Where it is
The continuation of the vertebral column, from the croup downward.
- Layer
- Exterior and regions
- System
- Body regions
- Region
- Trunk
What it is and what it does
The tail is the continuation of the vertebral column: usually between twenty and twenty-three caudal vertebrae, getting smaller toward the tip. The number varies between individuals. The tail helps with balance in turns and is a communication tool, through position and movement.
Tail shape and length differ a lot between breeds, and the number of vertebrae can differ even between dogs of the same breed.
Worth remembering
The tail helps with balance in turns and communicates through position and movement.
Names
- Also called: caudal region.
- Latin term: cauda.
- In Romanian: Coada (Romanian page).
In the atlas lessons
Read the dog's body (5 min):
Tail up and a “big” body communicate confidence; tail low or between the legs, with the ears back and the body lowered, shrink the silhouette: fear, insecurity or appeasement.
The tail wags asymmetrically: more widely to the right for the owner, to the left for an unfamiliar dog with agonistic behavior; other dogs perceive the difference.
Questions from the atlas
"Find it on the drawing" questions whose answer is this structure; in the atlas you will find them in the question bank and in the lessons.
- Show the tail on the drawing. (level 1)