The meaning of a dog's tail. The dog wags its tail - the meaning of the gesture We go from the opposite

Docking a dog's tail is removing part or all of it. This operation is performed in the first three days after the birth of the puppy, without anesthesia.

This practice appeared several centuries ago. Its goal was to strengthen the dog’s invulnerability against a possible opponent. Terriers were pulled out of animal holes by their shortened tails, like by a handle. In addition, a hunting dog has a short tail - this gives the animal a chance to be less injured when trying to get through dense undergrowth.

Thus, for some breeds, a docked tail has become a standard requirement. Although in some countries (Great Britain, Australia and many European countries) this practice is prohibited by law. And it no longer has any practical use.

It has been noticed that puppies with docked tails are delayed in development because they have poor coordination. In addition, the tail is the basis of dog communication. It testifies to the intentions of the mood and its owner. And its absence complicates mutual understanding between dogs, and sometimes makes an animal with a docked tail defenseless.

Why do dogs wag their tail?

This is due to the manifestation of emotions in the animal. For example, a sweeping wag from side to side indicates the dog’s joy and readiness for open communication. If the dog wags less wildly and nervously, then this indicates irritation and warns of a possible attack.

Scientists have also recently discovered that a dog’s tail can be used to monitor the dog’s attitude towards certain events. So if she waves more at right side, which means that the dog is generally positive. If she is upset or angry, then the tail movements shift more to the left.

For example, when seeing its owner, a dog's tail always swings more to the right. But when it sees a larger and clearly dominant brother, the dog waves more to the left, as if signaling: “I guess I’ll go.” Scientists suggest that this is due to the hemispheres of the brain.

In most animals left hemisphere brain is responsible for the so-called enrichment of energy and positive emotions. So, in people it is the left hemisphere that is associated with feelings: love, calmness, affection. The right hemisphere is responsible for energy expenditure, which manifests itself in fear.

But there is an asymmetry of body movements in relation to the hemispheres of the brain. Therefore, in dogs, the tail shows emotional asymmetry, waving first in one direction and then in the other. Movements to the left are responsible for the expression of negative emotions, and to the right - positive ones.

The tail is an essential attribute of every dog. Raised by a pipe, wagging happily, cowardly tucked in, it is an indicator of mood and well-being. However, man decided to interfere with what nature gave here too. Without considering why a dog needs a tail, breeders began cutting them off left and right. At first, the fashion for docking was widespread, then it remained confined to only some breeds. Somehow we were even more “lucky”. Not only tails came to hand, but also ears. These are Great Danes, Dobermans and some other breeds.

Why does a dog need a tail?

It may be true that it is an extra attribute that has no functional significance? But even if so, then why cut it off? We'll talk about this a little later. For now we are interested in why a dog needs a tail. Children often ask why about this. At the same time, they often answer their own questions: in order to wag them. Everything is very simple.

Functional load

But here's what zoologists pay attention to:

• First of all, the tail has a communicative function. This is a means of communication with other animals, and since the dog lives with a person, it also lives with him.
• The second point is that the tail can serve as an assistant when moving.
• Beauty. Yes, in the animal world this fact is also of significant importance. During the mating season, males use it to attract the attention of females.
• Finally, it is simply an extension of the spine. Would you like to have several vertebrae removed?

It is already becoming clear why a dog needs a tail. Now let's look at why a person decided to deprive a pet of a legal organ.

Ancient practice

In fact, historical documents show that this procedure has been around for a very long time. Shepherds cut off the tails of puppies because they believed that this would protect them from getting rabies. Of course, there is no justification for this, but we need to make allowances for the level of education. Why were dogs' tails docked? It depends on the breed:

• For hunting dogs this is argued by the fact that it will be easier for them when hunting the beast.
• For burrowers - to make it easier for them to move in narrow passages.

But that is not all. Speaking about why dogs' tails are cut, we need to remember about the tax imposed on dogs in Old England. The exception was the official ones, and their tails were cut off so as not to pay extra money. Shepherd dogs were deprived of jewelry so that they would not be injured during a fight with wolves. Another reason was the reluctance to clear the pet’s tail of debris and thorns.

Modern veterinary clinic

Those days are long gone. Why do dogs still have their tails cut today? Around the 18th century, the law was abolished, but the practice remained. Now she has become exclusively cosmetic procedure. One by one, standards for certain breeds began to emerge. In the process, a certain stereotype of the exterior developed. And the docked tail became an integral attribute. Probably the most famous representative is the Rottweiler, whose square body is emphasized by a short tail.

Why do dogs have their tails cut off? Exclusively because the first breeder of the breed presented it exactly like that. And since it was not possible to breed a dog that would be born immediately without a tail, this issue had to be resolved surgically.

Standard adjustment

Today it is already a relic of the past. England has introduced a new rule that bans cosmetic tail docking on dogs. Why subject animals to a painful procedure that has no practical significance? Today, such dogs can participate in exhibitions. Their tails and ears are no longer a reason for removal from the ring. Permission to dock dogs is obtained only in certain cases:

• animals serve in law enforcement;
• in the armed forces;
• emergency rescue services;
• pest control service.

The Animal Welfare Act stipulates that docking must be done by specialists, and the operation is carried out on the fifth day after the puppies are born.

How does surgery change depending on age?

If done on time, the puppies will experience minimal discomfort. Tail cutting sounds terrible in words, but in reality it's different. The veterinarian takes the baby out of the box, quickly processes the tail and cuts it off with special scissors. A short squeak is heard and the puppy returns to his brothers. Within a minute he goes back to bed. That is, the operation is performed without anesthesia and pain relief. Ossification of the tail vertebrae has not yet occurred, and sensitivity is lower than in adults.

When the puppies reach ten days of age, the operation is performed under local anesthesia. If the animal is more than three weeks old, then general anesthesia is used and a tourniquet is applied to the base of the tail.

The first method is surgical removal

As already mentioned, the operation is considered simple and safe while the puppy is very small. If the baby has reached the age of one month, then it is necessary not only to remove the tail, but also to apply stitches. If the operation is performed under general anesthesia, then the appropriate drug is administered by inhalation. Usually this is a vagolytic, which reduces salivation and normalizes the cardiac response.

The length of the tip to be removed depends on the exterior characteristics of the breed. The hair is removed from the tail, after which the skin must be pulled as far as possible to the base of the tail. After this, using special scissors, an incision is made between the vertebrae. The wound is treated with an antibiotic.

Second way

We have already talked above about why cats and dogs need tails. At the very least, it decorates your pet. Therefore, if you do not want to injure your pet, you can safely refuse this procedure. Moreover, such animals today are easily allowed to be bred and participate in exhibitions. Yes, it’s a little unusual to see a Great Dane with long ears or a Rottweiler with a tail. But this is just a matter of habit.

So, the second way is to pull the tail with an elastic band. Usually after 5-7 days the tip dries out and falls off on its own because it is deprived of blood. It is believed that this is a more humane method. However, asking the dog what it feels will not work, so here the person is guided only by his own assumption.

Of course, at any age an animal experiences pain. Even for little puppy this operation is not as simple as one might think. But the older he gets, the harder it will be for him. Is it worth exposing your pet to this injury?

Consequences of the procedure

At first glance, there is nothing wrong with removing the tail. The simplest operation, after which you only need to treat the wound for a couple of days. In fact, experiments conducted on rats show that nerve injury negatively affects the sensitivity of the stump. Some experts argue that removing the tail vertebrae weakens the animal's motor skills. Another weakness- urination. The tail serves as a counterweight. When an animal is deprived of it, it acquires dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system, as well as pathology of urinary function.

Instead of a conclusion

The above makes you wonder whether it is necessary to subject your pet to a procedure that does not have any functions? At a minimum, it is useless, and, quite possibly, harmful to his health. Maybe you should just reconsider your views on things and not accept the standards so categorically proposed by someone. Moreover, they were canceled a long time ago.

This amazing tail

Dog lovers agree that they are amazing animals. They are not only able to adapt to life with people, but also have skills and abilities incomprehensible to humans - from fantastically sensitive noses to a sharp mind. Dogs find ways to captivate the imagination.

Their physical abilities are just one of many species characteristics that continually surprise us. With the development of high-speed canine sports and the improvement of technology, we have seen many incredible images of dogs running, jumping, twisting and turning at high speed and very efficiently. These pictures show how dogs use their bodies to perform incredible physical feats. Pictures allow you to learn a lot about

our beloved dogs, including how tails help them move faster and more confidently.

When dogs move, they use their tails as rudder for balance. For example, if a dog needs to slow down, it will raise its tail up. If she needs to speed up or go up, the tail will drop lower. When a dog needs to maintain balance, the tail may move from one side to the other.

To understand how dogs use their tails during agility races, let's look at a few photos.

To maintain balance

In the pictures above, the photographer captured the near-disaster. This author's Sheltie loses its balance while booming and skillfully uses its body to land safely. In the first photo you can see that Asher's tail is down so that the dog can quickly run up the ramp.

In the second photo, Asher makes a misstep. His back right paw barely hits the board. Its tail is raised up and moves to the left to help regain its balance on a narrow surface. The face shows concern and concentration.

Third photo: both right paws slipped off the boom. The tail is lowered down, and the dog even holds onto the board with it in an attempt not to fall. It is actually unknown if this was intentional, but Asher tries to use the tail to maintain balance and safety. He is focused and looking straight ahead and down at the target - the tunnel under the boom.

In the fourth picture we see that the right paws have returned to the boom. The dog has lowered its center of gravity, and the tail works again to overcome the forces of gravity and inertia. The focus remains on the tunnel under the boom.

On last photo in the episode we see a dog jumping onto the soft surface of a yellow-green tunnel. Thanks to his body and tail control skills, Asher landed safely and escaped with minor muscle pain in this terrible incident.

In this series of photographs it is interesting to observe the work of Escher's body, including the tail. The role he plays is clearly visible in the moments captured at the right time.

For jumping

Dogs also use their tails when jumping. They lower their tails to gain altitude and raise their tails to land. This makes the dogs aerodynamic on takeoff and increases thrust on landing, much like airplane air valves increase or decrease speed and thrust.

Above in pictures 2-4 we can see Asher preparing for the jump, executing it and landing. The first photo in the series shows that the tail is raised. The dog uses it to crouch down before flying over the barrier. Next we see that the tail is lowered to help with lift and keep drag to a minimum. After the apex of the trajectory, the tail begins to rise to increase thrust and help the Escher return to the ground.

In slalom

Images of dogs in slalom provide an opportunity to explore the role of the tail as a rudder. The two pictures above show Asher using his tail to propel himself between the poles. He swings his tail back and forth to make slaloming movements easier. Watch Asher do it in the video below (0:26).

On zone equipment

When it comes to zones, dogs often drop their tails on the ascent and raise their tails on the descent, especially if they have been taught to stop in zones. Above you can see some shots of Escher running through the boom. When it reaches the ramp, its tail rises to give it more thrust and slow it down before stopping at the yellow part of the boom - the zone.

Cupping

My article is not about docking, but if the tail is used as a rudder, then this topic should be touched upon at least a little. Tail docking has remained a controversial topic among dog owners for years. Docking in simple terms is the removal of part of the tail.

It was originally docked to prevent injury and infection in working dogs and presumably to increase speed. Cupping is still used today in the United States. Whether a puppy is destined to work in the fields, on a farm or ranch, or to be a family pet, dogs of certain breeds often sport docked tails.

Today in many countries this procedure is prohibited or severely limited. There, the practice of such cruel mutilation is used only in extreme cases. In the United States, tail docking is possible, although some states have prohibited it by law.

Research shows that tails aid in motor coordination (Wada et. al., 1993). However, it is up to each individual owner to decide whether the loss of a tail will be a problem for the owner. active dog. Since docked dogs have been performing successfully in all walks of life and sports for many years, this decision - whether to dock or not - may not make much of a difference. I am not trying to weigh the pros and cons of cupping.

Tails can talk

During agility training, many instructors watch the tails of running dogs. If the dog experiences discomfort while overcoming an obstacle, it will hold its tail higher in order to help itself maintain balance if something happens. A high tail is a sign that the dog needs more practice in passing that particular projectile with confidence. (See photo above.)

In the video above, watch a Sheltie's tail work as he runs the mixed course at the 2013 AKC National Championships. You can see that experienced dog really works the tail to maintain balance, especially in turns.

If your dog is involved in high-speed sports, look at photos that capture moments of intense movement. Look at the tail. You may be surprised at how much more talented and coordinated your dog is than you thought.

Almost every third family has a four-legged barking pet, and in some more than one. However, adult dog owners rarely ask questions about anatomical features your pet. But children are often interested in why a dog needs a tail, big ears, wool? Why do some dogs have a tail, while others have it intact? So why do dogs need this body part?

Any researcher will agree that everything that is created on Earth has a certain meaning, and there may be no talk of unnecessary things. And even a tiny part of the body has great value for its owner, the same can be said for a dog's tail. It is very important for the animal and performs a number of functions.

The tail is in a mobile state almost all the time. It is a clear indicator of the dog’s mood; it can be used to determine what the dog is going to do in the near future. Almost all people know that if a dog wags its tail, then it is in a positive mood and is very happy, and if the tail is located between the hind legs, the pet is scared or very ashamed.

But these are not all the “tailed” gestures that the animal uses in communication with people, its relatives and other animals, and they are not always interpreted unambiguously. A wagging tail can also be a sign of aggression, but a dog whose tail is in a calm state may be friendlier than it might seem at first glance. The alphabet of the “tailed” language says the following:

• In a relaxed animal, the tail is positioned naturally - the position depends on the breed - in pugs it lies on the back, in Labradors it hangs down, in huskies it forms a ring.
• Careful wagging from side to side, a sort of waving, speaks of the dog’s joyful mood.
• Intense waving, and even accelerated movement around its axis, in the manner of a propeller, is unbridled joy and happiness; the pet is immensely glad that its owner has returned.
• Dropped or caught between hind legs a tail is a sign that the dog is nervous or showing submissiveness. In this mood, the dog may try to quickly wag it. But this does not apply to Italian Greyhound dogs - this tail position is normal for them.
• The tail is pressed tightly to the stomach - the animal is very frightened or is trying to demonstrate exceptional submission.
• A high tail, which stands straight and rigid, resembling a pipe - something alerted the dog.
• The tail is raised high, and its end sways from side to side - usually in this position the dog stands in one place, showing aggression, threatening people or other animals. From the outside it may seem that the dog is happy, but all other body movements indicate the opposite.
• A vertically raised tail, which seems to be shaking, means the dog is ready for a fight or an attack.
• The dog is carrying something in its teeth and at the same time the tail is raised slightly above the body - this pose indicates that the animal is confident in itself and will not just give up its prey.

Tail steering

Looking at a dog that is moving, it is noticeable that the tail is actively involved in this process. It helps the animal balance when the dog walks on logs or uneven surfaces. Also, thanks to the tail, dogs can abruptly change trajectories, this is especially important for dogs that develop enormous speeds - greyhounds, hounds.

In addition, the tail helps dogs swim, because it is not for nothing that all water breeds - Labradors, Newfoundlands, Irish Water Spaniels, Portuguese Water Dogs and others - have a rather long and thick tail. It helps the dog swim long distances, dive and swim to the surface.

Tail - flavoring

Not all dog owners know about them, which are located at the base of the tail. They secrete a special secretory fluid that has an individual aroma. When a dog feels confident, it actively wags its tail, spreading its own scent, notifying the entire area of ​​its presence.

In addition, the secret is an information carrier and can tell a lot about its owner. It attracts the opposite sex and warns rivals. And if the dog is not so self-confident and does not want to attract everyone’s attention, he tries to press his tail to his stomach, covering the anal glands.

Interesting:

Tail - decoration

For some breeds, the tail is a chic addition to the look. WITH long hair- in lap dogs, Pekingese, rings in huskies, dense rings in German shepherds - this is not the entire list of situations when the tail is a real decoration.

It’s not for nothing that one of the points in the standard is dedicated to this particular part of the body. U German Shepherd it should be as long as possible, in Labradors it is shorter, in Japanese Chins and the Pekingese straight and lying on his back, he curls funny.

Each breed has its own requirements, and for some this means docking. Yes, today this procedure is viewed ambiguously, but dogs of some breeds really look more impressive without this, albeit important, detail. Fortunately, modern owners have the right to resolve this issue in one favor or another.

A dog's tail is a fan, a mood indicator, a rudder and a fin. Important organ, which should not be underestimated. It is not known whether the dogs themselves are proud of having chic ponytail, but the owners are proud – and that’s for sure!