What’s in a Wag?

How to “read” your dog’s tail

How to “read” your dog’s tail.

It turns out dogs use their wagging tails to communicate far more information about their emotional state than initially thought. Italian research has found that dogs move their tail more to the right or the left depending on how happy they feel. The research, conducted by neuroscientists at the University of Trento, Italy, found that dogs wag their tails slightly to the right when they are happy or see something they like and to the left when they’re confronted with something they dislike or want to avoid. Not only are these emotional signals understood by other dogs but they affect how dogs interact with each other. When the dogs involved in the study saw otherwise expressionless dogs wagging their tails to the right, they remained perfectly relaxed. But when the test dogs saw other dog’s tails veering to the left, their heart rates rose and they became visibly anxious. Want to know how your dog is feeling? Watch which way he wags his tail!

READING YOUR DOG’S TAIL POSITION

“I am rellllaxed” Natural, relaxed tail position, may wag gently

“I’m happy!” "Wiggle bum" wags from side to side or in a circular motion if really happy

“I’m in a state of high excitement!” Tail held very high and stiff with a rigid, almost vibrating wag

“I’m afraid” Tail tucked between legs or right up against belly