Why do dogs chase their tails?

Dogs love to chase things! Squirrels, balls, other dogs in the park. But why do they sometimes get stuck in a loop chasing their own tail? We asked Dr. Carlo Siracusa to help us find the answer.

Dogs love to chase things! Squirrels, balls, other dogs in the park. But why do they sometimes get stuck in a loop chasing their own tail? We asked Dr. Carlo Siracusa to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s taking furever to answer? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help chase down the answer. 

Haya Benitez / Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best.


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A history show for the whole family! Every episode explores the origin of just one thing — like sandwiches, video games, clocks and more — while teaching listeners to think critically about history.


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Our mission is to encourage kids’ and curious adults’ natural curiosity and wonder using science and history…but there’s no age limit on curiosity, and episodes of Brains On can be enjoyed by anyone.


Why do dogs chase their tails?

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