Happy Nursing Pup Tail: April 2, Early A.M.

Happily nursing pups will often carry their tails straight out and raised like this pup on the left, who seems to think that she is having a wonderful nursing session. The tail on the pup on the right would probably also be out and up if the tail were not caught on a sheet rumple.

Notice the full, un-docked tails on these newborn pups. In the United States, schnauzers traditionally have their tails docked and this is usually done within the first 2-3 days of life for humane reasons. As you can see here, their puppy tails are awfully cute. What you can't see here is that some Standard Schnauzer puppy tails are quite wide at the base and narrowing to a point about 3/4 the length of their back legs. This kind of puppy tail is very similar to the ideal labrador retriever tail, which is described as having an otter tail look. Other Standard Schnauzer puppy tails are a bit longer and slim from base to a more narrow tip.