Bailey is eating Kina's coat

C

crazybailey

Forums Regular
I'm back. life's been so crazy busy, I haven't been able to get on here much. Kina is adjusting nicely to our family, but Bailey (11 yr old male) keeps chewing and munching on Kina's back fur along her spine. It's only an inch long in places down her back. A friend recommended using bitter apple on her fur, which seems to keep Bailey 10 feet away from her. I don't like to spray her if they're going to play, as I love it when they spend the night playing/wrestling with each other. When she's chewing on a chew, then I'll spray her so he doesn't munch on her. So, my question is, why is he doing this? Why is Kina his chew toy:lol:? They get along so well and she is his sidekick, but this is strange behavior, is it not?
 
Oh my!! How funny and interesting is that?! I am not sure why that is going on, but I am quite sure others here will be able to advise you :wink2:
 
Is Bailey intact? or Kina?
Coat chewing is a BIG pet peeve of mine... I won't keep a male who does it for my breeding program.
It seems to be a behavior that some intact males do, usually if a bitch is in heat, or coming in soon. I've seen this in certain lines. In one I'm very familiar with, it is apparently a genetic thing, as I know 4 males that all come down from one another that do it, and a son of the brother to one of these males who does it (these dogs don't live together either).
I would recommend keeping her sprayed with bitter apple, unless you want your female to look chewed up all the time. :mad: Just my opinion.... but it shouldn't be allowed to go on. It looks terrible.
A friend who owned one of these males I mentioned let her male chew a landing strip down her one females back, who I was showing in agility. I told her if she wanted me to show her, she'd be giving her the lion cut, as I was not taking the dog out there looking like that.
I would also suggest getting after him any time he offers this behavior. Let him know this is NOT an acceptable thing to do.
Try joining sheltieoldlines on yahoo groups and searching for coat chewing. There are several topics covering it, and they explain the why behind it better than I can. You're also lucky if you're able to get him to stop with bitter apple, as the general consensus there has been NOTHING will stop a determined coat chewer. Most of the breeders on there will pet out any male who exhibits this behavior because of the thought of it potentially being genetic, and because it is such a hassle to live with.
 
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Interesting...everyone here is spayed/neutered and Bailey doesn't do this to the other female. He does stop with the bitter apple, so I'm sure it won't be an ongoing issue. I'm just more interested in the "why" of it. I'll have to check that site out...thanks.
 
Did you by chance get him as an older pup or young adult? If so, he may have initially done it before being neutered at his breeders.
 
Deska used to do it to Tully a fair bit when they were young - hadnt realised it was probably because he was entire. I did used to spray Tully when I went out (and put something on her ears to stop him chewing them), but haven't needed to since she got a bit older. Nowadays he tries it on when he is in a silly mood but Tully hates it so snaps at him to stop - then he often goes on to try hump something. But then Deska only humps when he is being very silly.
 
Coal does this to any female he can get near. Acording to Mike, his owner, he ruined the coat of a female at a dog show once.

No clue why they do it but they aren't able to get him to quit. They just warn everyone of the habit and keep Coal away from the gals. Coal is a stud dog and very much intact.
 
Stacey, yes, in fact. I got Bailey when he was 2 1/2 yrs old and they were using him as a stud. I got him fixed soon after bringing him home, hoping it would calm him down a little (never did:lol:). He does do a lot of dry humping on the two females when they get playing a lot, so I guess that is where it stems from. Interesting. Kina will just growl at him, so not enough to make him back off, so that's where I have to step in now. Missy on the other hand would never tolerate it, so maybe that's why he doesn't even try.
 
It is a sexual frustration behavior. The only thing I have heard that works, is the Tabasco sauce, Habanaro strength. Bitter apple barely slows them down.
 
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