Why Do Dogs Have Tails?

By Jerry Welsh

A lot of animals have tails. Even we humans are believed to have tails before we have evolved in what we are today. Dogs have tails. Some can be very bushy, some long and thin and others are short like little nubs.

A tail is a delicate part of a dogs body given that it is an extension of the spine. A dogs tail has many other uses but the tail is mainly used in balancing and communicating. The dog can not talk and communication with other dogs, with other animals and with humans is done by body language using the head, the ears and of course the tail. The tail is most commonly used to communicate. A dog with a wagging tail is perceived to be a friendly dog. However, a waging tail is not a definite sign that the dog has a good temperament. A tail that is held straight up with only the tip wagging is a sign that the dog should be approached with caution. This is a definite sign that the dog is aggressive.

Dogs use their tails to communicate with other dogs. Even from afar, a dog wags its tail to show the other dog either his dominance or submission. A tail that is held high shows that the dog is confident or dominant. One that is held low and between the hind legs shows that the dog is submissive and frightened.

The dog uses the tail to balance. When a dog is running after a prey and needs to turn a curve quickly, the tail is used as a counterweight to avoid toppling over. Dogs like the Lundehund or puffin hunters need to scale steep cliffs to hunts the birds. The dog uses its tail to balance when walking in narrow ledges very similar to a tightrope walker using a balance bar. Pointing dogs that look for birds in the thick underbrush use the tail to point to the hunter where the bird is located.

Retrievers or other breeds that do a lot of swimming use the tail as a rudder for easy steering in the water. Northern dogs like the Samoyeds and the Siberian huskies have long bushy tails. These dogs that have to work in extremely cold areas have to brave the snow even when sleeping.

These sled dogs would curl in a ball and use the bushy tail to keep them warm. The tail is often used to cover the dogs nose. The tail is also used as the very personal fly and insect swatter. Like a cow the dog uses the tail to shoo flies and other insects away.

You can read more about dogs and their tails in the Q&A section of Sarah's Dogs, http://www.sarahsdogs.com/qa/why_do_dogs_have_tails.html Sarah's Dog's feature comprehensive breed profiles as well as a wide variety of articles on dog behaviour. Check it out at http://www.sarahsdogs.com