A faster wag indicates more energy on the dog’s part (happy or angry energy), and a fast wag that slows to a freeze is always a warning sign.Ī dog with a half-mast wag can still bite you. ![]() I like to look for what I call “the half-mast swish,” where the tail is gently wafting back and forth at about hock level. The speed of the wag can further indicate how calm the dog might be. A medium-height tail wag is generally an indication of a calmer, less aroused dog. A half-mast, open mouth, and bright eyes complete the picture of a relaxed, happy dog. (“Agonistic” refers to a continuum of social behaviors including all aspects of aggression, from appeasement and flight at one end, to warning signals, threat and actual attack at the other extreme.)Īgain, reading the dog’s entire body language will help you determine what’s really going on, and if it might be safe to interact, or not. ![]() She may just be happy and not as aroused, or it might be that an elevated level of tension has slowed the aggressive dog’s tail it could be the beginning of an agonistic freeze just before the bite happens. Meanwhile, a high-but-slower tail wag suggests less active arousal, but it still can be a caution sign. Even still, a happy aroused dog can do damage in her excitement, so you are better off waiting to engage even with a happy high-tail wagger until she calms down a bit. In contrast, the “I want to eat you!” dog is likely to have a tense body and hard eyes, with all his energy focused forward – no wiggling. The “Pet me!” dog is animated and wiggly, with soft or squinty eyes and an inviting open-mouth grin. Did the wag just stop? Did he just freeze? His backward-leaning stance, hard eyes, and closed mouth suggest he’s conflicted.īut how do you know if it’s a fun-and-games, fast-wagging high tail saying, “I’m so happy and excited to see you! Yes, please pet me!” or an aroused and angry high tail telling you, “If you try to pet me, you’ll be toast!”? A high tail with a slow wag may indicate a happy dog with a lower level of arousal, but again, look at the whole picture. Of course, some dogs naturally carry their tails straight up or curled over their backs (Huskies, Pomeranians, Pugs, Basenjis, and more), so you need to take that into consideration when tail-reading. A “flagging” tail – straight up or even curved slightly over the dog’s back – moving at blur-fast speed, is an indication of strong emotion. While a very high tail indicates high arousal, a very low-wagging tail most often denotes fear and appeasement. In general, the higher the dog’s tail and faster the wag, the greater the level of arousal. (And yes, dogs who are born with short tails or whose tails are docked are at a very significant disadvantage when it comes to tail talk!) Since dogs communicate primarily through vision and body language, dogs are generally very good at understanding each other’s tail wags. Tail wagging works well for dogs in the canine world. ![]() But the dog’s “play bow” posture is a clear sign that the dog is displaying happy, friendly arousal. Here are some tips to help you decipher the canine tail-wagging lexicon: DOG TAIL MEANINGS Given the shelter setting, it’s likely that this dog’s high tail is due to arousal (most shelters are a high-stress environment). That can be happy arousal, or fear, excitement, or even aggressive arousal. So here’s the thing: A wagging tail does not necessarily mean a happy dog. Everybody knows that when a dog approaches you wagging her tail it means she’s inviting you to pet her, right? Wrong! We may have all grown up thinking a wagging tail means a happy dog, but that misconception has gotten countless well-intentioned dog-lovers bitten, sometimes quite badly.
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