Much like the characteristics of the dog, the pitbull owning community is loyal and dedicated to the breed with there being a large amount of love and care for their dogs.
With so many people keeping pitbulls as well as new pitbull owners getting their first dog all the time, we commonly see people asking various questions about pitbulls and their general health.
We have noticed a slight spike in the number of people asking about pitbulls with curled tails recently and the number of people asking about a curled tail in their pitbull seems to be steadily increasing so we wanted to publish our own article going over the topic.
Just to confirm, the people we see reaching out about their pitbull having a curled tail are not referring to the pitbull intentionally holding their tail in that position due to being excited but mean that their dog holds their tail curled when relaxed and just naturally holding its tail.
There are a couple of reasons why this can happen and depend on the country that you live in, there are also a number of potential problems with registering the dog as a pedigree pitbull too.
This is why we wanted to publish this article as unlike what some of the responses on social media may suggest, it is not a standard one size fits all answer as to why your pitbull may have a curled tail.
Why Does My Pitbull Have A Curled Tail?
The most common reason that your pitbull will have a curled tail is due to the dog being a mix with this being very common with pitbull rescues.
A pedigree pitbull can still have a tail due to rare health conditions though but this is usually so rare that it is not even worth considering.
When it comes to your pitbull having a curled tail due to it being a mix, the majority of people instantly presume that it must be mixed with a husky due to its tail curling but see no other characteristics of a husky in their dog.
This is due to the majority of pitbull mixes that have a curled tail actually being mixed with a basenji and their pups commonly being able to be passed off as pedigree pitbulls if the coat is the right pattern and color other than the curl in the tail.
If your pitbulls tail is curling due to a health issue or due to the bone, muscle or ligament damage then there is rarely anything that you are able to do. It is rare that it will cause any serious problems with your pitbulls health and the dog will usually not be in pain either so the majority of people just leave it.
You can book a video call with a veterinarian if you really want to have them quickly give their opinion on the tail of your pitbull but it will be a waste of time for most people as the vet will simply tell you that your dog is mixed with a basenji rather than actually having any issues with its tail.
Is A Curled Tail On A Pitbull A Fault?
A curled tail on a pedigree pitbull is classed as a fault in the dog even though it can produce pups without a curled tail.
The majority of breeders will not actively breed a pedigree pitbull with a curled tail and some kennel clubs may offer the dog pedigree papers with a breeding ban attached and not give any pups it produces their papers even if they do not have the curl in their tail.
To our knowledge, the only kennel club that will accept a pitbull with a curled tail as a full pedigree and give the dog normal pedigree papers is the UK kennel club but this may change in the future due to how passionate the pitbull owning community is about the breed.
The USA and Canadian kennel clubs usually refuse to issue pedigree papers to a pitbull with a curled tail even if it is confirmed by a vet that the dog has a damaged tail and that is why it is curling.
This can be a problem for pitbull breeders due to it causing problems with their planned breeding lines but it can offer a pedigree, non-papered pitbull up to buyers for a fraction of its normal price.
When it comes to actual pitbull owners who don’t care about breeding their dogs, this is usually a bargain with many people thinking that the curled tail in the dog is cute.
What Kind Of Tail Should A Pitbull Have?
Different kennel clubs for different counties phrase the exact requirements for a pitbull tail slightly differently but the general them is that a pitbull should have a long and straight tail.
Obviously, a curl in the tail of your pitbull goes directly against this and is the reason that most kennel clubs will refuse pitbulls with a curled tail their pedigree papers.
If you have got yourself a pitbull rescue and are unsure of its heritage then you can get dog DNA test that will usually offer some great insight into if your dog is a mix.
Just keep in mind, if your pitbull is a rescue and does have a curled tail, there is a very high chance that it is a mix and is probably mixed with a basenji due to the pitbull basenji mix being the most common that produces pups with a curled tail.
Keep in mind that kennel clubs don’t care about the results of these DNA tests and go by the physical characteristics of the dog rather than its actual heritage so the tests are just for your own personal information.
Kennel clubs act in this way to try and keep the breeding lines for the various dog breeds as pure as possible and prevent defects from making it into the dogs line that causes a large number of potential health problems for pups generations down the line.
Coinclusion
That brings our article going over why your pitbull has a curled tail to a close. We hope that we have been able to help you better understand the two most common reasons that your pitbull may have a curled tail. There is usually little reason to appeal any kennel clubs decision if they do reject your pitbull with a curled tail for papers as we are not aware of a single instance where a decision has been covered turned in North America for a pitbull with a curled tail.
