to the fact they already have control of the prey.

In fact, a researcher with the Royal Veterinary College in England found that when she watched 400 videos of dogs chasing their tails on YouTube, people could be heard laughing in 55 percent of them.

And, as if the laughter didn't say it, people demonstrated how much they liked it when their dogs got stuck in a loop by encouraging them to spin-on in 43 percent of the videos sampled, and a further 20 percent helped out by tugging or otherwise manipulating the dog's tails.

Every now and then a little tail chasing is normal, the researcher noted, particularly with puppies, who often attack that thing that sneaks up and taunts them from the peripheral.

A full minute of spinning, which was the average time most dogs were filmed, with an uninterruptible drive and in some cases obvious injuries, not so much.

Actually, it appears that spending copious amounts of time fixating on and going around in circles trying to catch something that is out of reach is completely illogical and not healthy.

Even more, it is a symptom of something else being amiss.

Researchers have found that the majority of dogs that chase their tails relentlessly are not getting sufficient exercise and are often starved for attention, so yeah, in a round-about way, they are doing it for entertainment and it is a self-made treadmill of sorts, but not in a good way.

Not only has chasing one's own tail has become a human cliché to represent unhealthy obsession and an inability to let go of a useless pursuit, a team of Finnish researchers at the University of Helsinki have recently confirmed it to be much the same for dogs.

In fact, it appears there are significant parallels between the behavior and human obsessive-compulsive disorder. Released last month, the study found that dogs who chase their tails are more likely to be shy, separated prematurely from their mothers, have suffered a trauma in their childhoods, they tend to exhibit other anxiety behaviors and it all begins in the first three to six months of life.

In addition to environmental triggers that seemed to somewhat explain the behavior, they also found that dogs who receive vitamin supplements and are neutered are less likely to chase their tails, though a dog's gender does not appear to determine the severity or likelihood of the behavior.

The study is being hailed as having opened the door for further studies, in part to see if there may be answers for human OCD sufferers and will surely lead to more research on genetic and other factors that cause obsession and compulsion.

In the meantime, while studies are still being conducted and scientists explore the cliché from both the human and canine sides of the spectrum, it is still possible to gain some wisdom.

First and foremost, posting videos of dogs chasing their tails on YouTube has caught the attention of the great minds in our society and while it is possibly on its way to being as politically correct as giving sugar to a diabetic to entertain one's friends, you'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth the upload.

But perhaps most importantly, science has proven that running around in circles while trying to catch up with your own backside is not productive or healthy and probably merits a visit to an expert, either veterinary or otherwise, as appropriate.

To-date, however, there has been no correlation made between known conditions and putting peanut butter on your dog's nose. Carry on ...

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:[email protected] or on the web at: www.insearchofponies.blogspot.com