# dog could never put her tail that high?



## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

My dogs nail never goes higher than her back, not even the tip of her tail can go higher than her back


The vet said the tail droops and doesnt sit right 


But when shes excited or whatever it does go flat out like straight its just not as high as the other back yard bred gsds ive seen

Ive seen some gsds on here tho that seem to have the same kinda tail so im not sure 

100 pound dogs jump on my dogs back and she loves it and she has no back issues 

Is this just a genetic issue? A wierd tail? Its very long and touches the ground when it drops? Its just not as high up.


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Not sure what you really mean, like your dog can't get the tail above her back at all? Even in a upward curve? What happens when she's really excited and wags her tail? Is it just straight back and wagging side to side?

It might be some dead muscles or nerves in the tail...she just might not have the ability to move it higher up. Does it hurt when you touch the tail in any way?


----------



## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

A GSD's tail is not supposed to be higher than the back. What is your vet talking about? There are GSDs with tails that are curly or short or always high. There is no correlation between how the tail is held and joint issues. What is your vet talking about? Tails held high are FAULTS. There are people out there that will break a puppy's tail so that it will be held low. It's common to clip the ends of the tail in a pup so that the pup doesn't start raising the tail out of habit. Those BYB GSDs had high tails because it is a fault. 

United Schutzhund Clubs of America - Breed Standard
Tail
The tail reaches at least to the hock joint, but not past the halfway point of the hock itself. The coat is slightly longer on the underside of the tail. The tail hangs in a soft, saber-like curve. *When the dog is excited or in motion, the tail is somewhat raised, but should not reach past the horizontal line.* Surgical corrections are not permitted.

German Shepherd Dog Page
Tail bushy, with the last vertebra extended at least to the hock joint. It is set smoothly into the croup and *low rather than high.* At rest, the tail hangs in a slight curve like a saber. A slight hook- sometimes carried to one side-is faulty only to the extent that it mars general appearance. When the dog is excited or in motion, the curve is accentuated and the tail raised, but it should never be curled forward beyond a vertical line. Tails too short, or with clumpy ends due to ankylosis, are serious faults. A dog with a docked tail must be disqualified.

https://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/info/15.html
The tail is bushy and should reach at least to the hock joint but not beyond the middle of the hocks. Sometimes the tail forms a hook to one side at its end, though this is undesirable. *At rest the tail is carried in a gentle downward curve, but when the dog is excited or in motion, it is curved more and carried higher. The tail should never be raised past the horizontal. The tail, therefore, should not be carried straight or curled over the back.*
Docked tails are inadmissible.


----------



## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

She could have a low tail set which just means the tail starts low in the croup. This would give an impression that the tail is low.


----------



## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

no doesnt hurt her at all

She can curve it upwards it just doesnt go above her back like most gsds i see it goes straight and then a curve but its not high up raised above her back 

only time it hurt was when she had her glands full after that shes okay to have her tail touched by me, she can wag it, she wags downwards to me and she smashes it into things when shes excited 


around dogs she might raise it in open areas but never high like the other shepherds do she cant get it that high, some shepherds can get it high like a husky

even the tip of mine can never go above her back


Do you think my vet just doesnt have exposure to properly bred gsd's? my dog is a import and was properly bred to the standard while 95 percent of dogs here in canada are just random bred gsds, even the working line ones are just 2 dogs stuck together with not much concern for looks?


----------



## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

oh wait a second according to that link my dog holding her tail lower than a straight line even the tip of her tail lower than her back is perfect???


----------



## horsegirl (Aug 11, 2010)

pets4life said:


> oh wait a second according to that link my dog holding her tail lower than a straight line even the tip of her tail lower than her back is perfect???


The gsd tail is supposed to be like a saber, yes your dog would have a correct tail if it does not curl or go above her back.


----------



## horsegirl (Aug 11, 2010)

pets4life said:


> no doesnt hurt her at all
> 
> She can curve it upwards it just doesnt go above her back like most gsds i see it goes straight and then a curve but its not high up raised above her back
> 
> ...


it sounds like your dog has the correct tail for this breed. The tail going above/over the back or curling is a fault .


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Hmmm... I think you are seeing some not so great GSDs


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I wouldn't be so worried about the carriage of the tail...depends on what's going on as far as how tail set goes Look at these, I could care less how the tail is positioned as far as the standard goes: 































































When my dogs are chasing balls the tail goes over the back often. If we are walking with leash on, seldom if ever does it go higher than the back. I think a curl in the tail at relaxation(in the shape of a question mark) is a fault...though many have this and it seems to be with the herding lines. I personally don't think this should be considered a fault, but then I don't do the show ring either. Onyx has that curl even when relaxed~ and it is curled like this often(even though she's not relaxed here), she holds it like this normally:


----------



## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

My girl Sasha's tail never goes above her back either... MAYBE the tip will get above her back, barely if she see's a squirrel  but her tail is fine and from what I know about conformation, a curled or high tail is not what you want with a GSD.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I'd rather have it over the back curled than between the legs, dropped.


----------

