We usually think that a dog wagging its tail at you means getting to know you. So, what does a dog wagging its tail really mean?
The tail is a communication tool
When we think of a dog’s tail, we usually think of a happy dog wagging its tail.
But happiness isn’t the only emotion a dog’s tail conveys. Dog tails can convey all emotions from curiosity to excitement.
A tail tucked between the legs, signifying anxiety or submission. A dog’s tail standing upright in the air can be a sign of confidence or even aggression.
The speed of a dog wagging its tail also has many meanings. The faster the wagging, the more excited the dog is. A slow or extra gentle rocking may be a sign of its inner insecurity.
The dog’s relaxed, quick tail wagging, and his butt wagging along with it means it’s nice to meet you.
different shaped tails
There are only these types of dog tails that you see every day: long tails, short tails, curly tails, and sickle tails.
These words usually describe the shape of a dog’s tail. Dogs like the Shiba Inu and Akita Inu have the entire tail curled on the back or on the sides of the back, with left and right curls.
Purebred dog tails have their uses, for example, the Labrador Retriever tail is thick at the low end and tapered at the end, covered with very short hair that allows the Labrador to swim faster.
Tail wagging doesn’t have to be happiness
If tail wagging means happiness, then, some dogs are clearly wagging their tails, why are they bitten when they walk over?
In fact, dogs wagging their tails are not necessarily happy. Studies have shown that when a dog’s tail is wagging to the right, it usually indicates that he is feeling excited and happy, which is a positive emotion.
When the tail is clearly swaying to the left, it should have encountered something that it feels uncertain, and it is relatively unfriendly and has negative emotions.
Whether the dog rolls left or right is a relatively small change that is difficult for humans to detect.
What about a dog without a tail?
Some dogs have no tails, either because they were born without tails or because they were docked after birth.
Those dogs are fine running around because they’re used to it. The tail is one of the ways dogs communicate. Dogs without tails, such as Corgi, will use a pair of expressive large ears to help convey emotions.
Scientists are also studying what a dog’s tail wagging means. We hope that humans can communicate with animals without barriers.
Unlike humans, most animals communicate through body language. If you want to understand “dog language”, it is not accurate to rely on translation machines.
So, if you see a dog wagging its tail, don’t go over to say hello.