Page 109 - Aussie Magazine - 2023 Issue 2

When moving the tail carriage should not curl up and over the back. Photo Marco Rosetti

in time and in no way indicate a dog is faulty. As S. Fischer, one of the scientists behind the
there is currently no breed standard description acclaimed Dogs in Motion study and subsequent
of a tailed Australian Shepherd it is critical to book. The study is based on ten years of study by
understand that an image represented here to an international team of scientists. Many experts,
show faulty tail set and tail carriage is in no way breeders, competitors and owners have long claim-
to be used to discriminated against a dog. It takes ed that a dog uses its tail as a “rudder” implying
great courage and dedication to a breed to be that a dog with a tail is better suited to performance
willing to participate in educational discussion of events than a dog with no tail or a natural bob tail.
this nature. I am extremely grateful for those who
were willing to educate you for the betterment “Previous studies suggest that dogs, who stay on
of the breed. We are all the better for your the ground, use their tails for agile movements
contributions. such a running and jumping.” This study refutes
that claim scientifically. Their conclusions state that
Many thanks to canine anatomy and structure dogs’ tails play little or no role in movement, and
expert, Mrs. Stephanie Hedgepath, for reviewing are more likely used for communication.
this article for accuracy.

NOTE: Since this article was originally written, an
important study on tails has emerged entitled, “Tails
wags the dog is unsupported by biomechanical
Modeling of Canidae Tails Use during Terrestrial
Motion.” (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/
2022.12.30.522334v1.full) One of the co-authors
of the new study (December 2022) is Dr. Martin

A Worldwide Magazine for the Aussie • Issue 2/2023 | 109