Otter tails

I gave a talk at the local aquarium the other day and afterwards toured the exhibits. I was struck by the otters who were frolicking and zooming through the water in their tank. Their tail was used as a rudder and has a thick base.

As you know one of the characteristics of the Labrador is the otter tail. It does resemble a real otter's tail and is also thick at the base and wrapped with hair. A Labradors tail should not reach below the hock and it should have a "bump" at the base nearest the rump that can be felt with the hand. The hair on the tail should be tightly wrapped and not loose or fluffy like a setters.

Of course, when Labradors are out of coat, the tail may look skinny and thin. Ideally, the shape of the tail should be like a carrot. It is fine to have a twizzle at the tip but many handlers will trim that off (something that isn't necessary at all).

Labrador tails are strong and are used as a kind of rudder when the dog swims. They are also capable of clearing a coffee table of items in a second.