Fuss made by a dog losing its tail (3)
I believe the answer is:
ado
'fuss' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'a dog losing its tail' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'a' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'do' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'made by' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ado that I've seen before include "Fuss, trouble" , "puff ball!" , "Rapid bustling commotion" , "Fuss or bustle" , "Shakespeare: 'Much ... About Nothing'(3) ()" .)