Dutch Shepherd Forum

We got one with the intention of providing a loving home to a beautiful dog.

After 6 months he has developed a "tic". He chases his tail and shadows with no end in sight. We thought training and tons of excercise would help but to no avail. We would hate to seek ways to medicate him because we do not think that it is right.

Anyone out there have the ability to take in a pup and give him the home that we apparently can't.

Where are you located?

Las Vegas.

He's originally from the Von Liche kennels in ID

There is an old thread somewhere on DSF about tail-chasing. Might be worth it for you to do an advanced search. Perhaps someone else also remembers it and can direct you to it.

You might look at the North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue (NADSR). They may be able to help with a listing to people who might be looking for a DS.

While I don't think medication is right all the time, it is if the dog risks being moved from home to home. It is worth a shot and certainly a discussion with your vet. BUT that is my opinion.

Just another thought: was he exposed to laser lights/flashlights/etc.?

seems to me there is a high probability of a dog that has not bonded - that has not gotten personal attention or intellectual stimulation and is very unhappy as a result. lots of rules in the house, bored to death, tail is only thing left to molest. i have seen it in a number of very smart dogs. likely to end the moment he feels both accepted and occupied. you can go the extra mile and bond with him, make him comfortable [ attention, toys, jobs ] or if you are done with the whole thing, make sure he winds up in a place where he will be understood and where his interest will be captivated.

I think we need more information in regard to training history and the owners approach to it. It appears the owners have the dog's best interest at heart, but all we know is whatever they have done they don't think is enough and has possibly caused this behavior. Not enough information is present to state why this dog is doing this...we only know reasons why A dog may present this behavior.

oh, agree completely. and dealing with a DS puppy [ or many adults ] is no walk in the park under the best of circumstances for most people - other than those professionals here whose opinions we so value. so credit and honor definitely is earned by the person who recognizes that the situation is just not right and that a new beginning is necessary.

I approached the owner's post more as a fact-finding matter; not as a all-hope-is-lost. Oops.

When I did a particular type of rescue, I would get phone calls from people at their wit's end, wanting me to take the animal. Once I accepted that people get in over their heads very easily, I talked to them...understanding their frustrations, talking to them about them...and I learned that many people just felt "alone on a island" and once they had someone to understand and talk to, things changed. I'm happy to say that I heard people say things like, "I can do this!" I even had someone call me back to offer their help for people who had been in their situation. That said, for every X-number of people who think all is lost, the number is low for the people of that population who say, "I can do this!"

I just like to give it a chance. It's not always a matter that the present owner can't do what needs to be done. Sometimes an owner doesn't want to, or can't. All I know is the OP says they've trained and exercised the dog and don't feel they have given the dog what he needs, something is lacking....Asking for more information and getting honest answers can help zero-in on things. Apparently, the OP wants to re-home--but is it because they don't think they can turn this around...or they don't want to be the ones to do it? Referring to my above paragraph, the OP may not know that they have the power and strength to turn this around.

I would look into rear x-rays as well. This sounds somewhat similar signs that Odin showed with his lumbosacral instability. Adding excessive training and additional exercise only made it worse. The shadows might be a different thing, but dogs living in constant paint can do weird things.

Has the breeder been informed of this dog's problems? That would be my first source to try and remedy it. I don't know information about Vohne Liche personally, but I would hope with the amount of exposure that that kennel has, they would be responsible enough to take a dog back that wasn't working out or at least work with an owner to find the best option.

Not negating a physical cause for the tail-chasing, the shadow-chasing made me ask about the laser-light/flashlight/etc. exposure. Could be mutually exclusive or behaviors that have piggy-backed.

If it is similar to the tailchasing some gsd's show....pts. It is a tic that only gets worse

I would have to say far from bonded. He is a house dog, never crated and has free run of our home 24/7. My wife and I go above and beyond to make sure he is loved and cared for.

We have other dogs and no compatability issues at all. Even a cat that he doesn't chase or anything. We have had a vet check him out and no Heath issues at all.

This is why we are so confused.

So if its pts, will medication help?

Sugars Mom wrote:So if its pts, will medication help?

I think she meant pts as in put to sleep.

Oh, I thought post traumatic stress

So I sort of stumbled on this… the Vohne Liche Kennel is the one featured on the reality TV show Alpha Dogs on the National Geo network. Maybe since the dog came from there they would be willing to help with some training?
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/alpha-dogs/

Yes that is the kennel. And so far they have been of no help.

Just out of curiosity, exactly how much tail chasing are we talking about? Is this a constant occurrence?