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Tails Tell

Tails Tell
by
July 24, 2024
in Humane Education Column
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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice-chair

They come in a variety of shapes, lengths, and coat coverings; they serve specific purposes; they look adorable and they make us smile when they happily wag to greet us. They are the tails of our dogs, and these tails have quite a story to tell.

A dog’s tail is an extension of his spine made up of 5-23 vertebrae, bigger at the base and decreasing in size to the tip. They are separated by discs which provide cushioning and flexibility. Muscles, tendons and nerves work with these bones to generate a wide range of movement.

This basic tail anatomy comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Dogs can have no tail (actually they have a stub) or tails can be bobbed, short, long, curly, sickled, corkscrew, otter or whip. Some of these types serve unique purposes.

For example, a sickled tail which is slightly curly is often found in breeds associated with cold climates. It can wrap around them, even covering their noses to help keep them warm.

An otter tail acts as a rudder for water dogs when they are swimming, and a whip tail on dogs known for their speed acts as a counterbalance aiding them with agility and quick turns.

Tails help all dogs with balance and movement.

According to the American Kennel Club, “Your dog’s tail works to assist with skillful movement. As your dog needs to change direction while running, his body needs a little extra help. You’ll notice that your dog’s front legs will go in the direction that he intends to go, while the rear legs continue in the original direction. The tail, however, will also turn in the new direction. Tossing the tail in the same direction the body is turning serves as a counterweight to your dog’s body, ensuring that your pooch doesn’t spin off course or tumble around.”

This counterbalance system works on a regular basis, in all situations, not just when your dog is running.

Perhaps the most important purpose of tails is communication. Dog tails, intended to communicate with other dogs, can also be read by their humans because we have learned to recognize and understand their signals. Researchers have found this tail language, consisting of tail position and its movement to be relatively consistent, among all breeds, no matter the tail size or shape.

Of course this “tail talk” needs to be interpreted along with all the rest of your dog’s body language and verbal communication and set in the context of what you see and hear going on around you and your dog.

Tail language is more complex than simply saying a tail straight up means the dog is being assertive, a horizontal tail means the dog is on alert, a tail tightly tucked under the body means the dog is insecure, and a wagging tail means the dog is happy. Such interpretations may not even prove to be accurate in all situations. We need to look at the whole picture to really hear what our beloved pets are saying to us.

Yes, I need to write one more article which will focus on how to do the best job possible interpreting our furry friends’ “tail talk.” Then our dog’s tails will be given the attention they deserve.

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