Dog Community

Ena Bean spins in circles

Posted : 11/18/2009 7:28:49 PM

She will be 2 years old on January 26. She is a delightful dog. Obedient, friendly, beautiful to look at. We have one, ongoing issue, and I am not sure how to even BEGIN to approach it.

Bean spins. When she's happy, she spins. When she wants something, she spins. When she's nervous, she spins. Yesterday, I said, "Heel!" and she spinned in heel position, for over 100 feet. I am concerned about the nature of this. Her sire, I'm told, is a spinner. He is a kennel dog, though. A lot of Cresties "happy spin", but this is beyond that. It's started to affect her gait. She always spins to the right, so her rear is stronger on one side than the other.

She is happy. She is well. It isn't a huge issue, but.... what can I do? I've tried teaching her to spin, on cue, in the other direction. It confuses her, so she starts SPINNING! She can sit, down, wait, heel, come, stretch, pivot, jump, "be good", tell me, say please, etc etc on cue, and at a distance. She can stay for as long as I ask her to. None of that is a problem, but the spinning is starting to worry me.

tiffy

Posted : 11/18/2009 11:10:35 PM

Is she OCD about spinning?

jennie_c_d

Posted : 11/19/2009 8:00:50 AM

I'm beginning to wonder. It is something that can be stopped, but not without effort.

Liesje

Posted : 11/19/2009 8:28:42 AM

Kenya is a spinner too, one of the neurotic behaviors she has. Basically, if she is not sleeping or doing something else that you tell her to do, she will spin. She stops the second you command her to do something else or just say "eh, stop", but if her mind has nothing *else* to focus on, she spins. I used to be really frustrated with it, but lately I am less and less. This is one of three or four neurotic behaviors that she has. I know if she had the choice she would not be doing it. She doesn't do it while heeling though, b/c she knows "heeling" and likes to do that. However when I wake up I see her spinning on her dog bed until I ask her to stop, and let her out to potty. When she is done pottying she stands at the back door and spins. When I say stop or sit, she does. When I had to bring her to boarding by herself (I picked one of those ridiculously nice places with dog runs more luxurious than the hotels we stay in), they said she was spinning.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 11/19/2009 4:01:46 PM

The spinning while heeling is what really got me. She usually gives great attention. I was so shocked, I kept walking, for a while, before I corrected her. "Eh, heel!" and she stopped spinning, started attention heeling. It sounds very similar to Kenya's. Is Kenya's gait affected, at all? Does she spin one way, or both?

spiritdogs

Posted : 11/19/2009 4:26:38 PM

some dogs that spin excessively do it as part of either a learned behavior or even a stereotypical behavior (OCD), but it can be caused by other factors, too - erlichiosis, hypothyroidism, neurological issues. Some dogs, like my 20 year old Yorkie, spin when it's dinner time:-) But, if you are worried about it, trust your instinct and have Ena Bean checked out.

https://www.vetconnect.com.au/5min/data/01560157.htm

http://www.askdryin.com/movies/SpinOutBarkFeb08.pdf