What does a wagging tail mean?
When your dog wags their tail, are they telling you that they are happy? Not necessarily. Canines demonstrate many variations of the “tail wag” and different wags mean different things. In fact, a wag of the tail is one of the best methods of communication in the canine kingdom.
Like human infants, dogs must learn their language. Puppies aren’t born knowing what a wagging tail means any more than newborn babies understand words. But when puppies are about a month old, they recognize the need to communicate with their mother and siblings, so they pick up the lingo. A pup wags his tail to tell his littermates that he’s tired of playing or to tell his mother that he’s hungry.
Why do dogs wag their tails to communicate?
Words are the basis of human communication, so people are good listeners. Dogs, on the other hand, are watchers. Lacking a verbal vocabulary, dogs communicate broader messages with body language. They might adjust their posture, move their ears, furrow their brow, shift their gaze, or wag their tails.
Tail wagging works well for dogs. Since canine vision is attuned to movement more than colors or details, dogs readily discern different tail wags. Evolution has also helped by producing tails that are more visible. Some tails have color variations such as dark or light tips, some are lighter on the underside, and some are bushy. All these traits accentuate the tail wag and enhance communication.
What messages does a wagging tail communicate?
First, it’s important to understand that the neutral or natural position of a dog’s tail varies by breed. Most dogs have tails that hang down near their heels when they are relaxed. But some dogs, for example beagles, hold their tails more vertically. Breeds such as greyhounds and whippets curl their tails under their bellies while many other breeds, such as Siberian huskies and Norwegian elkhounds, curl their tails over their backs.
Some breeds lack tails and some have tails so tightly curled that a wag is barely visible. Different tail styles could contribute to communication challenges between dogs and between dogs and people.
Here are some examples of what a dog’s tail can communicate:
- Preparedness or agitation. When dogs are alert, they stand with their tails raised and ears up. This posture indicates that they are watching and ready to interact with whatever caught their attention.
- Pause. A dog may stop moving its tail, holding its tail and body stiff, as an attempt to pause or discontinue an interaction. Many dogs do this when petted by strangers, to communicate that they no longer want to interact with them.
- Assertive engagement. When a tail moves from neutral, to taut vertical, to a tight arch over the back, it indicates increased arousal. This tail position is an assertive posture that can progress to an intense aggressive display. An upright, high tail position may aid in the release of pheromones from the anal sacs, further strengthening the communication.
- Fear or submission. Lowering the tail from a neutral position can represent a dog’s intention to maintain a submissive role in the interaction. A tightly tucked, low tail can also occur when a dog is fearful.
- Positive or friendly engagement. Neutral or slightly raised tail posture with a gentle tail wag communicates interest in continuing an interaction. This tail posture is observed during friendly interactions with people and dogs and when dogs explore novel objects.
Tail wags are complicated and complex; not all tail wags are alike. The rate at which a tail moves contributes to the dog’s communication, as does the position of the tail while wagging. As a dog’s arousal increases, his tail may wag more quickly regardless of the nature of arousal.
- When dogs are eager for an interaction, they may wag their tails quickly, typically in a neutral or high position.
- When dogs are fearful, they may also wag their tails rapidly, typically in a low position.
- When dogs are tentative about a pending interaction, their tails often wag more slowly, typically in a neutral or slightly low position.
It is important to recognize that a dog with a wagging tail does not necessarily mean they want to interact or continue an interaction. A tail may begin to wag tentatively during an interaction — the message here is “pause”.
Dogs experiencing emotional conflict may begin to wag their tails rapidly as a reflection of their discomfort.
Tail wags are often misinterpreted to mean that the dog is “friendly” and wants to engage, when the dog may be trying their best to find a way to end the interaction. In some cases, this miscommunication ends with physical confrontations such as snaps or bites.
It is always important to observe and interpret the tail wag in conjunction with all the dog’s postures. Tail wags are just one of the dog’s many communication tools.
New research has revealed some interesting complexities about the canine tail wag. It turns out that even the direction of the wagging may be significant. Studies show that dogs wag their tails to the right when they are happy or confident, and to the left when they are frightened.
Can tailless dogs communicate?
Dogs without tails are missing an important communication tool. This may be particularly important when dogs are approaching each other from a distance, as some small shifts in posture, such as changes in facial expression and ear position, are only observable when the dogs are close to each other. This could cause a dog to approach the tailless dog more tentatively.
