Studying a dog’s tail, especially its length and shape, can help determine what breeds make up your pup if you have a mixed breed.
Even though everyone says, “Oh, they’re just a mutt,” you know you have the best dog in the world.
But let’s face it, you are curious about what breeds co-mingle to create your unique canine companion.
An excellent place to start is at the end, the tail end.
Why do dogs wag their tails?
Most, but not all, dogs have tails.
Certain dog breeds, like Australian Shepherds and Pembroke Welsh Corgis, have small fatty flaps instead of tails that wag happily.
Most experienced dog owners know dogs communicate by using their tails.
Learning to read your dog’s tail is critical to successfully communicating with your dog.
Tails held high are usually a sign of an alert, aware dog.
Tails tucked low or between the legs usually indicate a dog feeling threatened, frightened, or nervous.
Bristled tails are usually a sign that a dog is on defense.
Why do dogs wag their tails, and does the wagging direction mean anything?
Experts believe that a dog’s tail wagging indicates familiarity with the person it is meeting or greeting.
This suggests that the dog’s wagging behavior can reflect its acquaintance level with the individual.
Wagging from the left side to the right side means a stranger. To the right means the dog recognizes you.
Wagging in circles usually means the dog is happy or excited.
He’s content when your dog wags his tail while lying down or sleeping. When your dog holds his tail up and still, it means he’s wary.
A high-set tail, a natural extension of your mutt’s body, could hint at a scent hound ancestry. Perhaps your dog has a touch of Beagle, Foxhound, or Airedale.
Dog tail position
The tail’s setting, shape, and size are markers of your mutt’s intriguing gene pool. Combinations make it even more fascinating.
One position is a high set, where the tail is a natural extension of the dog’s back or topline.
Sometimes, the tail sits low and seems to start below the top line.
Like many dogs that hunt in packs, Terriers, Beagles, or Foxhounds have high tails.
Sighthounds like Greyhounds, Whippets, and Afghan Hounds have low-set tails.
Is your dog’s tail low set, whip-shaped, with a slight curve? They could be Whippet, Wolfhound, or Ibizan Hound.
A high-set tail, a natural extension of your dog’s body, could hint at a scent hound ancestry. Perhaps your dog has a touch of Beagle, Foxhound, or Airedale.
Dog tail shape
The length and shape of the dog’s tail can give you a hint of their ancestry.
Tail lengths can be long, medium, short, or bobbed. They are straight, screw/curled, gay, saber, taper, whip, plum, otter, brush, sickle, snap, carrot, and tuft.
Here are a few clues that you may find helpful when doing detective work on your mixed breed’s diverse pedigrees:
- Curled or sickle tail — Northern cold-weather breeds, including the Akita, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Spitz, Shiba Inu, Keeshond, American Eskimo Dog, Swedish or Finnish Lapphunds, Schipperkes, and Chow Chow, to name a few, have brushed or sickle-shaped tails that curl forward. The tail helps warm the dog’s face, especially the nose, as the dog curls up into a big C to retain as much body heat as possible when sleeping. Oddly enough, Chihuahuas also have sickle tails.
- Swimmer tail — Otter tails work like rudders for water dogs such as Labrador Retrievers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, and other sport-class dogs. Their tails are usually thick, medium to short compared to body size, heavily furred, and taper to a blunt tip. This tail style helps swimmers.
- Carrot tail — Does your mutt have a carrot tail? That would be identified as reasonably short, thicker at the base, and tapering to a stumpy tip. That shape helps a farmer grab a dog and pull it out of vermin holes. If your dog’s tail is carrot-shaped, chances are that somewhere in their gene pool is a West Highland Terrier or two.
Determine your dog’s pedigree
More dog tail shapes
- Tufted or fluffy tails — If your mixed breed has a tufted tail, there is a likelihood it’s got some Poodle in it! Poodle tails are set high on their back, straight and well-furred with a tufted end.
- Snap tail — Also known as a tightly curled tail, these are shared with Northern breeds and colder climates. Mutts with Alaskan Malamute, American Eskimo Dog, and even little Pomeranian ancestors commonly share this shaped tail.
- Swordtail — The regal swordtail is generally associated with Great Danes, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, American Staffordshire Terriers, and many Pointers.
- Bobtail — Old English Sheepdogs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, and some Australian Shepherds have a tiny nub of fatty tissue rather than a full tail.
- Gay tail — Beagles, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Border Collies, and Wire Fox Terriers have thick tails with a small white tuft at the tip that they hold horizontally with a slight curve.
- Saber Tail — Certain herding breeds, such as German Shepherds, Collies, Belgian Malinois, and Belgian Tervurens, have saber-shaped tails. They are long and held low. Those impish Cardigan Welsh Corgis also wear their tails low.
- Tapered — Your mixed-breed dog might have a tapered tail if they have some Terrier genes, like Manchester, Border, or Airedale. Typically, the base of those tails is thicker, set high on the back, and held straight up or out. Dachshunds, Dalmatians, and English Setters also fit in this tail category.
- Corkscrew tail — Dogs with curly tails that resemble a corkscrew include Bulldogs and Pugs.
- Plumed — Dogs with plumed tails could be Belgian Tervuren, Saluki, or Borzoi.
- Short — Dogs with short tails include the French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Australian Cattle Dog, Blue Heeler, Mudi, and Boston Terrier.
- Long-tailed dog breeds — Breeds with long tails include Irish Wolfhound, German Shepherd, Irish Setter, Chihuahua, Whippet, and St. Bernard.
Docked tails
Working breed dogs often have docked tails to reduce injury risk. Many working dogs are members of the Spaniel or Terrier breeds.
Dogs with docked tails include Airedale Terrier, American Cocker Spaniel, Boxer, Brittany Spaniel, Cane Corso, Doberman Pinscher, English Springer Spaniel, Giant Schnauzer, Hungarian Vizsla, King Charles Spaniel, Miniature Pinscher, Miniature Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Rottweiler, Standard Poodle, Toy Poodle, Weimaraner, and Yorkshire Terrier.
Selective breeding created some dog breeds that are born without tails.
Those breeds include Australian Shepherd, Brittany Spaniel, Danish Swedish Farmdog, Jack Russell Terrier, and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
Tail docking, the practice of removing a portion of a dog’s tail, is controversial because many argue that it is unnecessary, potentially painful, and mainly done for cosmetic reasons.
Some also believe it can hinder a dog’s communication ability.
Tail health
The tail is essential to a dog’s anatomy and plays a crucial role in communication and balance.
It’s vital to care for your dog’s tail by keeping it clean and inspecting it regularly for signs of injury or infection.
See veterinary attention promptly if you notice any changes, such as unusual swelling, discharge, or pain.
Proper care helps ensure your dog’s overall well-being and comfort.
The bottom line
As a rule, the tail gives clues about a dog’s lineage. Docking can confuse the issue.
But let’s face it, does it matter what pedigree secrets are swimming around in your Heinz 57 gene pool?
Your pup will always be the best dog in the world to you.
But, you must admit, figuring out where they came from could be challenging and fun! And even more so to understand tail-wagging meanings.
Karen A. Soukiasian owns Good Dog! — Dog Training in St. Augustine, Florida. You can follow Karen on Facebook.
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