[nagdu] tails

[Danielle Sykora]

Thanks for your responses! I've been taking the high tail wag and
other reactions such as staring at the other dog and pulling toward it
as I'm excited to see another dog, but I'm anxious because I don't
know it's intentions. Not all that surprising since he is generally
very friendly, but does not like to be threatened while he is working.

I think his tail will probably be fine since he can still wag it
without difficulty, but it seems to be a little painful. Thai has been
acting less energetic in the sense that he would rather sleep or
calmly walk around rather than being in the middle of everything. He
is still perfectly willing to work, but he did relieve in harness not
to long after the tail incident. It was probably due to the stress of
the tail injury and excitement of a subsequent fire drill, but he does
tend to need to relieve more frequently when he isn't feeling well. He
also got barked at by another dog and didn't react at all. Not a bad
thing, but not really like him.

Danielle and Thai


On 9/9/15, Raven Tolliver via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Yes, a high tail with a stiff or narrow wag is usually a sign of
> insecurity . It can be a don't-come-near-me signal.
>
> About the tail injury, I wouldn't make a big deal about it today. Let
> him rest his tail. If it is painful to straighten it, then his body is
> telling him that shouldn't be done right now. I'd give it a couple
> days. As long as it is not cut, broken, or misaligned, he's alright.
> You can't accurately check the alignment until he's willing to
> straighten it, but it is likely fine.
> Is he moping around at all? Like is he being low key and acting like
> he wants to rest? Or, is he displaying his normal level of energy?
> If he is low-key for the next couple days, fine. But he should bounce
> back relatively quickly.
> If he's acting normally, save for the tail-wagging, he shouldn't have
> any major issues.
> --
> Raven
> Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
> www.1am-editing.com
>
> You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
> have or what you do.
>
> Naturally-reared guide dogs
> https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs
>
> On 9/9/15, Danielle Sykora via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Two tail questions/observations...
>> I know that tail position in dogs is a very good indicator of
>> emotional status, so I try to pay attention to my dog's tail in
>> certain situations. His normal wag when he is excited or happy is
>> holding his tail relatively straight out behind him and sweeping it
>> from side to side. When he encounters unfamiliar dogs however, his
>> tail is curled over his back with only small side to side movements. I
>> have some idea of what this means, but I wonder how others would
>> interpret this behavior. Knowing whether he is excited or anxious
>> around other dogs has definitely altered my approach to dog
>> distractions in the past.
>>
>> Earlier today, my dog got his tail stuck in a door. I know it must
>> have hurt because he was yelping and barking for the few seconds it
>> took me to get the door back open. He let me examine his tail without
>> whining or moving away, but he was pretty tense and wanted to look
>> back to see what I was doing. He seems comfortable enough, but he is
>> still reluctant to completely straighten his tail. Thoughts...
>>
>> Danielle and Thai
>>
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