What Your Dog’s Tail Can Tell You

A dog’s tail can mean many things, and knowing this will allow us to try to understand our furry friends a little better. For that reason, 5-Minute Crafts has come up with an article to show you what your dog is trying to tell you.

Tip: Like people, dogs also differ in their communication. When approaching a new dog, take a look at its body language as well as how it communicates with its owner to see if it’s a friendly dog or not. Don’t solely rely on the dog’s tail position or its movement.

Tail position

1. If your dog’s tail is high and still, your dog is alert and trying to show its dominance.
2. A tail that’s held high but also wagging means the dog is alert and happy. The dog is also excited, albeit cautiously, while showing its dominance.
3. A tail that’s in between the legs means your dog is being submissive or fearful.
4. If the tail is straight out, the dog is taking in new information and responding in a neutral way.

Tail movement

1. If your dog’s tail is wagging fast, it means it’s excited. The faster the tail wag, the more excited they are.
2. A slow wag means the dog’s insecure about someone or another dog.
3. A free wag (sometimes accompanied by the dog’s wiggling of the hips as well) means the dog is being friendly.
4. A very fast, vertical wag means your dog is a threat and will possibly be aggressive.

Note: A study has shown that if a dog is wagging its tail more to the right, it’s relaxed, as opposed to wagging its tail to the left, which means it feels stressed or anxious.