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By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 14, 2024

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Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails?

What Does It Mean When Dogs Wag Their Tails?

The tails position could be considered reflective of the dogs general mood (scared, excited, concerned, curious, happy, or angry). The wag indicates the intensity of that emotion. The more exaggerated or extreme, the more intense theyre feeling.

For example, lets say a dog with an average-length tail is approaching you. The base of their tail is raised slightly just past parallel to the ground. The wagging could be described as moderate speed, full, sweeping, and loose. The tail position tells us the dog is feeling relaxed and the exaggerated movement of the tail from side to side indicates that the dog is approaching with the intention of engaging in a positive social interaction with you.

Here are several emotions a dog can convey through wagging their tail.

Happy/Friendly

When a dog is expressing happiness or friendliness, their tail is often in a neutral position (the base of the tail is parallel to the ground). It can also be in a slightly upward or downward position and wagging at a moderate speed.

Their tail is relaxed and wagging in full, sweeping side-to-side movements. It may even be wagging in a circular motion known as a circle wag or helicopter tail. (Though, some dogs can have a helicopter tail when theyre feeling anxious, aroused, or agitated. Again, its important to remember that no one body part communicates the whole story!)

The more excited a dog is, the faster their tail typically wags. When dogs are excited and friendly, they will sometimes also wag their hips or even their whole body, from their shoulders down to their tail. This is frequently observed in dogs with short, nub-like tails. They sometimes wiggle the entire back end of their bodies!

Curious

When a dog is curious about something, such as when they find a new smell, their tail is typically held straight out behind them. This may or may not be associated with a tail wagthe tail is often held still, but it wont look stiff or tense. They may also be standing with an alert posture with their ears perked up, potentially with wrinkles visible on their foreheads.

Relaxed

A dog that is relaxed will stand with a tail thats void of tension and not wagging. They will only start moving their tail when an emotion is sparked by an environmental change.

Appeasing/Submissive/Fearful

Before describing an appeasing, submissive, or fearful tail wag, its important to note that all these forms likely have an element of fear, vulnerability, or uncertainty. Its important to pick up on the cues a dog is giving to avoid heightening the situation.

Submissive dogs will often lower their tail or tuck it between their legs. This is typically done because the dog feels threatened and does not want to be harmed. This tail position is telling other dogs (and people!) that they need time and space to work through the discomfort. A submissive tail position may or may not be associated with a tail wag.

If a dog has their tail tucked tightly between their legs and is wagging the tip in a tight fast motion, this is typically indicative of the dog experiencing a fear responseand wanting to pacify another dog. Many dogs show signs of submission when theyre scared as a survival strategy.

Because the speed of a tail wag is reflective of how intense the dogs feelings are, a submissive tail wag can be thought of as a dog saying, Please dont hurt me! If a dog is exhibiting this sign, its best to stop approaching or interacting with them.

Allow the dog to approach when they are feeling safer. And remember: a dog moving forward with a tucked tail wagging low and tightly may not be an invitation for interaction.

Aggressive/Threatening

A dog moving closer to exhibiting aggressive behavior will move their tail into a vertical position that often arches over their back. The tail will be very stiff and may or may not be moving.

If a dogs tail is in this position, it means they are preparing for an interaction that involves agonistic behaviors. The tighter and faster the tail movement, the more agitated the dog is.

If a dog is showing signs of feeling threatened, action needs to be taken to change the environment immediately. The dog should not be approached because its likely they will attempt to bite if a human or animal tries to interact with them in this state. If the dog cant be removed from the situation, the people, other animals, or events causing the dogs distress should be.

In addition to the high, stiff tail, other signs dogs may exhibit include:

Stiff body pointing at the target
Staring with wide eyes
Pinning or flattening their ears
Closing their mouth with tension in the lips
Standing perfectly still/freezing
Moving forward in slow motion
Exposure of canines
Growling
Lunging

Avoidance

When dogs dont want to interact at all, they typically stop wagging their tail and move away. They may even exhibit displacement behaviors like self-grooming or sniffing the ground. A more direct translation of these behaviors is, please leave me alone, or please calm down.

At this stage, this isnt associated with aggression; its just the dogs way of requesting to be left alone. However, if the dog is approached, the avoidance signals may transition to submission or aggression, depending on the dog. Heed the dogs request and do not approach unless absolutely necessary. If you are able to give the dog some space, they may willing come to you after some time.

Right-Sided vs. Left-Sided Tail Wagging

Scientists have also discovered there is a difference between a moreright-sided versus left-sided tail wagging. Dogs conveying more positive emotions will wag their tail slightly to the right, while dogs that are conveying more negative emotions will wag their tail slightly to the left.

Dogs that are wagging their tail slightly to the right tend to be friendlier and exhibit other behaviors indicating a willingness to interact socially. Dogs that are wagging their tails slightly to the left tend to be more stressed or anxious and exhibit avoidance or escape tendencies when presented with social opportunities.

How Do Dogs Without Tails Communicate?

Because dogs communicate so many different emotions with their tail, how do dogs without tails communicate? Just like humans, they use vocalizations and body language.

With or without a tail, here are just a few ways that dogs use their voice and body language to communicate their emotions:

Vocalizations:barking, growling, snarling, whimpering, whining, crying, howling
Facial expressions
Moving their tongue, such as lip-licking
Eye position
Ear position: flattened, perked up, relaxed, pinned
Stance/posture: hunched, cowering, play bowing, hackles raised, stiff/frozen, body weight shifting forward or back
Movement: stiff/frozen, lying down, walking around, lunging, tip-toeing, moving backward, turning head away

Learning how to speak tail can be complicated, but the most important thing to remember is that just because a dog is wagging their tail, it does not necessarily mean they are friendly.

Keep in mind this is just one body part dogs use to communicate emotion. Always ask the pet parent before approaching and petting their dog. And even if they say yes, take a look at the dogs posture yourself. If you see anything that gives you pause, its OK to decline.

Featured Image: Adobe/e-Kis

Dog Tail Signs: What That Wagging Means

You can understand a lot about your canine companion from his dog tail signs. That wagging or thumping on the carpet? You know your pup is feeling great. That feeling of dread when you walk through the front door and that same tail is tucked low? That tail tells you something has been destroyed by a bored pup while you were away. Whether you consider yourself fluent in wag or you're still learning how to decode dog tail language, read on to learn more about how your pet communicates.

Spotting the Signs: A Guide to Dog Tail Language

A dog's tail originally evolved to help him stay balanced, like a tightrope walker's pole. It serves as a counterweight to the front part of his body when he's making a high-speed turn while hunting and helps keep him from falling off narrow walkways.

Now that a dog hunt generally involves finding the last piece of kibble that fell behind the bowl, that wagging tail is largely thought of as a communication device. Here are five key things the placement of a dog's tail can tell you, according to the Center for Shelter Dogs at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Circular swish: A dog whose tail is swishing back and forth or in a circular motion is one happy and relaxed pup.
Lowered or tucked tail: A dog who is frightened or feeling submissive will often lower or tuck his tail between his hind legs.
Tail wagging stiffly: A dog who is excited may wag his tail stiffly while jumping, spinning or sticking his rump in the air. His excitement may be from a positive source like an upcoming walk or a negative source like an intimidating stranger.
Tail held horizontally: A tail held straight out indicates a dog who is attentive and alert or perhaps curious about something nearby. Traditional hunting dog breeds like pointers or setters also hold their tails out straight when they point at an animal or object.
Sudden tail raise: When a dog moves his tail from a down position to a vertical or raised position, it could indicate he is feeling aggressive.

Reading Wag Speed

The speed of a dog's wagging tail might also give you an indication of his mood, Psychology Today reports.

Quick wag: A short wag usually happens during greetings when a dog is feeling tentative.
Big, broad wag: This indicates a friendly dog who is not threatening anyone.
Slow, reluctant wag: This might indicate a dog who is feeling anxious. Other signs of anxiety include avoiding eye contact, refusing food or ignoring what's happening around him.
Tiny, high-speed wag: A tail that moves in short, vibrating bursts can be a sign a dog is about to run or fight. Be careful!

Dog Tail Language Barriers

Some dogs wag with long, expressive tails, but what about dogs with small, stumpy tails or no tails at all? A truncated tail may make it more difficult for dogs to communicate with their pet parents and with other dogs, writes Psychology Today. An observational study of more than 400 dogs greeting each other off-leash in a dog park showed a higher number of aggressive incidents involving dogs with short tails. This doesn't mean that your corgi will inherently pick more fights than your shepherd mix, but it could be something to watch out for. Overall, the study found that only 12 percent of dog park incidents resulted in any kind of aggression. That's a sign that dog communication has a pretty high success rate.

The tale of the tail? Dog tail signs help pups communicate not only with us, but also with other dogs. Knowing the meaning of how a dog is using his tail can go a long way to showing you how your pet is feeling.

Contributor Bio

Kara Murphy

Kara Murphy is a freelance writer and pet parent who lives in Erie, Pa. She has a goldendoodle named Maddie.

Tail wagging by dogs

Dog behaviour

A dog wags her tail.

Tail wagging is the behavior of the dog observed as its tail moves back and forth in the same plane. Within Canidae, specifically Canis lupus familiaris, the tail plays multiple roles, which can include balance, and communication.^[1] It is considered a social signal.^[2]^[3] The behaviour can be categorized by vigorous movement or slight movement of the tip of the tail. Tail wagging can also occur in circular motions, and when the tail is held at maximum height, neutral height, or between the legs.

Tail wagging can be used as a social signal within species and convey the emotional state of the dog.^[4] The tail wagging behavior of a dog may not always be an indication of its friendliness or happiness, as is commonly believed. Though indeed tail wagging can express positive emotions, tail wagging is also an indication of fear, insecurity, challenging of dominance, establishing social relationships, or a warning that the dog may bite.^[5]^[6] It is also important to consider the way in which the dog wags its tail: speed, height and position. Usually positive feelings within a dog are associated with the right side. For instance, if a dog is about to receive a treat, their tail will likely move with a bias towards its right. On the other hand, negative feelings are typically connected with a bias towards its left side. If a dog is being approached by another dog and feels threatened, the dog's tail will usually move more to its left.^[7] One hypothesis states that the asymmetries are actually evolved and are kept as evolutionarily stable strategies, that aid dogs in detecting when they should interact with each other.^[1] The direction, as well as height and width of the tail wag can convey important cues about the social condition of the animal.^[8] Different colourations and patterns, contrasting tip are likely evolved to improve communication with the tail.^[9]

Tail wagging functions as the equivalent of a human smile. It is a greeting or an acknowledgment of recognition. Dogs tend not to wag their tails unless there is another animal or human nearby with whom to interact.^[5]

Position of the tail[edit]

The position in which a dog holds its tail is indicative of the emotional state of the animal.^[10] When the tail is held at maximum height it is a demonstration of dominance and can also indicate a positive demeanour.^[11] A tail held at medium height can indicate interest in the dog's surroundings.^[11] Dogs may hold their tails low or even beneath them when presented with a stressful situation. The low height of the tail demonstrates submission and fear.^[11] These traits remain constant across most breeds.

Side bias of tail wags[edit]

Dogs exhibit a striking side bias of tail wags when encountered with different situations. Typically, when dogs are encountered with positive situations, like encountering their owner, dogs will wag their tail towards the right.^[1] However, when dogs are faced with negative situations, such as the approach of an unfamiliar dog, the animal biases its tail wags towards the left.^[1] Additionally, dogs exhibit a decrease in wagging movements when presented with stressful situations,^[9] however, there is an increased frequency of tail wags when the dog is at ease or is excited.

Canine interpretation of tail wags[edit]

Dogs respond to the tail wags presented by others of their species,^[8] and dogs seldom wag their tails while they are alone.^[11] Different colourations and patterns, like contrasting tips, are likely evolved to facilitate communication with the tail.^[9] Dogs interpret tail cues differently depending on the length of the tail, as well as the size of the dog interpreting and expressing the behaviour.^[12] Dogs are more likely to approach other dogs with long tails when they exhibit wagging behaviour. They are less likely to approach dogs with short tails, even if they exhibit the same wagging behaviour.^[12] This may be because it is easier to interpret the social cues expressed by a longer tail, compared to a short one. Furthermore, dogs exhibit more favourably to long wagging tails and exhibit less aggressive behaviour.^[12] The tail is commonly docked in almost one-third of all recognized domestic breed. Therefore, short tail dogs may experience more aggressive attacks than their long tail counterparts.^[12] When dogs view other dogs exhibiting a right side bias they present an increase in cardiac activity and display increased stress like activity,^[13] this is suggestive of tail wagging conveying emotionally important information.

Lateralization of function[edit]

The side bias of dog tail wags suggests a brain hemisphere lateralization that control the movement of the tail.^[13] Tail wags biased to the right are controlled by the left hemisphere, while left biased wags are controlled by the right hemisphere. Therefore, there exists a cross-over of descending motor pathways in dogs.^[14] The rubrospinal tract is the primary pathway from the brain to the spinal cord. The pathway crosses just caudal of the red nucleus and descends in the contralateral lateral funiculus. Fibres of the rubrospinal tract then terminate on interneurons at all levels of the spinal cord.^[14] The right hemisphere of the brain controls withdrawal responses, while the left side controls approach responses.^[13] This could be the reason for side bias of tail wags in different emotive situations.

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Siniscalchi, Marcello; Lusito, Rita; Vallortigara, Giorgio; Quaranta, Angelo (November 2013). "Seeing Left- or Right-Asymmetric Tail Wagging Produces Different Emotional Responses in Dogs". Current Biology. 23 (22): 22792282. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.09.027. ISSN0960-9822. PMID24184108.
^ Rogers, Lesley (2013). Divided brains: the biology and behaviour of brain asymmetries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p.157. ISBN978-0521183048.
^ Leonetti, Silvia; Cimarelli, Giulia; Hersh, Taylor A.; Ravignani, Andrea (2024). "Why do dogs wag their tails?". Biology Letters. 20 (1). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0407. PMC10792393.
^ "Is the Biodiversity Tail Wagging the Zoological Dog". 2018. doi:10.7882/btw.1998.
^ ^a ^b Coren, Stanley (December 5, 2011). "What a Wagging Dog Tail Really Means: New Scientific Data Specific tail wags provide information about the emotional state of dogs". Psychology Today. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
^ "The Language of Tail Wagging in Dogs". PetMD.
^ Siniscalchi, Marcello; Lusito, Rita; Vallortigara, Giorgio; Quaranta, Angelo (2013-11-18). "Seeing Left- or Right-Asymmetric Tail Wagging Produces Different Emotional Responses in Dogs". Current Biology. 23 (22): 22792282. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.09.027. ISSN0960-9822. PMID24184108.
^ ^a ^b "The Language of Tail Wagging in Dogs | petMD". www.petmd.com. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
^ ^a ^b ^c Reimchen; Leaver (2008). "Behavioural responses of Canis familiaris to different tail lengths of a remotely-controlled life-size dog replica". Behaviour. 145 (3): 377390. doi:10.1163/156853908783402894. ISSN0005-7959. S2CID4996089.
^ "Dog tail positions and what they mean". BarkleyAndPaws. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "What a Wagging Dog Tail Really Means: New Scientific Data". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mellor, David (2018-05-31). "Tail Docking of Canine Puppies: Reassessment of the Tail's Role in Communication, the Acute Pain Caused by Docking and Interpretation of Behavioural Responses". Animals. 8 (6): 82. doi:10.3390/ani8060082. ISSN2076-2615. PMC6028921. PMID29857482.
^ ^a ^b ^c Siniscalchi, Marcello; d'Ingeo, Serenella; Quaranta, Angelo (2017-05-13). "Lateralized Functions in the Dog Brain". Symmetry. 9 (5): 71. Bibcode:2017Symm....9...71.. doi:10.3390/sym9050071. hdl:11586/186162. ISSN2073-8994.
^ ^a ^b MacNeilage, Peter F (2007-03-29). "Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Asymmetric tail-wagging responses by dogs to different emotive stimuli". doi:10.3410/f.1072072.525055.