Buzz
You walk in the door after work, and before your feet even touch the floor, your dog rushes to greet you, tail wagging so enthusiastically that it’s clear this is the highlight of their day.
It's no surprise that your dog is thrilled to see you: Tail wagging is a sign of happiness, while a tucked tail signals fear. As the American Kennel Club states, communication plays a vital role in canine tail movements, helping convey feelings of dominance or submission. Dogs also have two anal sacs near their anus, which release a distinct scent unique to each dog. When your dog wags its tail, it’s activating these glands, spreading its personal scent. If your dog wishes to stay low-key, it will keep its tail down and unmoving. (This explains why dogs are always sniffing each other's rear ends.)
But tails serve more than just communicative functions. While we rely on our arms for balance and mobility, dogs rely on their tails. “By deliberately swinging their tails to one side or the other, dogs counterbalance their body’s tilt, much like how a tightrope walker uses a balance bar,” explains Dr. Matthew McCarthy, veterinarian and founder of New York’s Juniper Valley Animal Hospital, in an interview with Reader’s Digest.
Dogs from cold regions, such as Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes, often curl up and bury their faces in their thick tails to stay warm.
These considerations contribute to the debate surrounding tail docking, with some experts arguing that shorter tails might limit a dog's ability to communicate effectively. However, if your dog has a docked tail—or naturally short tail, like many Australian shepherds—there's no need to worry. The American Veterinary Medical Association points out that there’s little evidence showing that dogs with shorter tails are “physically or psychologically impaired.”
