Tessie's tail curls

[Tessie's Mom]

I am a new member of this forum and a new Cairn owner. I have a 5 mo old female that we got when she was 8 weeks. I have read all the standards and I know her tail curling over is a fault. Is it always going to be that way or will she out grow this or is this something I can address as a training issue.

Thanks

[bradl]

Welcome!

The only times I've really seen tail carriage change signficantly is sometimes as dogs get older they get a bit less excitable, and a "puppy gay" tail that was carried tight to the back will later carry at a more typical angle.

Our Dundee had a puppy gay tail, but as he matured in the ring he carried it normally unless he got reallllllllly excited -- then you could watch it sort of crank a bit further over than usual. I don't think there is much that can or needs to be done to change tail carriage from a training standpoint.

If a tail is literally curved, that does not normally change.

I hope when you read words like 'fault' in a standard that you don't take it personally or as an insult to the worth of your dog as a companion. Breed standards are attempts to describe an *ideal* and faults are ways in which indviduals will "miss the mark." All dogs, even the top winning show dogs, have faults of some degree or another. The saying goes that the perfect dog has yet to be bred, and never will. Still, we keep trying :-)

[Hillscreek]

Look up the banana tail thread and you will see how many of us have cairns with not perfect tails. But they all have perfect cairn excitable, independent, impish, drive you crazy but you can't help loving them, natures.

Welcome

Edited July 9, 2012 by Hillscreek

[Tessie's Mom]

Thank you for the welcome.This is the first forum I have ever joined.

I am not perfect so no need in me having perfect dog. I love Tessie and don't care about breed standard as I am not going to show her. She is my pet and I am crazy for her. I just am trying to learn about Cairns. I read a lot about their disposition but not so much about things like tails and ears. I never thought I would be so interested in learning about the breed but she is such great fun I want to know all I can.

[hheldorfer]

Welcome! The more, the merrier.

Tessie's tail will fit right in around here. We have a ton of banana-tailed Cairns on the forum.

Got any pictures of your little darlin' to share with us?

[Tessie's Mom]

I am not sure how to post pictures. I have lots of pictures and would love to post a few.

[bradl]

Forum Support -> Inserting Pictures Into Posts. (And a less desirable, but available alternative: inserting attachments.)

You can practice in the Test Forum and if you have specific questions or troubles, start a topic in forum support and you'll get help for sure ... we love photos so folks are motivated to help

[Lynn in TN]

As you can tell we love pictures! Kelly doesn't have the banana tail but if she did I would still love her just the same. In my opinion they have a standard to keep as many qualities of the breed as possible. If there was no standard then eventually we would no longer have different breeds, they would all look a like and act a like to a certain degree. It is not to say one dog is better than the other. On the chance that you do have one that gets close to being perfect then why not show the dog in a show. My Mom always called them beauty pageants for dogs. LOL

[Jack]

We've got one of each. Jack has a perfect banana tail, Belle has a perfect carrot. They are both perfect tails for the dog they're on...they fit their personalities. We wouldn't change them if we could and love them both - the dogs and the tails. Welcome!