Why Do Pugs Have Curly Tails

The main reason for a pug’s curled tail is its wedge-shaped tail bone. A puppy is born with straight tail that attains natural curls by the first few weeks, or two months at the most.

The pug’s tail could be of two types, the customary single-curled one, or the unique double-curled variant. The American Kennel Club (AKC) acknowledges a tightly curled tail set high over its hip, as an apt breed standard for the pug. A double-curled tail, having one large loose curl merging into the second tight curl is actually a perfect pug tail. This is however rare, seen in about 25% of the pug population, barely straightening even when the dogs fall asleep. Other organizations like the Canadian Kennel Club, Kennel Club, and Australian National Kennel Council have all followed the similar lines as the AKC in this regard recognizing the curled tail.

When Can a Pug’s Tail Be Down

• When young, as puppies often tend to uncurl their tail a lot
• During mood swings, like when it is sad, anxious, excited, nervous, scared or even ashamed of being scolded for a wrong deed
• When asleep, as the muscles around the tail area also relaxes then
• If it has injured its tail or been hurt perhaps by kids during play
• When the pug is feeling stressed or unwell, that leads to a limp tail, hanging down straight devoid of the curl
• As it ages, since the muscles gradually loses its tenacity, unable to keep the tail curl anymore

If you notice a limp tail in your dog, along with other symptoms like excessive lethargy, loss of appetite, and inflammation or injury around its tail bone are, contact your vet at the earliest.

Another reason for a straight tail in pugs is inappropriate breeding practices, with certain breeders attempting too much in bringing in the much desired double coat. Sometimes litters born out of two loose-tailed pugs even lead to tails with little or no curling at all. Such pugs do get registered but might not qualify for the show ring.