Why Does a Dog Have a Tail?
To a dog a tail is a wonderful thing,
Cause it adds to their shape, whether fluffy or thin.
And tails can be fun when there’s nothing to do,
You just turn in a circle, and try to tail chew.
But here is the reason that dogs need a tail,
Even though it’s a curious part.
Don’t look where it ends, but look where it starts,
For all dogs need a tail…
To attach to their hearts.
The National Dog Show. NBC. 2015.
Tail Talk
Let’s talk tails. Some breeder’s in the United States dock their puppies tails, however this is an outdated practice that is being banned around the world. There are numerous reasons not to dock a dog’s tail, and after doing extensive research on this topic, there is no way we would ever consider having our own Little Treasures go through life without such an important appendage. When more time permits, we will add more to this page, however, with puppies for sale, we wanted to share a brief overview highlighting some of the reasons our family has decided to let our puppies keep their wag on.
History
Tails were initially docked centuries ago in order to tell the commoners’ dogs apart from the aristocracy’s purebred dogs. In later years, the reasons became monetary. “Dogs used for work were not taxed, so the owners of such dogs would dock the tails to indicate that the dog was used for work and not subject to tax. In other areas, farmers were taxed according to the length of their dogs’ tails, so docking was used to reduce the tax liability. Moreover, sport hunting was considered to be reserved for the wealthy nobility, and it was believed that only long-tailed dogs were suitable for hunting. As such, the owners of long-tailed dogs were required to pay a high tax and tail docking became a practice of the commoners,” (Broughton). The tail was a sign of prestige.
Health
The health and well-being of our puppies is our number one priority. The tail plays an important role in defecating, and the muscles used to wag the tail, strengthen the perineal area and prevent perineal hernias. The tail is also used as a counterbalance when a dog is leaping or walking along narrow beams. If a dog owner is interested in doing agility training with their dog, a tail is definitely an asset. There have been no valid medical reasons supporting the practice of tail-docking. Furthermore, some veterinarians have discussed the phantom pain that amputees experience throughout their lives. Why would a dog not feel the phantom pain of loosing such an important appendage, as well?
Communication
Besides maintaining the health of the dog, the tail is also an important communication device. “Puppy tail wagging is part of dog language and is a complex system of (mostly) sign language, some vocalization, and even scent cues people can’t detect. Many of these signals define and reinforce your puppy’s social position within the family group. That includes other dogs, humans, or other animals,” (Shojai). “Tailless dogs literally have one avenue of communication cut off and other dogs may not understand them as well,” (Shojai).
Legality
In many countries, the practice of tail-docking has been prohibited. I sincerely believe that in time, the practice will be banned in the United States as well. I urge all dog lover to do some research for themselves, and see if tail-docking is something that they truly want to support.
Below is a list of counties where the practice is fully or partially prohibited.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Italy (Turin and Rome)
- Luxembourg
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- Australia
- Iceland
- Israel
- Norway
- South Africa
- Switzerland
- Virgin
The Scottish SPCA’s veterinary team has made the following comments on tail-docking:
“We see thousands of dogs coming through our Animal Welfare Centres annually. Amongst those animals, tail injuries are virtually non-existent. In fact, the tail injuries we do see are normally in dogs that would not normally be docked anyway, particularly Greyhounds and Lurchers. We see more injuries relating to tail docking that has been done badly, or has gone wrong, and in some cases wound infections have been almost life threatening.The Scottish SPCA’s policy is that we oppose the routine docking of dogs’ tails. The Society cannot see any justifiable reason for docking a dog’s tail on cosmetic grounds. Moreover, it appears that there are many good arguments against docking. The Scottish SPCA would like to see legislation imposed clarifying that it is an offence for anyone – vet or otherwise – to dock a dog’s tail except on therapeutic grounds (e.g. emergency pain relief).
While supporting a ban on prophylactic docking, the Society believes that, as long as veterinary surgeons do continue to dock tails, they must issue a certificate explaining the clinical reason for the procedure.”
Scottish SPCA. Personal correspondence with Ian Futter, Veterinary Services Manager.
Works cited
Advocates for Animals: Giving Voice and Taking Action. Why the Tail-docking of Dogs Should be Prohibited. 2015. Web. http://www.onekind.org/uploads/publications/tail-docking-dogs.pdf
Broughton, Amy. Cropping and Docking: A Discussion of the Controversy and the Role of Law in Preventing Unnecessary Cosmetic Surgery on Dogs. 2003. Web.
Shojai, Amy. Tail Wagging: How to Speak Dog What Does Tail Talk Mean? 2015. Web. http://puppies.about.com/od/BehaviorProblems/a/Tail-Wagging-How-To-Speak-Dog.htm