Directions on decoding your dog’s tail

Dogs can show their feelings and intentions with the way they move and hold their tails. Our daily interaction with dogs is a great way to learn and understand a lot of messages they want us to know through body language. This especially applies to their tails. While most people assume that dogs are happy when they wag their tail, but that&rsquo-s not always the case. Wagging of the tail has a lot of meaning. Some factors including social context plays a vital role in decoding the story of a dog&rsquo-s tail.

Although the tail is very important in analyzing a dog&rsquo-s thoughts, one should also look at their eyes, ears, teeth, lips, stance and balance to fully comprehend what the animal is really thinking. A lot of people are aware that some dog breeds don&rsquo-t have a tail and some are not that expressive even if they have a tail such as basenjis and pugs. But all dogs do use tail movements to express themselves. Below are directions on how to decode your dog&rsquo-s tail.

When your dog holds his tail high or arched over his back, it signals a very high level of excitement. It could mean that your pooch is very happy, wants to play or alarmed. Whatever reason stimulated your dog, make sure to keep an eye on him because it might lead to a fight or aggressiveness especially if an interaction with strangers- dogs and humans alike is involved.

When a dog is in a neutral mood, he will hold his tail in a neutral position. But remember that neutral tail positions vary with different dog breeds. For instance, the Greyhounds&rsquo- neutral position looks tucked under to some extent, while a Husky&rsquo-s neutral position is still quite high. So make sure you know your canine&rsquo-s neutral tail position.

When your dog holds his tail low or tucked under, it is a sign of nervousness and fear. This means that your pet is not sure of what&rsquo-s going on, which could cause your dog to be defensive and snap in order to protect itself.

When your dog wags its tail fast it means that he is excited. If your dog&rsquo-s tail is stiffed, held high and wagged at a fast rate, it is a sign of unfriendly intentions also called &ldquo-flagged tail&rdquo-. It is a serious warning that every dog owner should know because it could result to a fight.

When you see your dog wagging its tail fast and at a neutral high position, it means friendly intentions. But make sure your dog is not standing stiffly with a rigid body because it means the opposite of being friendly. Always take into consideration the other parts of your dog&rsquo-s body and how relaxed they are to make sure if they are really being friendly.

A dog is nervous or just being submissive when they wag their tails fast while holding it low or tucked under. The dog means no harm doing this. He simply just wants to feel safe from whatever intimidated him.

When a dog is confident or happy, he will wag his tail slow, at any height especially neutral height.

A dog is alert and trying to understand what&rsquo-s going on if his tail is held stiffly, at any height and without moving it. If you see a dog with its tail held high and without movement, you should approach him cautiously because he is going to be defensive as he is unsure of what&rsquo-s going on. Same applies when you see a scared dog with a stiff tail tucked under. A tail that is held stiffly and straight out means the dog is paying attention to his environment but don&rsquo-t feel threatened.

Which Direction Your Dog Wags His Tail

According to studies, the directions which a dog wags his tail more depends on their feelings. If your dog wags his tail more to the right side, it means positive emotions such as happiness. But if your dog wags his tail more to the left side, it means negative emotions like unhappiness or being anxious with his environment.

Learning all these things will help you understand your dog&rsquo-s emotions better. It could also help you guide your dog on how to approach different social situations.

Junayed Sadat at Flickr.com