Dog's without tails in agility and fitness work

In agility in New Zealand we have some dog's that have docked tails, and some dogs that naturally have a bob tail. The breeds that we commonly see this in are; gun dog line Spaniels, Boxers, Schnauzers, Smithfield working dogs, and Aussie's. Whilst the law here has now changed to make docking illegal, there are still existing docked dogs, and those with the natural short tail from the bob tail gene.

Razz (docked)

Briddie (docked)

In agility (and in movement in everyday life) a tail is used in multiple ways: 

• Counterbalancing: during striding across the ground, and obstacles like dog walks
• Jumping: Dog's lower their tails for elevation prior to take off, and then lift them to land. 
• Sideways weight shift in the weave poles
• See photo's to explain the points above here: https://pethelpful.com/dogs/How-Does-A-Dog-Use-Its-Tail-in-Agility-and-Canine-Sport  

Archie the Aussie (Natural bob tail)

Evo jumping at a similar phase to Archie

What are the consequences for a shorter tail? 

There is some evidence for differing rear end muscle development in dogs with docked tails, increased rate of incontinence, and anecdotally I have had multiple practitioners comment that they often feel increased amounts of tension and muscle tightness in the muscles related to the tail in those dogs who have had part of their tail removed. 

There can be some consequences to behavior as a dog frequently communicates with their tail, and reducing this appendage can reduce their ability to communicate, and can also cause other dogs to be confused and not able to read them as well. 

Traditionally a docked tail was done to working field breeds, to reduce the chance of injury. However, it is not uncommon in other breeds (particularly greyhounds, sighthounds, whippets etc.) after a tail injury. 

It would be interesting to see the difference in these implications between a tail docked as a puppy, to a natural bob tail, to a tail docked later in life due to injury. At the moment (as far as I am aware) there is not much available on this. 

Camo (natural bob tail)

What are the implications for our agility dog? 

Razz jumping, using his front limbs to counterbalance.

Paris the Boxer (docked)

Evo: rear legs extending, and leading forwards with a relaxed neck and front limb position. 

What I have noticed in my observations of dogs without a full-length tail at agility is: 

• They tend to not extend through the rear legs as much while jumping. This can result in less powerful jumping, and also in some rail knocking as they tuck their rear legs back in under their bodies. 
• They tend to 'throw'' with their neck more, and counterbalance with the front legs, resulting in a less relaxed jump style that tends to be more variable. 
• Reduced speed on a dog walk and sometimes seesaw due to an inability to counterbalance. 
• Some can struggle to stay in, or have speed in the weaves.

What do we need to do to ensure it's not an issue? 

* Keep in mind that many of these things apply to ALL performance dogs! 

1. As with any performance dogs, regular checks with a physio, rehabilitation vet, chiropractor or canine masseuse will help identify any issues early, and check that muscles are staying nice and relaxed. 
2. Teach them to jump properly: use a V or spider jump to teach them to load their weight back and extend through the rear limbs, instead of pull over the jump with their front end. Film their early jump work, do grid work, and check that they are using their rear end adequately. Teach them to collect on jumps on a different cue to extended jumping. 
3. Teach them confidence in contact work with balance games, and teach them (and reward) safe bailing off the contacts during these games. 
4. Have a consistent handling system, and cue early to ensure dogs have time to adequately prepare their striding. 
5. Work hard on their fitness, with a focus on a strong core and using the rear, and extending through the rear. Watch their form carefully, and look to extend their rear. Watch for them loading their back legs under their body and shifting weight forwards onto their front end. 
6. Stay away from tricks where they use their front end more, like handstands. 

LimiT performing a power up exercise where the she moves from a sit, up into a stand. 

Teaching Take that he can extend through the hips by activating his gluts. 

Inkie's first agiity jumps on the spider / 'v' jump set up. 

Inkie learning to jump with a spider, or 'V' jump. You'll notice that in the first jump in this video Inkie drives from the front, whereas in the second jump she shifts her weight back more and powers from the rear. 

Obviously, this is important for me to consider, as not only are several of the Hybrid Training students dogs have altered tails but also my Flori has a partially docked tail. Happy training, and take care of your canine teammates.

Want to get some help with anything discussed in this blog post? 

Email me on hybriddogtraining@gmail.com 

Thank's to Emily (https://www.facebook.com/emilytaylorphotography/) and Caitlin (https://www.facebook.com/betelgeusephotography17/) for the photo's of Evo jumping in agility.