why do dogs have tails??

Question

whats there use.....im sure im wrong in my belief that its to chase flies away from their holes

Answer 1

Dogs have tails for all sorts of reasons. The two main ones are balance and expression.

Take a look at a dog when it's running. It counterbalances cornering with its tail, like a motorcyclist leaning into a turn.

Then take a look at what a dog does with its tail when it's angry (tail held stiffly behind it and ears flattened against its head), or happy (tail wagging frantically), or unhappy (between legs). Dogs do, indeed, keep their noses warm with their tails (especially huskies and the wolves which they are descended from). Dogs also use their tails when swimming as an extra buoyancy aid and as a rudder.

Some breeds of dog like boxers or corgis have their tails artificially "docked" (removed) when they are puppies for cosmetic reasons - because it's supposed to "look" better.

As for other animals, tails are useful for keeping off flies, grasping branches of trees, courtship rituals or threat displays.

Answer 2

My son was just watching some show on why animals have tails.
Most animals have tails for balance..when a dog runs and turns a certain way real fast, the tail will turn in the opposite direction to keep the body balanced. However, not all dogs have tails.
It also is a way of communitcation between other dogs.

In other animals..like cheetahs it's used to keep them balanced when running, tigers use it in the water as a rudder.
Lemurs use their tails to signal to others where they are.
Some monkeys, their tails act like another hand..they can grab things with it.
Horses,giraffes, cows etc use their tails to keep flies off them.

Answer 3

All animals have tails, even humans have a small ending of their spine that is not holding anything. Dogs in particular use their tails to communicate. Waving a tail means being happy, raising it means dominance, puting it under the legs means fear, etc.
Cats use their tails for balance. Some monkeys use it to help climb. Horses use it to chase the flies away. Birds use it to fly.

Answer 4

Silly, but sometimes I wish I had one for just a little while to see what it's like. When they wag so hard and are so happy, I can't help but wonder what it would feel like to show all that exuberance with a tail.
Actually, I think it helps with balance for some dogs and is a trait dating way back. Some people think humans had tails at one time.

Answer 5

Given that the vast majority of animals have them, I have sometimes wondered why humans don't have one.:-)
I'm not sure there is an answer to "why", but you can tell what function they serve, and that's been answered several times - perhaps helps in balance, but probably more importantly in communication. I'll refer you to Stanley Coren's book, "How to Speak Dog" - he has a long discussion of "tail talk". So in a sense, a bob-tailed dog has a speech impediment.

Answer 6

I agree with columbo, they use them as way of communication. It's like how we make facial expressions. Scrunching up our eyebrows when we are mad, dogs use their tails to show if they are angry or happy. My terrier mix has a long tail that curls and is always up in the air, I always know if she's sick cause her tail will hang down to the floor.

They also use them for balance in agility and swimming.

Answer 7

The purpose of my Lab's tail is to knock stuff off the coffee table - Anything at tail level ends up on the floor...

The Aussie doesn't have a tail, it was cropped when he was 2 days old - Being a working breed, tails are cropped to avoid livestock stepping on them or ripping them off.

Answer 8

That is one advantage of a dog's tail, but also they use them for communication!
Dogs do more than just wag their tails in excitement, they use them to tell other dogs their status! A dominant dog holds his/her tail up high, whereas a submissive dog holds his/her tail lower, the most submissive keeping their tails between their legs!

Answer 9

I have always thought that it helped them to communicate with other dogs/people. Usually when a dog is wagging his tail it meand that he's excited.

My Boston just has a cute little nub so what do I know?

**People are saying that tails help with balance....is that why my doggie runs sideways??

Answer 10

for balance like any other 4 legged animal