Communication Limitations - Part Three
Tail
Tails have changed a lot by generations of breeding, and can be the cause of a great deal of confusion and misunderstanding among dogs.
Long Tails
Dogs with short legs such as Dachshunds appear to have long tails. The natural position to carry the tail is slightly below horizontal, but for short legged dogs, this would mean they would be dragging their tail along the ground, so they carry their tails slightly higher. This could easily be misinterpreted as a challenge to other dogs.
Curled Tails
Some breeds have been altered to have curved tails like Elkhound, Banzenji and Pomeranian. Again very confusing signal to other dogs.
Docked Tails
While dogs whose tail has been docked are still able to use their stump to a degree, they are nowhere near as easily understood as a full tail, especially from a distance.
Some dogs are handicapped by a combination of all these factors talked about in the last 3 newsletters. Take the Old English Sheepdog, other dogs won't be able to see their eyes, ears or fore face. They can't see a tail, so other dogs have to come right up to these breeds to figure out if it is in fact a dog at all, so it's no surprise that these breeds can get into conflict.
While we have looked at these differing handicaps in communication, it is something that cannot be changed, so if you have a look at your dog to see where his/her handicaps lie and be aware of it so you can help your dog in these situations by being a calm leader they truly trust in.
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