Should you or should you not dock the tail of a dog? Some breeds like the Doberman Pinchers, German Short Haired Pointer, Rottweiler have docked tails. This cosmetic surgery is commonly done so that the dog will fit the standard set by the kennel club. This practice is usually done to working dogs to protect the tail from potential injuries. In all probability, a dog owner that knows the reason why the dog wags its tail would choose not to cut the tail of the pet. Have you ever wondered why dogs wag their tails?
A lot of animals have tails but tail wagging is most commonly seen in dogs. Dogs have many uses for their tails. A well feathered tail is an asset that gets the dog lots of attention. The tail though has a more important role in the life of a dog. Retrievers use the tail as a rudder to make swimming easier and working dogs that need to negotiate cliffs and sharp curves use the tail as a balancing tool. Most importantly, the tail of the dog is mainly used as an effective communication tool.
Dogs cannot verbalize what they feel but they have an efficient way of communicating with people, with dogs and with other animals. An observant dog owner can easily understand the message the pet wants to convey by observing the wagging of the tail, the expression of the eyes, the movements of the ears as well as the other body movements of the dog .
Smiles and handshakes are for humans while tail wagging is for dogs. A smile is a simple and effortless way of making friends. Dogs are acclaimed for being very friendly animals. To gain friends; the dog’s tail will do the talking. A dog simply needs to happily wag the tail to gain friends. An observant owner will be able to understand what the pet is feeling.
An excited dog would wag the tail madly. The pet is possibly anticipating play time or a treat from the master. Apart from being social animals, dogs are pack oriented thus they would need to have well defined hierarchy. The dog’s rank in the pack will be very evident by the way the tail is wagged. A dominant dog will hold the tail high and wag it stiffly. Dogs lower in rank will wag a tail that is held lower more slowly. Aside from the mentioned uses of tail wagging; this canine habit is also done for identification. Every time the tail is wagged, the odor that identifies the dog from other dogs is released by the glands. These pheromones are used to determine the identity, the sex and the status of the dog.
Learn more about why dogs wag their tails and first aid for dogs at Sarah’s Dogs.
