I just watched a video of a dog fighting it's own leg for a bone. Why do dogs do this and other things (like chasing their own tales)?
2007-01-24 04:17:35 · 11 answers · asked by mutterhals 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
What gets me is they never seem to figure it out. You'd think after biting their own foot or tale they'd realise that it was a part of their own body! I agree that it's really amusing.
2007-01-24 04:28:33 · update #1
Sorry, I meant tail.
2007-01-24 04:29:29 · update #2
To be to the point, its simple bordom. The dog is bored and this is creating a mental problem. People get it too, if your bored or nervous you create a habit. Biting nails, scratching heads, wiggling legs. Dogs create condtions that relieve fustration and pent up energy. Rarely do dogs that have a very routine active lifestyle will develop these conditions. I have a foster dog who is older now. She is a Lab mix and she was put in a kennel the day the people got her as a 6 week old puppy. The man didnt want her to pee in the house so he never left her out of the cage, she pooped, peed, ate, slept and lived in a kennel no bigger than for her to stand and sit in.She was 1 and 1/2 years old when we rescued her. Just think of the life she had to endure. She became so nuerotic she chewed her own back toes OFF. She only has half the pad on one foot and 2 toes on the other foot left. She is some what normal now as an adult but still has some major mental issues.
2007-01-24 04:30:00 · answer #1 · answered by I luv Pets 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm not too sure, but I think it may have something to do with the fact that a dog may not be as aware of its own as other creatures are of theirs. So, maybe the dog sees his tail wagging and mistakes it for another living thing, and then proceeds to chase it. Also, adding a bone to the equation makes a dog very territorial and possessive. So seeing something else moving (even its own leg), may trigger some type of defensive mentality and he tries to protect the bone. All of this is really just guessing, but I've been surrounded by dogs all my life, so I have some experience.
2007-01-24 04:28:48 · answer #2 · answered by Nobody 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs that do these things really aren't too bright. Some dogs know better but may chase their tails just because they're bored and they do it for the fun of it. Not all dogs do these behaviors.
Dogs have a natural instinct to guard their food from others. This dog that you saw probably just wasn't a really smart dog and considered his own leg to be an intruder trying to steal his bone. Hence, he fought his leg.
Dogs also have a natural instinct to chase things that move. Some dogs think that their tail is running away from them, and they chase it.
Like I said, not all dogs do this.
2007-01-24 04:29:10 · answer #3 · answered by Steel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Large Dogs?
2016-05-24 04:27:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I saw that video too. Way to funny. I don't think dogs are stupid at all. When mom was training her lab to chase her tail, she "caught" it and crab walked to bring it to mom. rotflmao. It was the funniest thing I have seen. I can only say crab walk because how else do you describe a big dog walking sideways with her tail in her mouth!!! After that all you had to do was tell Leah, go get your tail and she would, and bring it to you every time. She was a great and funny dog.
2007-01-24 05:37:14 · answer #5 · answered by lucysmom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dog chases her tail to itch her tail. That's the only time I've seen her do it. Since her tail is docked it's kind of hard for her so I usually helpher out by itching it for her.
No I didn't request to have her tail docked. She was a rescue dog and she came to the rescue that way.
2007-01-24 04:43:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i saw that video too lol i think the dog was overprotective of its bone to the point it would even snap at its own leg if it got too close i think sometimes dogs are too stupid to realise its their own tail too. my dog pounces on my feet if i'm in bed, he doesn't seem to realise they're the same feet he sees all day
2007-01-24 04:27:12 · answer #7 · answered by stephizzal 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do it for fun.
If they don't have another dog to chase, they can chase themselves.
If I grab a part of my own clothing and say "ow, ow, ow," my dog growls to protect me from myself!
It's not so weird; people play solitaire, they talk to themselves, etc.
2007-01-24 04:25:58 · answer #8 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They're not always the brightest crayons in the box. But they're cute when they do it! Something a mix of instinct and boredom I would say.
2007-01-24 04:25:10 · answer #9 · answered by lildi_32 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do this to make people ask stupid questions on Yahoo.
2007-01-24 04:22:20 · answer #10 · answered by Adhesives 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋