Why Dogs Chase Their Tails

Anyone who has had a dog or seen a dog in their lives knows that these animals love chasing their own tails. This behavior is extremely common in puppies and tends to go away as they grow older, but not many people seem to know why they enjoy this activity so much. While the causes vary, there are a few common reasons why all dogs love to chase their tail.

Getty Images / DigitalVision / Justin Paget

Most of the time, dogs chase their own tails because they are bored. If they spend a lot of time alone at home, there is a good chance they are not using all their physical and mental energy during the day and need to find ways to spend it. Another reason why they do it is simply to have fun. Puppies don’t usually understand that the tail is part of their bodies, so they try to play with it as if it were a toy. As they grow older, they begin to comprehend that their tail is just a body part and stop playing with it as much as they did as puppies.

One last reason why dogs chase their tails when their owners are around is to get their attention. Dogs are needy animals who want attention and will do anything to have their owners around for as long as they can. This is why you should always remember to take some time to play with your dogs every day!