The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1892-10-26
THE TAIL OF THE DOG
HOW A CANINE EXPRESSES PLEAS
uRE OR HUMILIATION.

HOW A CANINE EXPRESSES PLEAS
URE OR HUMILIATION.
Tho Important Part That the Tail of q
Hunting Dog Plays in the Chase-An
Dogs Seem to wag Their Tails When
PIeased-why Dogs wag Their Tails.
There are many reasons for the tail
being the chief organ of expression
among dogs. They have but little facial
expression beyond the lifting of the lip
to show the teeth and the dilation of the
pupil Of the eye when angry. The jaws
and the contiguous parts are too much
specialized for the serious business Of
seizing prey to be fitted for such pur-
poses as they are in man. With dogs
which hunt by scent the head is neces-
sarily carried low, and Is therefore not
plainly visible except to those close by.
But in the case of all hunting dogs, such
as foxhounds or wolves which pack to-
gether, the tail is carried aloft and is
very free In movement. 1t is also fire.
quently rendered more conspicuous by
the tip being white, and this Is almost
invariably the case when the hounds are
of mixed color.
When ranging the long grass of the
prairie or jungle, the raised tips Of the
tails would often be all that an individ-
ual member Of the band would see Of his
fellows. There Is no doubt that hounds
habitually watch the tails of those In
front of them when drawing covert.
If faint drag is detected suggestive Of
the presence Of fox, but scarcely suffi-
Gent to be sworn to vocally, the tail of
the finder Is at once set In motion, and
the warmer the scent the quicker does it
wag. Others seeing the signal instantly
Join the first, and there Is an assemblage
OF waving tails before ever the least
whimper is heard.
Should the drag prove doubtful one
the hounds separate again and the way
ing ceases; but If it grows stronger when
followed up the wagging becomes more
and more emphatic until one after an
other the hounds begin to whine and
give tongue, and stream off in Indian
file along the line of scent
The whole question of tail wagging is
a very interesting one. All dogs wag
their tails when pleased, and the move
ment Is generally understood by their
human associates as an intimation that
they are happy. But when we attempt
| to discover the reason why pleasure
should be expressed in this way the ex-
| PLANTATION appears at first very difficult
one. All physical attributes of living
beings are, upon the evolutionary
hypothesis, traceable to some actual
need, past or present. The old and de-
lightfully conclusive dictum that things
are as they are because they were made
SO at the beginning no longer can be
put forward seriously outside the pulpit
or the nursery.
No doubt in many cases-as, for in
stance the origin of human laughter--the
mystery seems unfathomable. But this
only results from our defective knowl-
edge of data upon which to build the
bridge of deductiye argument. The rea-
son is there all the time could we but
reach 1t, aud almost daily we are able
to account for mysterious and apparent
| ly anomalous phenomena which utterly
baffied our predecessors. Probably the
manner in which domestic dogs express
| pleasure Is owing to some interlocking
Of the machinery Of cognate ideas. In
order to understand this better it may
be helpful to consider some analogous
instances with regard to habits Of our
own species.
There can be no question that the
chief delight Of wild dogs, as with mod
ern hounds and sporting dogs, is In the
chase and its accompanying excitement
and consequences. One of the most
thrilling moments to the human hunter
(and doubtless to the canine), and one
big with that most poignant of all de-
lights, anticipation of pleasurable ex-
element combined with muscular activ-
| ity, is when the presence of game is first
detected. AS we have seen In watching
the behavior In pack OF foxhounds,
this is invariably the time when tails
are wagged for the common good. The
wagging Is an almost invariable accom-
panimento of this form Of pleasure, which
is one of the ohiefest among the agree
able emotions when In the wild state.
Owing to some incubation Of the
nervous mechanism, which at present
we cannot unravel, the association of
pleasure and wagging has become 30 in
separable that the movement Of the tail
follows the emotion whatever may call
| 1t forth.
An explanation of similar kind can
be found for the fact that dogs depress
| their tails when threatened or scolded.
| When running away the tail would be
the part nearest the pursuer, and there
| fore most likely to be seized. 1t was
therefore securely tucked away between
the hind legs. The act Of running away
is naturally closely associated with the
emotion of fear, and therefore this GEES
ture Of putting the tail between the legs
becomes an invariable concomitant Of re-
treat or submission In the presence Of
superior force. When puppy taken
out for an airing curves its tail down
ward and scuds in circles and half cir
cles at fullest speed around its master,
| 1t is apparently trying to provoke its
pseudo-cynic playfellow to pursue 1t in
mock combat. 1t may be observed that
this running in sharp curves, with fire.
quent change Of direction, is common
ruse with animals which are pursued by
larger enemies. The reason Of 1t is that
the centrifugal impulse acts more pow.
erfully on the animal Of larger bulk
and so gives the smaller an advantage.
DIR. Louis Robinson in Contemporary
Review.
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