What do tails do for dogs

Science Technology Business U. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The answer comes from the fact that puppies begin tail wagging when it is needed for purposes of social communication.

Until they are about three weeks of age, puppies mostly eat and sleep. They are not interacting significantly with their littermates other than when curling up together to keep warm when they sleep, or crowding together to nurse. They are physically capable of wagging their tails at this time, but they don't. By the age of six or seven weeks or 42 to 49 days when we start to see tail wagging behaviours on a regular basis the puppies are now socially interacting with one another.

Most of the social interactions in puppies are what psychologists call play behaviours. It is through playing that puppies learn about their own abilities, how they can interact with their environment, and most importantly, how to get along with other individuals. Thus the pup learns that if he bites a littermate he is apt to be bitten back, and perhaps the game that he was playing might be terminated by its now-angry playmate.

It is at this point that the puppy also starts to learn dog language. It is not clear to what degree these emerging social communications are pre-wired, but learning is clearly needed to refine the use and interpretation of these signals. The pups learn to connect their own signals and the signals provided by their mother and their siblings with the behaviours that come next.

They also begin to learn that they can use signals to indicate their intentions, and to circumvent any conflicts. This is where and when the tail wagging behaviour begins. One place where conflicts are likely to occur is during feeding. When a puppy wants to suckle her mother, she must come very close to her littermates who might have been nipping, jostling or chasing her a few minutes earlier as they all crowd in to find a teat.

To indicate that the current situation is a more peaceful one and to calm any fearful or aggressive response by the other puppies, the puppies begin to wag their tails. Tail wagging in puppies thus serves as a truce flag to littermates.

Later on, puppies will begin to wag their tails when they are begging food from the adult animals in their pack or family. As the puppies come close in order to lick the face of the adult dog, they signal their peaceful intentions by tail wagging.

When communication between dogs begins to be needed, however, they rapidly learn the appropriate wagging signals, putting that marvellous tail to use! Login or Register Get Free Newsletter. Love Cats? Visit Modern Cat! Meanwhile, a study published in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior found dogs wagged their tails more after a period of limited social contact.

Regardless, dogs move their tails for any number of reasons — to convey anxiety, alertness, or other emotions. A lowered tail tucked between the legs means something very different than a tail raised high in the air.

The speed of wagging can make a difference too. Most dogs use their tails to convey emotion, but some dogs start with tails in different resting positions. Other dog breeds lack most or all of their tails, also known as docked tails. Some common dog breeds with docked tails include:.

Especially if a dog is moving quickly, changing direction, or climbing, the tail can help steer and guide the dog as a counterbalance, ultimately preventing them from falling, tripping, or overcompensating in the opposite direction. When swimming, a dog mostly uses their paws to paddle, but if you take a look at their backside, their tail might be hard at work, too, acting as a rudder to help them move and turn. Just as there are many different breeds of dogs — according to the AKC , registered as of September — there are different types of tails, too.

Some dogs have short tails, some have long tails, some have curly tails, and some even have no tail at all, whether by breeding, or due to the practice of docking. Most dogs that are considered tail-less actually have tiny, stumpy tails, usually called bobbed tails. These breeds include the Brittany spaniel, Braque du Bourbonnais, Pembroke Welsh corgi, Australian stumpy tail cattle dog, Boston terrier, English bulldog, and French bulldog. Dogs that usually have ringed tails include Samoyeds, akitas, chow chows, and shiba inus.

A sickled tail is a type of curly tail, but it tends to be a less defined curl. Some breeds known for having sickled tails include Siberian huskies, and other breeds that are associated with cold climates in cold weather, these dogs can curl up with their heavy tails wrapped around them, or even covering their noses.

In corkscrew tails, the ring is extended into a spiral shape. This type of tail is caused by a vertebrae deformity, so unlike sickled or ringed tails which dogs can straighten according to their mood, corkscrew tails stay in one curled position. Pugs and bulldogs tend to have corkscrew tails. An otter tail is a thick, rounded tail that tapers toward the end, and in its natural state tends to be pointed down.

Dog breeds with thicker coats and a water-loving personality generally have this kind of tail—think Labrador retrievers, Chesapeake Bay retrievers, and, naturally, otterhounds. These tails tend to be long relative to the length of the body.

Most dog breeds that have whip tails are hunting dogs, or dogs known for their speed, like greyhounds, whippets, and wolfhounds. This type of tail is especially effective as a counterbalance so may help with stability, agility and quick turns. Though there are many different shapes and sizes of tails, with some breed exceptions, most tail behaviors mean the same thing no matter the tail type.

A wagging tail seems to be the universal sign of a happy dog. Is it sticking straight up, is it horizontal, or tucked down? What else is going on with other parts of the body? Is the dog still with only the tail moving? Other signs like raised hackles, a crouching stance, a play bow, or pricked ears can help round out what the tail motion is saying. Paying attention to these cues can help prevent or de-escalate conflict, and ensure all social encounters, whether with dogs or people, are pleasant ones.

Here, according to scientific research and behavior and training experts, are some common meanings to different tail wags. Tail straight up: The general rule is the higher the tail, the more assertive the dog.