Help!! Toby isn't going to have a tail.....

[Pixie]

Soda thinks it's her own toy to pull and tug on!! I'm sure Toby's (Shih Tzu) tail has gotten thinner and I know it is from Soda. I've seen her outside playing tug of war with Toby's tail. If she keeps this up will there ever be a chance that it will grow out again when she grows up and doesn't pull on it??? Is there a way to keep her from doing this aside from keeping them seperated? They love playing together but I don't want a Shih that has a rats tail either.

[sheilabgroomer]

Maybe if you spray some bitter apple or other nasty tasting, yet safe, substance on the tail to discourage her. Tea Tree oils is nasty tasting too, but I know if too much is ingested it can be harmful. Also, when you see her going for the tail try to also distract her w/another toy. Or, what about a squirt gun? When she is chewing on the tail spurt her w/water and say NO!! Only problem w/that is your other dog may think he is doing something wrong. Good luck, can't wait to see the other posts. I haven't trained a puppy in a long time and am a little rusty at it...lol

[hairdevil]

what about a pair of pants to put on him? lol poor guy!! I have to separate my doxie puppy from the chinese crested puppy. Not sure which one is worse about scuffling, but they won't leave each other alone long enough to even go to the bathroom!! drives me nutzzzzzzzz

[Helly]

Well, as we've told clients with matted dogs over and over, it's hair. It will grow back.

I suspect what is going on is the same thing I've experienced with Oli and Whizzy. When I first got Whiz, he still had puppy breath. That's a signal to the adult dog that this is a baby, and babies need to be tolerated, to some extent. And that's what the older dog does. He tolerates his tail being pulled, his ears being pulled, all parts of his anatomy being chewed, because this is a baby.

Now that Whizzy is no longer a baby, but an adolescent, Oli is not so tolerant. He disciplines a lot harder, and tolerates a lot less. The older Whizzy gets, the less Oli is willing to put up with. They play rough, but the tail pulling, ear pulling, and biting of tender portions of the anatomy don't happen nearly as often, nor for as long.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Oh Diane you scared the daylights out of me! From the main page all you see is: "Help! Toby isn't going to..." and my mind finished the sentence with "make it."

I thought Toby was sick, got hit by a car, or something just as awful. Thankfully it's HAIR and it'll grow back, but I bet a good spray of Bitter Apple, like Sheila said, will help!

Tammy in Utah

[Helly]

You know, as frustrating as it is sometimes, I firmly believe in letting the dogs work it out themselves, so long as no real damage is being done. If you have a good older dog, and it sounds like Toby is good, they can teach a puppy so much, and do it faster than we humans can.

Let Toby teach Soda to be a dog. He'll only tolerate it for so long, then he'll put the brakes on. His tail will suffer, but not for long. The hair will grow back. And if Soda is really hurting him, he's going to let her know about it in no uncertain terms. That's how puppies learn bite inhibition and good doggy manners.

Not only that, it's amazing how much we can learn about dog behavior from watching their interactions. And you can then apply what you've learned to other aspects of your own dog interactions, including grooming.

[Maggy]

Is he pulling on the hair or the actual tail? If it's just the hair, you can try making a squirrel tail for now. I think they're so cute on shih tzu's anyways, if I get an owner who requests a short tail, I do a squirrel tail.

[Pixie]

Thanks everyone. My biggest worry was that there may be some damage done to the hair and not grow back. I bath an AE and years ago the owners had gotten a puppy in just a short time the AE didn't have a tail. Even now the tail has very little hair on it.

I won't worry and I'll just let Toby teach Soda. He has put into place a couple of times, guess she got too rough or did something he didn't like much.

[KarlaSnyder]

With cockers, it's the ears. Each new puppy that I get hangs on to the adult's ears. Poor Holly lost a lot of her ear hair while Penny and Danny were puppies. But this, too, will pass. Hair does grow back.