Ask Mike: Why do dogs have tails?
Hey Guys,
Most dogs wear their emotions on their paws, but some canine characteristics are rather mysterious. Take tails, for example. Why in the world do dogs have ‘em? Do they serve a purpose?
I did a bit of research and discovered that I’m about the billionth person to ask this question. The American Kennel Club explains that a pup’s tail is an extension of its spinal column. And there are two main reasons why dogs have ‘em–communication and balance.
Obviously dogs can’t talk, so they rely on body language. The AKC writes that “the way dogs hold their tails can show how they’re feeling.” Dogs that are wagging their tails are usually relaxed and happy. A dog with its tail curved under its body is most likely scared or nervous. And if you spot a dog with its tail held high and stiff, odds are the dog is angry and should probably be avoided.
I knew cats used their tails for balance, but I was surprised to learn that dogs do too. Apparently this is especially true of hunting dogs who run and have to make quick turns. The tail can act as a counterbalance. Dogs that swim a lot, like Golden Retrievers, use their tails as a “rudder to help steer them in the water.” And dogs like Siberian Huskies that live in snowy environments use their tails to keep themselves warm. When they sleep, they curl up and keep their nose under the tail. Almost makes me wish I had one. Almost.
In the past, Ask Yahoo! has figured out why dogs turn around three times before sitting down, sniff each other’s rear ends, and stick their heads out car windows. What other habits and quirks do you notice in your dog? Please leave a comment below.
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dogs have tails to hit files away from their buts and my dog/devil is really hyper when it`s with me?!? reallyweird hope this helps
What about dogs with short, knobby tails? I have a little Rat Terrier, she can’t possible use that little nub for balance. Is there a difference between dogs with small tails and long tails?
I think that dogs have tails because it is an extension of there nervous system to make them more aware of an attack from the rear. Thus giving them more time to Fight or Flee, to pass on their genes. Natural selection at work
Yeah I knew all of this already, but it’s nice of you to post it. Did you know humans once had tails, that’s why we have a tail bone.
Actually tails are our (living bodies’) first organ, we have lost it but most of the animals have them. It’d be better to ask why dont we have tails?
well, actually, they are used for balance, oddly enough. the use has diminished since domestication thousands of years ago.
Oh, wow. That is pretty interesting…
though not very surprising. I was nodding, for I think I already knew this back here *taps back of head*. Way in there, but it seems familiar.
Too bad some dogs have their tails docked. Hard to communicate, right? Well, corgies have short legs AND short tails! Odd breeding, don’t you think?
Thanks for asking this question, it was a cool little thing to read…
why DO dogs turn around three times? I’ve always wondered that!
they were put there to chase
This was interesting and now i going to have to pay attention to what the dogs do,I never noticed they turn around three times ,we have the most loving dogs here.
Apparently, dogs use their tails to communicate, as we all know. You sure heard about the fact that cats also use their tails not only to keep their balance, but to communicate, too. I lived with dogs, and a lot more cats, and my cats were quite skillful to the teach the dogs their language. It really works. (And cats, too, turn around three times to build their nest for the night. You ever wondered how corn circles are made? Well, free running mammals, such like dogs, cats, or… ferrets.)
My dog had the habit of being a cat lover, and not biting the postman, but… she was a soccer fan. And as she was a mixture of a German Schäfer and a Bernhardiner, and as there was a childrens’ playground nearby, and as all children here in Germany play soccer, there sometimes came a soccer ball over the fence, and she “played” with it, which usually meant she’d bite into it and try to carry it back. Which wasn’t especially good for the soccer ball. The kids started to love “Nicki”, as she was called, for being the village’s best goalkeeper, but they also respected her much, as she was a good watchdog, too. She knew whom to trust without being told. And I could trust her that she’d never hurt a kid. Instead, I had some supply of spare soccer balls when she came along (or a concerned parent came along) to replace the one she’d played with.
She died a couple years ago, and I do miss her. Those people who then were kids sometimes tell me, “you’ve never had a dog like Nicki again”. That’s true. There’ll never be a dog like her, who understands other dogs, cats, and humans alike. Sometimes it’s not a matter of education: She had the talent. I didn’t have to teach her.
ooh i see..
whoah i remember our puppy.. he had no tail.. well, he had a tail but it was too small to be seen.. you would just see it if you looked at it closely.
I’m pretty sure that dogs have tails for balance. Case in point: I purchased an adult schnauzer that still had its long tail, so I took Fritzy to the vet to have his tail docked. Ever since then Fritzy has been wobbling whenever he stands up. I don’t take him out for walks ’cause he can hardly make a few steps without toppling over.
Hm, I never really thought about that. I suppose if you go by the theory of evolution, you could find the answer. Supposedly, all life started out as sea life, and evolved over a long period of time, and so on and so forth. I believe dogs may have tails because of the way they evolved as a species. Their tails could be the evolved form of a fish tail, fins, etc. This is just my assumption. Hope that helps!
makes me wish I had one
all mammals have tail bones. now for dogs the tail bone developes into a tail. in case of humans this tail is not developed
Dogs have tails so that you have something to hold on to while you dip them in chocolate…
Alyssa your Rat Terrier has a short tail because the breeder cut it off. For certain breeds it’s customary to do this for aesthetics and tradition. I personally think it’s a weird thing to do. I’m not certain if there are any dog breeds that naturally have short nub tails.
Oh duh someone mentioned it but pembroke welsh corgi’s have natural bob tails. I don’t think that there are many breeds that do have naturally short tails. Of course even the pembroke’s short tail only happened through selective breeding.
Yeah, I’ve noticed that all of my dogs turn around three times and their tails are a great way to see what kind of mood there in or if something is about to happen. My corgi on the other hand, well, I mostly watch her ears. If she’s excited about something, her ears are straight forward. Nervous or anxious, they go back. She’s wierd, but I love her!
My wife and I are certain that our Pug’s tail is an independent, thinking being attached to our dog. It seems to have a mind of its own. Even though a Pug’s tail, being curly, looks like it may have limited functionality and communication capabilities, we have discovered this to be quite untrue. When she is very excited about playing or being chased around, that curled up tail unfurls like a banner in a hurricane; flapping wildly from side to side and in circles. Other times, when she thinks she is not being watched and is doing something mischievous, the tail is also straight, but hanging down like any other dog’s tail. Then, when she is focused on enjoying a Greenie, she has her busy tail in effect, curled up comfortably on her back. Finally, when we come home after being out for the day and approach her as she sits on the other side of the gate, her tail is straight but flat on her back, vibrating intensely, much like the tail of a rattle snake.
It is a joy to see the many expressions of our Puggy’s little tail.
I have lots of dogs and from what I can tell, they don’t wag their tails to show their emotions like mentioned above, but instead to fan the scent of their emotion. That way another dog doesn’t have to smell the other dogs butt. Instead the scent is waffed into the air for all the dogs to smell.
And when they are scared they tuck their tale to prevent the smell from getting around that they are scared.
Of course body language is a big communication tool for dogs as well and some of my dogs have gotten really good at reading slight changes in my body language to determine if I’m in the mood to go on long walks or share some food with them.
they use their tails to knock things off the coffee table
It’s for balance when their sitting.
The reason why dog have tails is because that is how God made them.
i think they have tails so that we can chop off their man hood
Okay, i knew all of these.. nothing new here..
more interesteding question is why do men have nipples?
interesting!
My question is- why do dogs have such developed senses? I mean, it’s something you normally see with someone who is, let’s say, blind, or deaf.. and then- their other senses are more developed.
But dogs who can see, hear, taste and all of that.. still have GREAT senses.. why is that?
Am so amused at the same time educated from the above answer.KEEP UP
the question should be is why HUMANS don’t have tails when most animals do!
What email address do I use to send an email to the Yahoo staff?
unlike people. dogs tail stick out of the body. humans, and/ or people have tails. it is the lower part of your back bone. but it is trapped under your skin. no it is not hairy.
I know this is about dogs, but I saw the reference as to why cats have tails and that is not true. Cats do not use or need their tails for balance. Cat’s balance comes from their wiskers. If a cat did not have wiskers on their face they would lose their balance and become very ill. Balance has nothing to do with their tails.
They have tails to help balance them out.
Your question brought back memories of my oldest son (now 28) when he was 3 years old. He was always asking questions that were tough to answer. He asked me once, “why do dogs have tails?” All I could come up with at the time was “they wag them when they are happy.” Finally after 25 years, I know I was almost right!
We do have tails, all mammals have tails. The coccyx is your tailbone, it’s what’s left of the human tail and it’s just too small to poke out behind us. The simplest answer is because we dont need it anymore. Tails are primarily for balancing a quadrapedal animal (seeing as their head is heavy, they would be off balance without a tail). We walk on two legs, a tail would make us off-balance seeing as our head is in line wiht out body.
You’d never believe I was thinking the other day of this and I came on Answers to ask this exact question. LOL. I want to know why dogs lick. My dogs just absolutely love to lick! And I probably shouldn’t, I know, but why do dogs like ice cream and Popsicles?
I forgot to mention that one of my dogs doesn’t turn around 3 times before she sits down and we can’t figure out why. She usually doesn’t even turn around.
Yeah my job requires me to know this stuff so its nothing new to me at least. I answer this question every day at least 3 times. so yeah. oookay asked an awsome question. Why do men have nipples?
God works in a mysterious way and if anyone here doesn’t believe in God, good for you. Don’t bug me as I will just ignore you.
besacuse thats how they express how they feel
DATS COOL.. HOW ABOUT WHEN A DOG HAS IT’S TAIL CURLED UP LIKE A PIG ALL THE TIME? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Funny, I’ve never seen a dog that “wears” it’s emotions on it’s paws beyond occassionally swiping a paw over it’s face (and this rare occurance in relation to emotion seems to be a sign of embarrassment or of trying to act cute). I’ve seen emotions more written on a dog’s face and in it’s tail, and have known that since I was a little kid.
Actually, the tail is a shared derived character (synapomorphy) of all the chordates. That includes all the mammals, of course, but also such ‘alien-looking’ creatures as sea squirts (which only have tails as larvae) and lancelets.
So, considering that chordates started out with a tail, there’s another really interesting question: why do some mammals, such as ourselves, NOT have a tail?
Anyway, as you said, in most mammals the tail is well developed and plays a major role in locomotion (balance, but also as a ‘5th limb’ in many arboreal forms) and communication.
MEN HAVE NIPPLES BECAUSE WE ALL START OUT AS FEMALES IN THE WOMB. THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO WERE BORN WITH TALES BUT THEY ARE REMOVED AFTER THEY ARE BORN.
probably they are cute
Dogs all are born with long tails its just that some people prefer certain dogs with shorter tails so when they are young they cut the tails off. They heal eventually but its kinda gross. Yea.
they use their tail to show their emotions, if they’re happy: they wag their tails; if they become alert: they stand erect with their tails out in the air,… at least my dog does this, so does alot of my friends’ dogs. I learned alot from my dog, including when he’s happy, upset, overexcited, or scared, besides jumping up or running away, he uses his tail to show his emotions
dont care……….. just tell me why they have cold noses
LOL Robert — i agree, they use their tails in my house mostly to sweep the coffee table clean – whether you like it or not!
Although…this may be a more modern usage…
Very interesting posting – thanks. But, I think when a dog has its tail up and stiff, it is not necessarily mad. Instead, a better description would be that the dog is alert and ready for action. Shepherd dogs work with their tails up. Hunting dogs point with their tails up. And, I’d bet all dogs bark at squirrels with their tails up.
Dogs hace tails to keep balance like other animals and they also have tails to show emotion when dogs tails wag they don’t have to be happy.
I don’t know why dogs have tails, but did you know that humans do too? DO NOT EVER FALL ON YOUR TAILBONE!!!
I am 55 and the biggest pain I have EVER felt in my life was falling on my tailbone. A truck had driven a deep track into some ice. There was a ridge of probably a inch of ice. I fell one NIGHT, RIGHT SMACK DAB WITH MY TAILBONE HITTING THAT INCH OF ICE……
DO NOT EVER DO THAT! I was in major pain for WEEKS. I had never screamed with absolutely no abandonment, I DID NOT CARE if everyone in the surrounding counties heard me.
So, if my doggie or your doggie ever get pain, it is in their tailbone,, and they are trying to tell you that it hurts a LOT……BELIEVE THEM!
If hunting dogs use them for balance etc, why are they often cut off???
Dogs do use their tails for balance, the reason some dogs have their tails chopped off is for esthetic reasons, but their is also another reason. The other reason is because we humans have overbred some of our dogs or overmixed some breeds that sometimes that mix does not come out well. For some dogs the tails is actually too heavy and if left intact so to speak it can actually damage the dogs back if left in its natural state (it is too heavy or cumbersum) so it is chopped. I was also told this about the ears of some dogs by the breeders. Also, the reason dogs turn around and around before they lay down (I don’t know about the three time thing) is because they are making sure there is nothing nasty in their sleeping quarters that will harm them. My cats will also do this on occasion but not as much as my dogs since they get the better sleeping arrangements (the human bed). Also, by the way, a cat does use its tail for balance, have you never seen the slow motion video of the cat following? They use both their ears and their TAILs! You might also be interested to know that at one time the cat’s tail was also prehensile(Anthropology Major – learned this in college). My cat is pretty much living proof of this as she wraps her tail around just about everything and it is and looks really freaky! Everyone who sees her calls her the curly tailed cat.
It is for balance and to hide their assholes.
BUT . . WHY do they have tails? . . . you never answered the question man
Why is it that my dog does not have a tail but a nod on the tail side
good
I knew this..
dogs have tails for balance…
cause if they didn’t thy would lk weriod
In addition to all these answers, dogs and cats simply have tails because that’s where the umbilical cord is when the animal is born. It is detached when the mother bites it.
Religious answer: They were put there because God put them there.
Atheist answer: They were put there because evolution put them there.
ok that is just gross y do u men… ewwww. well im a man but im not tellin u.
My dog sneezes before she barks – like when she’s alerting me that she has to go outside, she goes to the door, sneezes, then barks. Weird?
Dogs also use thier tales to stink out the room more when thye have farted as they waffed it about!!
why do dogs like toys that make a nois? and why do most dog chase cats? why do some dog start to look like their owners? :L
dogs need tails to scare away cobra commander and his hench men
the dogs with long tails use them fpr balance and as a rudder for when they are swimming
Dogs require a tail for may reasons. First they need it to chase. If they had no tail then they would just be chasing thier own butt…and why would they do that?. Second. They must have something to knock your drink off the table. Using any other body part would look much to deliberate. Third, they need it to slap your children in the face with. This asserts thier dominance in the pack.
Horses use them to ward off flies
so they can dust off there bum bum’s
wow, this really helped out a lot on my and my new pup. But ive seen, i think, rotweilers that usually have little nubs. Why would someone want to cut that off if it was for the betterment for the doggie.
dogs have tails because when they were wild they used tails for balance when climbing and running….not a hard question dude
The reason that dogs turn around a few times before lying down is because in the wild (yes, there are wild dogs, in Africa that is) they have to trample down the wild grass first. It’s an instinct, so they do it as domestic dogs, even though there is no grass to trample. But it’s not necessarily 3 times. Tails are part of mammalian evolution, but the great apes don’t have tails anymore, as they evolved to brachiate, swing hand to hand underneath branches of trees. So they didn’t need tails for balance. So chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and people don’t have tails, just a little leftover bit at the end of the backbone. Occasionally one is born with a vestigial tail, but that’s unusual. People have bred unusual dogs with short tails, or we’ll chop off a tail or dock the ears, or do other peculiar things to normal dogs (or cats). But most 4-legged critters have tails, including most monkeys. Now and then, though, there is type of monkey or cat or other 4-legged beastie that lacks a tail for one reason or another. The Manx cat lacks one, for example. Elephants have very minor tails. Pigs don’t have very big ones either. Most sea creatures gave them up altogether.
Tails serve as stabilizers for all animals. When the animal runs the tail helps!
I believe the tails are for balance, especially since dogs seem to be capable of running so quickly and cutting such sharp turns compared to humans…
What else are they going to chase?
My dog has a tail so she cover her cute husky nose up when she is sleeping. It is also there so I can grab it and instigate a fight. Her tail is used for knocking things off of the coffee table, sweeping the floor, hitting me in the face when I’m sitting on the floor and is wagged so she looks so darn cute that you have to pet her.
Well, you know how paws are like emotion showers, some dogs paws are not able to move, the story is tails were used to show ambitions or curiosity.
Hey Mike, I noticed you mentioned you almost wish you had a tail? Anything else dogs can do you might be jealous about?
Dogs have tails because they are descendants of a species that probably used to use it to propel itself through the water.
Dip them in choclate??????????????????????????????
why would you dip one in choclate
so they can wave at you
interesting…
thnx for the information. but one question: what about dogs with short tails, naturally or docked? (which is disgusting and cruel btw)
its just that one dog like that just strolled past my bedroom window and it made me wonder…
Dogs evolved to have tails as the use of coffee tables evolved in human homes. Their sole purpose is to send things flying across the room at the 2 foot level with one swift wag to amuse their humans, and look cute when they do it.
I have 2 dogs, a mixed breed and a Cocker Spaniel, though I know he had a tail when he was born he was docked and now he doesn’t have a tail, or should I say “stubs” thats what we call him now..I personally think Cockers are cuter without the whole tail, that lil stub gets me all the time.. when Cole *my cocker* is happy and he normally always is..that little stub a waggin’ is the cutest thing in the world, then with my other dog Shay his tail is long..I just think different characteristics like this make dogs like humans very unique..
this girl thinks she is a smart ass. hey there is nothing wrong with me. yeah go just far enough then run. hey i asked her out. she ignored me. but she got all her friends watching me. oh well i am done. you really want it you come get it. i am not chasing you. hope you get what you want i am going to go find what i want.
here kitty kitty, take a look inside my world i wasn’t lying. i am not wealthy. but damn you will see why they are talking crap about me. they are jealous.or here it is or you can live like you are. take alook around where are your friends now??? how is working 7 days a week lots of funn ha.
Actually, three reasons. Communication, balance and nose warming. When it’s really, really cold, my three dogs curl up as tight as they can and their tails automatically winds up covering their noses, which is good because obviously their noses, unlike most of the rest of their bodies, don’t have fur.