What effect does tail-docking have on dog communication and behaviour?
16. Dogs communicating with one another or interacting with people make use primarily of body language, a complex set of signals encompassing everything from the orientation of the dogs bodies relative to one another, to the extent to which the eyes are widened. One of the highly visible aspects of canine body language involves the carriage and the movement of the tail. Dogs without tails and those with are likely to find efficient communication difficult, which can affect the way they behave towards one another, e.g. through increased aggression. The tail also contains scent glands which assist with communication.
