# Carrying the tail up instead of straight



## THE HONEY WOLVES (Jun 9, 2007)

My Jaime is a character anyway - she is really an Irish Setter in a Golden Body- but this carrying the tail up drives me nuts - is this a genetic thing?- I am almost certain that you could not show a golden that carries her tail upward - 

She looks like a punk rocker with her hair spiked in this picture


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## Penny'smom (Mar 3, 2007)

Penny carries her tail up like that when she's excited.

It's a barometer of her feelings...when the barbarians are at our gate and she needs to fiercely protect us, it curls almost to a complete circle, the tip almost touching her back.

When she's in the yard just hangin' out or looking for the perfect place to deposit her piddle, she carries it low. When she's out and about, like your picture, she'd be carrying it up too. It's very exciting for her to be 'out and about'.

Most of the time it's about level and wagging like crazy!


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## moverking (Feb 26, 2007)

Penny'smom said:


> ...when the barbarians are at our gate and she needs to fiercely protect us, it curls almost to a complete circle, the tip almost touching her back.


Loved that comparison, and mine do it too! They look like Elkhounds, lol!

Honey Wolves, it's a compliment to you, actually! Happy Tails all the time


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Hey, If I see her in CT I'll know who she belongs, too! After having a dog with a docked tail for 17 years, it does take some getting used to no matter how they hold it!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Love love love that picture of Jaime the punk rocker! I laughed out loud when I saw it-what a cutie.

As for the tail, often those that carry theirs straight up when excited or feeling the need to be protective or dominant, carry them just fine in the ring.

I have to watch my breedings because in my early breeding I sometimes got "gay tails"-tails that not only went up but over and touched the back. Almost all the time. That is not good, and should be heavily penalized in the ring. The explanation I have been given for penalizing the high tail that curls is the tail serves as a rudder in the water, and the high tail which curls cannot be a good rudder.

I am not entirely sure I agree with that explanation because my dogs with the curled over their back tails were also the ones my husband hunted over. In the water going after a duck their tails straightened and worked just fine as a rudder.

I have been able to get away from that by careful breeding. Unfortunately, I also lost the "grin" my dogs used to have, and which I loved. This was a full out grin, with lips pulled back all the way, and teeth showing, eyes squinched and tail wagging furiously. It was definitely a happy grin and not a snarl but it certainly startled a lot of people! I loved it and miss not having it in my dogs now.

Anyway, that is an adorable picture!


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

Wiggles frequently carries his tail on the high side and I would peg him as confident and dominant (he will take a mile if you give him an inch).


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## Hali's Mom (Oct 5, 2006)

I have always wondered about this tail thing, Hali carries her tail very high most of the time. Do the unscrupulious break the tail to prevent this in the ring? Not a nice thought but I have always wondered if this was something that MIGHT be done for the sake of the ring? There are some more shady behaviors than this I am sure and I would never think of doing it. She's spayed anyway-just wondering?


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

I don;t know if the unscrupulous do that to the dogs, but when Wiggles was in the ring the first time, the breeders and judges said he looked happy to be there. (He also has a golden grin). I guess a lot of the other dogs competing didn't like being fluffed and trimmed etc.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

tintallie said:


> Wiggles frequently carries his tail on the high side and I would peg him as confident and dominant (he will take a mile if you give him an inch).


Hahaha, Biscuit will carry his tail high and this is how I describe him too..._confident_--_thinks highly of himself_---I think he looks like a prancing stallion a lot of the time.
You can see his opinion of himself in my avatar...that's him on the left with his chest puffed out!


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

gold'nchocolate said:


> Hahaha, Biscuit will carry his tail high and this is how I describe him too..._confident_--_thinks highly of himself_---I think he looks like a prancing stallion a lot of the time.
> You can see his opinion of himself in my avatar...that's him on the left with his chest puffed out!


Maybe our dogs are secretly littermates...Wiggles has the big puffy lion mane. If I had to guess what he's thinking, he's probably going,"I'm handsome...I'll get away with everything " He will prance past this one house where the two dogs behind the chainlink fence are running its length and snarling all the way. I swear he just likes to taunt them.


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## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

Tahnee GR said:


> Unfortunately, I also lost the "grin" my dogs used to have, and which I loved. This was a full out grin, with lips pulled back all the way, and teeth showing, eyes squinched and tail wagging furiously. It was definitely a happy grin and not a snarl but it certainly startled a lot of people! I loved it and miss not having it in my dogs now.


Ooh yes, I know the exact grin you mean, only not in my Golden, my cross breed does it!! Exactly how you describe, and he only does it when he is super happy so I do believe that it is a real grin!! (it can look quite menacing to people that aren't prepared for it!!)


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## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

My Bentley always has his tail up too! Bailey always has his down unless he is really excited. Cute picture, gorgeous goldens.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

If they hold it that way constantly it's definitely a serious fault for showing, known as a gay tail. Keira holds hers a bit too high in casual situations, but NOT over her back. The ideal tail is level with the back, even when very happy or alert... only up during extreme displays of dominance or excitement (such as a male who knows he's about to 'get some' will often hold his tail straight up!).

Note that baby puppies often have poor tail carriage, but this is usually only temporary.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I have heard of Border Collie people breaking tails... for the ring. I don't know if it is ever done in Goldens... god what cruelty! The vast majority of Goldens have great tail sets and carriages, though. Even almost all of my BYB or puppy mill rescue dogs (ie, Sabrina) have perfect tail carraige.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

That is a cute picture. She does look like a punk rocker in the picture


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## THE HONEY WOLVES (Jun 9, 2007)

I'll need to post another picture so you can see just how bad it is - the first picture is a goof plus she is carrying a big rock in her mouth-

She is capable of carrying her tail correctly but usually it is up like the shape of a question mark - it definitely suits her personality -

we were never going to show her but I wonder if that is something to consider for breeding- anyway - of course you don't want to breed in negative attribues but I don't know if the gay tail is a deal buster for breeding - it doesnt matter now because we had her fixed- Lucy will hopefully carry on the family genes


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> I have heard of Border Collie people breaking tails... for the ring. I don't know if it is ever done in Goldens... god what cruelty! The vast majority of Goldens have great tail sets and carriages, though. Even almost all of my BYB or puppy mill rescue dogs (ie, Sabrina) have perfect tail carraige.


I heard a story somewhere of people wrapping the tails several hours before they go in the ring so they won't carry them so high. It is amazing the stories you hear when you stand quietly ringside.


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## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

BeauShel said:


> That is a cute picture. She does look like a punk rocker in the picture


Yes she does with the wild hair do. Very cute!!


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