Poodle Tail length and carriage,An Illustrated Discussion of the Australian Poodle Breed Standard
An Illustrated Discussion of the Australian Poodle Breed Standard, the Poodle Tail Carriage and Length

4th Edition 2023 by G J Ross.
Copyright © 2001-, G J Ross and J K McMahon
Poodle Tail length and carriage,An Illustrated Discussion of the Australian Poodle Breed Standard

 

BREED STANDARD
 TAIL
DOCKED: Set on rather high 1, well carried at a slight angle away from the body 2, never curled or carried over the back, thick at the root 3.
UNDOCKED: Thick at root3, set on rather high1, carried away from the body2 and as straight as possible.


Discussion Notes:

1. A low set tail comes off a back (loin and croup) that is not straight and level (as illustrated in Figure A).

Figure Aincorrect Poodle tail carriage

2. The angle at which the tail should be carried is not specified, however it is generally accepted that a carriage just off the vertical away from the body is correct (as illustrated in Figure B). An angle greater than 45° from the horizontal could not be considered "slight".

3. "Thick at the root" will indicate that the dog has correct bone and sbstance.

Figure BCorrect Poodle Tail Carriage

4. A Poodle with a tail that is too short or too long must not be penalised on that basis alone as it is a man-made fault. A tail which is either too short or overly long detracts from the overall balanced appearance as we know it today and an experienced groomer will trim the hair according to the length of the tail (as illustrated in Figure C) to maintain that balanced appearance. An undocked tail must not be penalised.

Figure CCorrect Poodle tail carriage

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