Tails

[Laurelin]

Another thread had me thinking, how does your dog carry it's tail?

Trey has basically only one carriage which is straight down. I'm ALWAYS asked if he even has a tail, lol. The only time he does otherwise is when he's barking at the neighbors' dogs.

The paps on the other hand have really bizarre tails compared to my other dogs. Sometimes they're up over they're backs, sometimes they're down, Summer will sometimes stick it straight up especially when she's running(Harry did that too), sometimes Summer will curl hers to one side.... Summer's has a crook in the end when it's down and so does Rose's but Beau and Nard's are both straight.

I'd say it's about 50/50 whether their tails are up over their backs or down. Beau holds his up unless he's really sad or really sleepy, but his curls a lot tighter than the others.

I don't know the purpose of this thread except wondering at the fact that Trey's tail has basically one set and the others don't.

 

[copperdogsmom]

Teddys is alway over his back like its suppose to be unless hes scared then its down.But he never really gets scared.

 

[elegy]

luce and steve have very variable tails. mushroom's is generally just neutrally straight out the back, though it goes down when he's anxious.

luce is a big believer in the straight up excessively excited tail, complete with tail poof hackles.

but mushroom doesn't do that at all.

steve's tail is down when he's working, flipped up over his back when he's especially joyful or proud of himself, and straight out the back flapping wildly back and forth at most other times.

 

[corgipower]

Tyr and Nyx both carry theirs over their back when they're playing, down and relaxed when they're concentrating on training, out straight behind them or the top of the tail will be out straight and then it will bend and drop when they're alert or curious. When Tyr's not doing anything, his tail spins in a circle like a propeller. We think he's trying to take off .

 

[CaliTerp07]

Lucy's is all over the place. When she's staring out the window or following me around the house, it's in a tight curl over her back. When she's giving me those sad "feed me, i'm starved!" eyes, it'll be straight down. And when she's running like a maniac around the dog park, it's straight up, like the flags they put on little kid shopping carts in the grocery store!

I love her tail, it's so communicative.

 

[xpaeanx]

Keeda's is all over depending on her moods and what's happening.

midgets is generally held up, but when he's relaxed it goes down. He also "wags" his stump... it's slighly amusing.

 

[bubbatd]

Ollie's is just natural !!!

 

[pitbull]

My dog tends to carry his at what i call half cocked. If he sees something interesting he will raise it up normally though.

 

[Laurelin]

Here are some of my favorites...

Over the back

Down:

Middle:

Fly away:

 

[Zoom]

Sawyer's is probably all over the place but it's hard to see unless he's wagging it. Yes, you can see nubbies wag. He'll stick it straight out when he's on alert but that doesn't do much except square up his topline a bit.

 

[Renee750il]

Kharma *talks* so much with her tail. Relaxed is just that. Straight out behind her is paying attention. Slow, partially raised wags accompanied by ears perked, head and butt swaying and The Big Eyes are "oohhhh I luuuuvs you . . . " and are soon followed by her rubbing against my legs like a giant cat.

Tail stiff and slowly raising over the back is "there's something out there." It can either preclude a straight out launch or a drop to stalking and/or pouncing mode, which then includes much bunching of muscles, flexing of claws, gathering of haunches and the tail straightening out to a horizontal position with the very tip of it twitching . . . again, like a cat.

My favorite is one of her variants of the puppy waggle. Tail down following the line of her body and the bottom quarter of it waggling like a puppy's does when it nurses. That is a supremely happy, "life is perfect because we're together" tail.

One of the variants of that -- and it's a slight difference in the way she holds her tail -- slightly tucked up under her -- is her "I think maybe something happened and you aren't going to be thrilled" tail :rofl1: And then there's the face that goes along with it Impossible to get mad. She could have destroyed the entire free world and I wouldn't give a flip.

Tallulah and Bimmer will take another post each, lol!

 

[smkie]

Jean and i were talking about it on our walk back this afternoon. I don't know if Mary is continually happy or if she is trying to propell herself with her tail. Add effort so to speak. THat is where she carries hers, back and forth.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Gonzo's tail is the weirdest ever. A lot of people ask if he's mixed with Husky, because of it. It changes with his mood.

When he's trotting around, exploring, and playing with other dogs, his tail is curled over his back.

When he's focused, playing fetch and/or feeling contemplative, his tail is in the "correct" position, with a teensey curl at the tip.

When he's uncomfortable and ashamed getting a bath, his tail is flopped defeatedly over his back.

 

[sillysally]

Sally holds her tail up and kind of curled when excited, happy, or hyper--

Jack usually carries his straight, but at different levels depending on his mood, the circumstances, etc.

When he plays he often holds it straight up for some reason...

Whenever he has something in his mouth he holds it higher than his normal pose...

But this is what his tail is usually doing--thwacking into stuff (Sally's face, my face, our legs, furniture)....

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

well, in perusing my photos...Wilson typically holds his tail high and over his body. Very 'on alert". Baxter varies--when deep in 'sniff mode' his tail is held ot the side. When playing, he holds it high and curled over his body.

Trav tends to hold her out even with her back--and swishes it side to side (gotta love that rutter tail!)

Evidence.....

 

[vanillasugar]

Sierra "normal" tail:

This is about as up over her back as it gets:

 

[drmom777]

Uncle Fred has a long, strong tail. When he is relaxed it hangs down, but when alert it is up in a scythe shape. I can figure out where he is by looking for that white tail tip when he is in the woods.

Mini carries hers up more than Uncle Fred. When she relaxes she tends to drop just the top half, so it is bent, kind of like it was broken in the middle. She is an odd little duckie.

 

[jess2416]

Relaxed

Alert

 

[Hairy&Stumpy]

Straight off the back, as an extension of the top line...in full sail.

 

[PoodleMommy]

Armani has a tiny little stub that doesnt actually resemble a tail. If he is really happy or excited you can see a little piece of hair in the back wagging!:rofl1:

Bella's is always straight up and she doesnt wag her tail, she wags her entire backend... she is too happy

Elle's is up, down, all around.