# Curled tails in puppies?



## KLCecil

Ok so I have been reading about tails and how a curl is undesirable. The pup I picked out carries her tail up and over like a malamute puppy, she is only four weeks and I know in some breeds the tail drops down as they get older but I don't know about this breed. I really don't like tails that curl over the back on GSDs, so could someone give me the straight about this?


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## onyx'girl

Are you certain your pup is purebred? Two of my dogs carry their tails high, but not curled over their backs. They didn't do it as young pups, however.
Maybe your pup is trying to establish dominance in her litter, so carries tail high to show her position?


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## sagelfn

When Sage was a tiny pup he carried his tail high but it was never curled over his back(pics below). He may still be pure bred, could it be a gay tail?


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## JKlatsky

You're right in that in the showring, a lower tail set with a longer tail is preferred. Be careful though...picking for a puppy that displays a low tail can be indicative of temperament. 

Argos carried his tail up as a puppy. Actually still does, as a display of dominance- it's certainly wasn't/isn't that high all the time. He also has a fairly high tail set- which I don't think is uncommon in the working dogs. As an adult dog Argos tends to carry his tail level with his back, not real low like many of the show dogs, but it rarely curls over his back unless he's posturing at some other male dog.

Argos at 7 weeks with a curled tail.









And running with a straighter tail (puppy on the right)









Running at 1yr. Excited and with curled tail.









Argos as an adult- Tail laying straight when relaxed.


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## Lilie

Hondo carries his tail high, and sometimes curled when he is overly excited. When he is searching for a cat, or playing in the rain. When we are working, it's always straight and low as well as when he is in a relaxed state. Hondo is a long haired GSD, and the tip hairs of his tail nearly reach the ground.


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## holland

Rors tail curls when she is excited too...she doesn't seem to do it as much though maybe she needs some more excitement in her life


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## FuryanGoddess

Murphy carries his kinda high. higher than Zeva did at this age. Her's will go up or straight out, depending on how PO'd she is or excited.


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## Jessiewessie99

Molly carries her tail high and curled like a husky, but sometimes she has it down.

Here is Molly with her tail:









Her tail was normal as a puppy, but Molly wasn't from a particular breeder or anything.I heard it means they are happy.


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## shilorio

Jessiewessie99 said:


> Molly carries her tail high and curled like a husky, but sometimes she has it down.
> 
> Here is Molly with her tail:
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> Her tail was normal as a puppy, but Molly wasn't from a particular breeder or anything.I heard it means they are happy.


aww thats super cute! is she a pure?? ive never seen that:wild:


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## FuryanGoddess

My sister's dog carries her tail curled and we believe she's pure. no papers and she's on the small side, but it's curled. She's 13 yrs old now... living off Dog Chow, GASP! it is what it is. No since in changing her now... you know?


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## Jessiewessie99

shilorio said:


> aww thats super cute! is she a pure?? ive never seen that:wild:


Yes she is pure. She is just super happy.lol. I made a thread asking about her tail. and everyone said she looked purebred. Her dad was huge and her mom was small.


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## onyx'girl

Molly has something else mixed in with her in her background, a couple generations back possibly...GSD's do not have that extreme curl.


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## shilorio

Jessiewessie99 said:


> Yes she is pure. She is just super happy.lol. I made a thread asking about her tail. and everyone said she looked purebred. Her dad was huge and her mom was small.


 
shes so cute i love it!! my boxer lab keeps his tail high but shilos is always at the lowest point there is, will that ever change?


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## Liesje

KLCecil said:


> Ok so I have been reading about tails and how a curl is undesirable. The pup I picked out carries her tail up and over like a malamute puppy, she is only four weeks and I know in some breeds the tail drops down as they get older but I don't know about this breed. I really don't like tails that curl over the back on GSDs, so could someone give me the straight about this?


The GSDs tails will curl over and be held high when they are really young, even show lines. At that age I don't really look at the tail for conformation unless there's some obvious deformity. I was just commenting on this last week, at a breeder's playing with two litters (one hers, one a friend's). I never noticed how high and curled the tails were but she said it's normal, they are like that at that age.


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## KLCecil

Thank you


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