Do you believe certain dogs use their tails while running?

[cajunhuntin]

I have gotten into a discussion on another forum and was wondering how many of you guys believe a dog does use its tail while running for balance? And do you doc ur dogs tails?

[Jpepper]

Sure, I don't see why not. It's possible some dogs use their tale for balance purposes while moving. I'm not for certain though.

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

There is no question in my mind that the dog uses his tail for balance while running and working stock, be it hogs or cattle.

Also something that is often overlooked is how the dog uses its tail as a feeler or it "eyes" directly behind its body to feel for other hogs/cattle, dogs, trees/rocks, corners, ect...

The tail keeps the dog from being surprised by what it can't see and the dog can maneuver cleaner in tight cover because it is feeling around with the tail.

Dogs without tails get it done just fine but the dog with the tail has an advantage.

[Purebreedcolt]

I think it depends on the dog a small terrier type dog no I don't think it doe help.  A cur type maybe a little now a tall long dog like silverton hunts yeah.  Also the larger stockier they are I think the tail is less useful.  Personally I hate tails and any pup born on my yard is going to be docked but this is my personal preference.

[muleman]

They don't use them if they don't have them! Some of the most agile dogs I've seen were tailess.

[M Bennet]

god made them with tails there their for a reason

[Reuben]

lots of mtn curs are born with bob tails and I bob the tails on the ones born with long tails...But I try to keep the pups that were born with long tails but that is further down the priority list...

I remember as a young kid I used to hunt with my dogs almost daily and sometimes twice in a day. While growing up I had 2 dogs that used their tails when running. the times I saw them use their tails was when they were running wide open on a jack rabbit. When a jack rabbit is about to get caught they start ziz zagging in hopes of shaking the dog off. Both these dogs would rotate their tails like a rudder when the jack rabbits would start to zig-zag. The tail would actually throw dead grass up in the air. It appeared to me that the dogs used this to make a sharp cut to the right or left while running wide open... sometimes they caught and sometimes they got out manuvered/outran.

I only saw this when they were running jack rabbits...dogs caught lots of rabbits daily but I never saw any of my dogs use their tail when chasing rabbits...

[Caseydejohn]

I dont know about balance, but my brindal gyp will pop her tail if she can smell a track i put her on. If its hot she'll pop it slow. If its hot she'll pop it so hard she slaps her self in the ribs and you can hear her slapping her self.

Thats the only way i can tell if she can smell a track cause she wont say a word. No way i would evee dock her tail.

[jdt]

i think a bobtailed dog is just as agile as a dog with a tail . i agree with silverton on a dog using his tail to feel behind him , if you touch his tail while he's baying and he didnt know you were there he will scoot away and  look back to see what it was .

i prefer a dog with a tail because i can kinda see what their thinking when a long ways off .

[slimhogdog]

I dont think a tail makes a difference in a hog dog's agility, maybe a coursing hound or greyhound because of top speed cutting/turning but not a cur dog baying hogs. 

[BA-IV]

If you bob a dogs tail when it's a puppy, it's going to grow up knowing nothing else.  If a dog gets his tail cut off later in age, then it will take him getting use to the lack of balance and feel that he's use to. I don't think it matters much once the dog gets use to not having a tail.

To me it's like a person being born with a disability, they know nothing else but that, but if a person loses a hand in life, it would take them getting use to it, but after awhile it would become second nature.

[cajunhuntin]

If you bob a dogs tail when it's a puppy, it's going to grow up knowing nothing else.  If a dog gets his tail cut off later in age, then it will take him getting use to the lack of balance and feel that he's use to. I don't think it matters much once the dog gets use to not having a tail.

To me it's like a person being born with a disability, they know nothing else but that, but if a person loses a hand in life, it would take them getting use to it, but after awhile it would become second nature.

yes i agree with ya but let me ask you this could a person with no disability perform better then a person with a disability even though they were born with it from the start??? I believe on certain dogs the tails or useful for certain jobs! say example if a lacy dog is just for blood tracking or hog hunting will it need its tail NO PROB NOT! but if you use that lacy dog to catch and chase jack rabbits then will it use its tail YES INDEED it will! I just believe as long as the tail isn't getting swallowing or tore up in briers and effecting the dogs performance from it being raw then why cut it!

[treeingratterrier]

God made dogs with and without tails, why in the world would one want to redo something God has made for us, I used to dock all the rat terriers as pups, one day I asked myself why, could not answer so quit 30 years ago doing it.  same way as a hound in full cry with tail arched, seen too many other dogs go to a hound trailing with a faster wagging tail as they had just got the hottest track, all dogs with tails use them when running, lots of terriers use them to back out of colasping holes or hollow rotten trees as well seen it to many times in person, how many times have you looked across whitebrush or a solid cactus patch and only spied a dog with its head down trailing and its tail wagging, if it was a bob taled dog chance the pack might not see it as well and not help it pick up a ducking and doging varmit.  I figure they like a flag with a lite on top like those sand dune buddys have.

[cajunhuntin]

God made dogs with and without tails, why in the world would one want to redo something God has made for us, I used to dock all the rat terriers as pups, one day I asked myself why, could not answer so quit 30 years ago doing it.  same way as a hound in full cry with tail arched, seen too many other dogs go to a hound trailing with a faster wagging tail as they had just got the hottest track, all dogs with tails use them when running, lots of terriers use them to back out of colasping holes or hollow rotten trees as well seen it to many times in person, how many times have you looked across whitebrush or a solid cactus patch and only spied a dog with its head down trailing and its tail wagging, if it was a bob taled dog chance the pack might not see it as well and not help it pick up a ducking and doging varmit.  I figure they like a flag with a lite on top like those sand dune buddys have.

VERY WELL SAID

[yellowdog]

I think of all the dogs God and natural selection has left here for us and the only short tails we got are man made. Have not had enough short tailed dogs to make my own determination. You would think there would be at least one wild K-nine with a short tail if it helped at all.