Correct tail carriage has moved steadily higher in the
century since the breed was recognized. According to McCandlish, correct tail carriage was
about 45 degrees up from horizontal, and never raised higher than 90 degrees and then only
when the dog was excited. This changed in the 30's, largely due to the influence of Eng.
Ch. Heather Necessity (below center), who produced so many gay tails that one writer described the fault
as "the Necessity stigmata."
Acceptable tail carriage today ranges from 90 degrees to almost 45 degrees up from the topline. Although a tail that far forward is clearly "over the back," virtually all Scottie fanciers agree that a slightly gay tail is more in keeping with correct temperament than is a "one o'clock" tail, that is, a tail carried backward from vertical. (Note: Most show photos have the tails pushed rather far forward, as in the photo of the wheaten dog below.)
There are three muscles in the tail, two that activate the top side and one the bottom side. When the muscle on the bottom lacks sufficient tension to balance the muscles on the top, the tail is pulled toward the back. Unfortunately, this imbalance can be easily remedied by nicking the top muscles with a knife. This clandestine practice has been going on as long as Scotties have been show dogs. Since the corrective measures are not discernable even to a veterinarian, many breeders have unwittingly used stud dogs with defective tails. Accordingly, gay tails continue to appear in virtually every family in the breed. Tail fixing, like all other artificial means of altering the dogs, should be eschewed by all reputable breeders. Tail carriage is one of the most obvious means by which the Scottish Terrier proclaims his character. For that reason, there are four references to tail carriage in the 1993 American Standard:
Despite the fact that the tail is only allotted five points in the new STCA Standard (up from 2 in the 1947 Standard), an otherwise perfect Scottish Terrier who lacks that jaunty, devil-may-care tail carriage is, and should be, doomed to failure as a show dog. When judging, you can first eliminate any who aren't showing with their tails up. Puppies are occasionally born with kinks in their tails. There is no consensus among breeders or veterinarians as to the inheritability of this feature. Since the standard makes no mention of kinks, judges may not penalize a kink unless it is so severe as to affect tail carriage. Another feature that crops up frequently in black or dark brindle Scottie puppies is a ring of white hairs around the tail. For some reason, Bardene Bingo is often credited with responsibility for this feature but these tail rings are described as far back as the early 1930's. This is of no concern because these hairs usually disappear over time, leaving the tail the same color as the jacket. |
