# Question about tails



## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Hi all - I know from browsing threads on this forum that almost any tail on a hav is just fine, from 'lazy' tails to tightly curled ones. My question is, adult havs seem to have more tightly curled tails than puppies _in general_ (I think - that is my question really, but I know its not a hard rule even if I am right in general), and that correlates to how Ceylon's tail has been developing - in general, at least when it's up, it seems more curled than when he was younger. His tail is still funny though, and it totally makes me laugh sometimes - usually, whenever his bottom goes down, his tail goes down, and whenever his bottom goes up, his tail goes up!

Also, whether it's up or down, whenever he is playing or excited, he wags it so hard that his bottom wags too! Sometimes it seems to go more in a circle when it is wagging. Also, he has the _cutest_ little twist at the last little bit of his tail - not really a kink, but you can definitely sometimes see the little end twist to the side when his tail is up - I think it is just ADORABLE really! So, I am not worried about his tail AND I understand that almost any tail on a hav is considered normal - but in general, can I maybe expect his tail to tighten up even more as he grows? I am just curious!

Also, here's a cute video with what I mean about his tail going up and down, and you can almost sometimes see the twist too when its up (I tried to get a pic of the twist but he moves too much, so I just took this video lol):


----------



## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

My Hav's tail didn't really change - it's perfectly arched - just touches the tip of his back when it's up. But as his hair got longer, it's more difficult to see the shape.


----------



## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

He has a real cute wiggly with his tail  I think Zoey never learned to wiggle her tail she just wiggles her but
I do believe there is a standard for a Havanese tail. It makes no differance if you are not going to show him. The little end twist to the side was hard to see in the video and I don't think the tail tightens up more but I may be wrong. I love his happy wiggle tail


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kodi's tail curves to just above his back. In his puppy pictures it LOOKS less curled because there was less hair on it, so you could see a bit of separation between his tail and his back. Now that his hair is long, his tail HAIR drapes down over his back. But if you feel for the bone when he's standing, it is still just slightly above his back.

He tends to uncurl his tail only under two circumstances. If he's worried about something it will drop, or if he's concentrating on something you are saying to him, it will slowly uncurl behind him... It's pretty funny!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Tillies tail set has mostly been the same since she was a pup, BUT with the longer hair, it really can LOOK different!  and yes, Tillie's got the waggling butt AND tail wagging going on at times!!


----------



## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks everybody for your answers so far - so far, it seems like your puppies' tails didn't change very much, but I still see Cey's tail changing and getting more curled over time 



marlowe'sgirl said:


> My Hav's tail didn't really change - it's perfectly arched - just touches the tip of his back when it's up. But as his hair got longer, it's more difficult to see the shape.


Hi Marlowe'sgirl, did it stay up all of the time though? That is what I am curious about. Cey's tip touches his back when his tail is very high, but that is only about 1/4 of the time - 1/2 of the time, it is up and curled, but not quite curled enough to touch his back, and another 1/4 of the time, his tail is down - but only when his butt is down, as I said before . Still, his tail was only 1/4 curled on top at all, when I first got him, so I still do think that his tail is in fact getting more curled, though of course I may be wrong.



Suzi said:


> He has a real cute wiggly with his tail  I think Zoey never learned to wiggle her tail she just wiggles her but
> I do believe there is a standard for a Havanese tail. It makes no differance if you are not going to show him. The little end twist to the side was hard to see in the video and I don't think the tail tightens up more but I may be wrong. I love his happy wiggle tail


Thanks Suzi! I love his happy wiggle tail too!!!! From what I read, there _is_ a general standard, but whether lazy, tight, or in the middle, again from what I've read, the tail does not necessarily disqualify a dog from showing. And, we are still considering showing Ceylon, possibly. And, when he is walking, his tail is up, so if up is the standard, he would still show well. As I said, I am not really worried about his tail, just wondering what I can expect as he continues to grow up - I love the dogs with the beautiful curled plume tails, but I also love Cey's crazy tail, and it does seem to me that it has been much more curled lately than when I first got him, so I was just wondering if and how it might continue to change as he matured 

And, a wiggly butt is just as cute as a wiggly tail rofl!

I know its hard to see Cey's tail twist on the end unless you know what to look for. It turns to the left for the inch or two when his tail is very high - and yes, it's hard to see, in the video, but trust me, it's there! And, I love it .



krandall said:


> Kodi's tail curves to just above his back. In his puppy pictures it LOOKS less curled because there was less hair on it, so you could see a bit of separation between his tail and his back. Now that his hair is long, his tail HAIR drapes down over his back. But if you feel for the bone when he's standing, it is still just slightly above his back.
> 
> He tends to uncurl his tail only under two circumstances. If he's worried about something it will drop, or if he's concentrating on something you are saying to him, it will slowly uncurl behind him... It's pretty funny!


Kodi, and Kodi's tail, is so cute! I do have to say, Cey only uncurls his tail in _3_ circumstances - if he is worried about something, or thinking about something - - OR, if his butt goes down ROFL!!! The rest of the time, it is up - whenever his butt is up, his tail is up, like a little flag, it's SO cute! Of course, his butt goes down a LOT when he is just being normal, playing - so his tail goes down then too... If he is actually SCARED, that's the only time it goes down between his legs...



TilliesMom said:


> Tillies tail set has mostly been the same since she was a pup, BUT with the longer hair, it really can LOOK different!  and yes, Tillie's got the waggling butt AND tail wagging going on at times!!


The waggling butt and crazy tail are just SO cute, aren't they?

Anyway, thanks everybody for your responses. Cey's tail is always up when his butt is up and especially whenever he is walking, so as I said, I am not worried about it, I think that's the breed standard - - but I am just wondering what I have to look forward to, just like I am wondering what color he will end up being  Of course, I am loving this time with him and I don't want it to pass too quickly, but I can't help wondering what he will look like when he is 'grown', and his tail antics are just so cute and so crazy right now,


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Here's the breed standard on tails:

"The tail is high-set and plumed with long, silky hair. It arcs forward over the back, but neither lies flat on the back nor is tightly curled. On the move the tail is carried loosely curled over the rump. The long plume of hair may fall straight forward or to either side of the body. "

When you say that Cey's tail goes down when his but goes down, do you mean when he's sitting or lying down and relaxing? If so, that's perfectly normal for any of them... Even those with too-tight tails.


----------



## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

krandall said:


> Here's the breed standard on tails:
> 
> "The tail is high-set and plumed with long, silky hair. It arcs forward over the back, but neither lies flat on the back nor is tightly curled. On the move the tail is carried loosely curled over the rump. The long plume of hair may fall straight forward or to either side of the body. "
> 
> When you say that Cey's tail goes down when his but goes down, do you mean when he's sitting or lying down and relaxing? If so, that's perfectly normal for any of them... Even those with too-tight tails.


Hi Karen,

Yes, his tail only goes down when his butt goes down, i.e., when he is sitting or lying down, relaxing, whatever. Which he does a lot when he is playing lol, but not when he is walking. When he is walking, he carries his tail arced over his back.

I just think its adorable how expressive his tail is, whether it's up or down, and also how funny it is that every single time his butt goes down, his tail does too


----------



## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

Lizzie's tail is not the "breed standard". Hers is a perfect circle. I did read somewhere that the tail is shaped like a crozier-then hers is "okay"! With the long hair it looks like she has a bow on her butt. It really is "almost" her cutest feature! She is quite the wiggly butt! She curves herself into a circle when the butt wiggles happen.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

heatherk said:


> Hi Karen,
> 
> Yes, his tail only goes down when his butt goes down, i.e., when he is sitting or lying down, relaxing, whatever. Which he does a lot when he is playing lol, but not when he is walking. When he is walking, he carries his tail arced over his back.
> 
> I just think its adorable how expressive his tail is, whether it's up or down, and also how funny it is that every single time his butt goes down, his tail does too


I think that' perfectly normal then!


----------



## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Abby's tail seems to be more curled now that she's older than when a puppy. McGee's seems pretty normal for a puppy and it's up when he is! When he pees his tail will sort of quiver - that's always a dead giveaway!!!


----------



## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Oh I'll have to look to see if Brody's tail quivers, because I can never tell when he's going to go. He'll not squat or lean forward or anything (well sometimes he does and other times he'll just stand there all normal and let her fly).


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kodi has always just stood there like a horse to pee. BUT the give away is that he always looks around as if to check and see what's going on und there before he finishes.:biggrin1:


----------



## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

krandall said:


> Kodi has always just stood there like a horse to pee. BUT the give away is that he always looks around as if to check and see what's going on und there before he finishes.:biggrin1:


They crack me up! Panda will finish peeing, then smell where she peed and turn around and smell herself....I guess to make sure its really hers.....


----------



## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

heatherk said:


> Hi Marlowe'sgirl, did it stay up all of the time though? That is what I am curious about. Cey's tip touches his back when his tail is very high, but that is only about 1/4 of the time - 1/2 of the time, it is up and curled, but not quite curled enough to touch his back, and another 1/4 of the time, his tail is down - but only when his butt is down, as I said before . Still, his tail was only 1/4 curled on top at all, when I first got him, so I still do think that his tail is in fact getting more curled, though of course I may be wrong.


To echo all the others, he's got his moods. Usually it's up and always just touching his back. There's not really any other 'degree' of his tail being up and there has never been a curl -just the perfect arch. His tail is down when he is confused and it goes down further when we're about to get in the car (which he is not happy about). His tail is not up when sitting or sleeping. I can't remember the last time I saw his tail between his legs, but that's for being super scared.


----------



## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

When Rosie was a puppy, I worried about her tail. It didn't look like the others. The hair on it looked like a beagle's tail. I remember a thread about the length of our havs tails. I was not about to put Rosie's in. Now I bet hers is longer than anyones. Of course we are talking about the length including the hair. Sometimes she lets hers down and it looks like a horse's tail dragging along behind--funny. That is usually when she is either worried about something unusual I guess. I noticed her doing it at the rest area on the interstate this weekend. Then after she decided there were no bab things around, she put it up--makes her look like a different dog. I really would have thought that it was curled though if not for this thread. I had to feel for the bone. Sure enough it is not curled. The hair is flowing around to either side making it look as if she has it curled around her butt.


----------



## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

lol. Here is a pic of the little 'twist' on the tip of Ceylon's tail. It isn't always that pronounced, nor does it always twist to the left, but it is enough to the left that I have noticed it. Except, I went and checked his tail bone just now to see what was going on, and it looks like it's just the long hair past the tip of the tail that twists - his tail doesn't seem to twist at all . Well, I love it anyway


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Looks like a perfectly normal Havatail to me!


----------



## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

So, Ceylon just has a little 'cowlick' at the end of his tail!  

The tip of our puppy's tail just rests slightly on the center of his back and it flattens and kind of separates the hair there on his back so it almost looks like he has a balding spot there when his tail is down. Augie's did the same thing. When Augie was a bit younger, it appeared that most of his tail hair, as it started to lengthen, fell to the right side of his body. Now it hangs to both sides - kind of fans out over his back end. And it is so long that it drags on the floor even when up, so that I trimmed a little off, as I was stepping on it and ended up pulling a couple clumps of hair out when he would walk away!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

motherslittlehelper said:


> So, Ceylon just has a little 'cowlick' at the end of his tail!
> 
> The tip of our puppy's tail just rests slightly on the center of his back and it flattens and kind of separates the hair there on his back so it almost looks like he has a balding spot there when his tail is down. Augie's did the same thing. When Augie was a bit younger, it appeared that most of his tail hair, as it started to lengthen, fell to the right side of his body. Now it hangs to both sides - kind of fans out over his back end. And it is so long that it drags on the floor even when up, so that I trimmed a little off, as I was stepping on it and ended up pulling a couple clumps of hair out when he would walk away!


Kodi's falls to both sides and behind too. We call it his "privacy curtain"!

And, unfortuantely, I'e stepped on his tail and pulled out a big clump more than once. The amazing thing is that I've gotten so upset when I've done this, because it looks like such a LOT of hair. But you really can't see it at all.

My horse's tail needs to be kept trimmed on the bottom too, or he steps on it when you do a rein back, or sometimes if he's just getting up from lying down.:biggrin1: I haven't trimmed Kodi's tail (on purpose!) at all yet, but it's a thought...


----------

