Wag the dog: Tail docking and aggression
Here’s one more good reason NOT to dock your dog’s tail: It might make them more aggressive, according to scientists at the University of Victoria in Vancouver, Canada.
The scientists used a lifelike robotic dog with a motorized rear end and detachable tails – one short, one long -- to observe how 492 real dogs reacted to it, according to the European science journal Behaviour.
They discovered dogs approach a dog with a docked tail more cautiously than one with a full wagging tail – not surprising since the tail is one of a dog’s main tools for communicating – and that, said University of Victoria biologist Tom Reimchen, could make a dog with a docked tail more aggressive.
"Think of it this way," he said in an interview with the Times Colonist in Vancouver (Read the full story here.) "What type of teenager would you get if everyone approached him saying, 'I don't trust you'? What type of personality would emerge from that? It could be the same in dogs."
Because it’s traditional, and a kennel club standard, breeders of Dobermans, Rottweilers, Weimaraners and other breeds often cut off a dogs tail when it is a few days old. The scientists say the cosmetic surgery may affect the rest of the dog’s life.
"Our research does show a possible connection between losing that signal and losing the ability to communicate with a potential increase in aggression," the scientists said. A dog that lacks the ability to express its intentions with its tail may have to resort to other methods, such as growling, lunging or even biting. On top of that, they said, a dog treated as if it were something to beware of, may become a dog to beware of.
(Perhaps the Canadian research also helps explain the behavior of a certain president, one country to the south.)
Britain, several European nations and Australia have banned or limited tail docking and ear cropping. In the U.S., a handful of states have considered such legislation.
Comments
Interesting. I wonder if docked ears have a similar effect. According to news articles, Nubs had his ears cut to make him more aggressive.
It would be humane if kennel club standards of cropping were dropped.
Posted by: bluhawkk | March 24, 2008 5:33 PM
Dogs shouldn't be mutilated, even if there are traditional reasons for doing so. It's to be hoped that we'll realize that here in the U.S. and stop doing it. I remember a childhood Boxer's ear-docking operation (when he was still a puppy) as having been very uncomfortable for him. His tail had been docked when he was only a few days old, before he left his mother to join our household.
Having said that, this seems like an awful lot of speculation and pseudo-science regarding the way dogs communicate. There are plenty of fearful dogs out there who keep their tails tucked under but who will show aggression due to their fear. Dogs also wag their tails when they're distressed, perplexed, in pain, or angry. Dogs on the trail of a scent or who've just found a scent will often raise their tails without a hint of anger or aggression in mind; it's a signal that says, "Watch me--I'm on to something and I'm about to take off after it."
Finally, dogs recognize and greet one another in all sorts of ways--not only by sight but by sound and scent. I doubt that a robot model of a dog could be provided with the rich array of sight, sound, and scent cues that would belong to a real dog. I can't imagine how you could fool a dog into thinking a model dog was the real thing. My guess is that even if the dogs in the experiments were momentarily fooled by the "tail," it probably took them only moments to determine that they were dealing with a bogosity. At that point they might be fearful, curious, or completely uninterested--but they wouldn't be using their dog-to-dog communications.
Posted by: Anne | March 24, 2008 8:58 PM
So true! My dog, Dirk, has a very hard time reading dogs with docked ears and/or tail. It can't seem to figure them out and it makes it hard for him to understand some of the other therapy dogs he works with. He never knows if they want to play or if he should act tough. Many backyard breeders or other unscrupulous people dock ears or tails using incredibly cruel methods. Hopefully, if people realize the harm this can cause they will think twice before docking! And while I'm at it, de-clawing a cat isn't the nicest thing to do and is also banned in many countries, due to it's effect on a cat's behavior and the overall cruel nature of the procedure.
Posted by: KarmaKelly | March 24, 2008 10:36 PM
What has been overlooked in this robotic research are the many other aspects that go to making up dog communication. One in particular is scent emission. The dog/wolf/fox tail has supra-caudal scent glands approximately one third the way down the surface of the tail (the fur is often coarser, possibly different in colour and more sparse at this point Often docking takes place above these glands thus depriving the dog of the ability to waft possible pheromones into the atmosphere. (Their sense of smell and hearing being far superior to that of humans.)
Posted by: A.D.A. | March 25, 2008 6:21 AM
This article seems like the typical pseudoscience that is used to sway public opinion about particular topics. As was mentioned in other posts, very few dogs would fall for a robodog and base their reactions solely on whether or not it had a tail. I would think that cropped ears would have even less of an effect, as many dogs have naturally erect ears. Also, in order to get people's emotions involved, they mention docking dogs like rotties and dobies when talking about aggression. They don't mention other docked breeds - like poodles, yorkies, pembroke corgis and cocker spaniels. I feel that upbringing, breeding and socialization play a much bigger role in a dog's ultimate reaction to another dog. My dogs react the same to other dogs with or without tails (even some naturally bobbed ones) which I credit to the fact that they were encouraged to interact with other dogs from puppyhood and learned how to relate to them effectively.
Posted by: Michelle | March 25, 2008 1:07 PM
maybe they have 'Phantom Limb pain'? It happens in humans who lose body parts... The tail IS the base of the spine. Some humans are known to get PRETTY nasty with chronic spine ('tail') pain.
tails are also used by dogs (and cats) to communicate emotional states...
a dog who cannot send messages via body language is gonna have problems.
once again, stupid humans, eh?
Posted by: emma chase | March 27, 2008 11:54 AM
I do not agreee. I have a Peek-a-poo with a docked tail and he is the wimpiest dog I have ever known.
Posted by: Debi | November 5, 2008 9:26 AM