Animal Behaviour Essentials Part II: The Tail

Welcome to our second part of Animal Behaviour Essentials! In Part I, we talked a bit about dog vocal sounds, where we covered what your dog is telling you based on the sounds they make. We also pointed out that guessing what those sounds mean is pretty instinctive, so don’t worry if you are new to being a pet parent. You’ve got this!

But dogs don’t only communicate with sound. They use their whole body to tell you what they are thinking. In fact, dog sounds are usually interpreted in tandem with canine body language: a dog who is barking with stressed body language is telling you something different from a dog who is barking while wagging their tail and wriggling their bum excitedly.

In this blog, we’ll explore the number one misunderstood indicator of dog body language: the tail.

Understanding the Tail

A dog’s tail is a great window into how they’re feeling at any given point in time. We humans don’t have tails, so it is easy for us to ignore how crucial a symbol of body language this can be. But just as a person hunches their shoulders to make themselves smaller or throws out their chest to take up more space and project confidence, a dog uses their tail to indicate what’s going on in their heads. The tail can tell you a lot about what a dog is feeling.

Right now, tail body language has been distilled down to a commonly accepted nugget: if a dog is wagging their tail, they’re happy to see you. If a tail is being wagged, that’s one friendly dog.

True… But also not true.

Let’s dive into what a tail wag could really mean, and the other ways in which reading a dog’s tail helps you understand them.

The Wag

It is true that dogs wag their tail when they’re happy to see you. You will have noticed it when your pet comes to greet you: their tail is moving in happy circles and they look delighted that you have managed to stay alive. But you will also notice that it isn’t just the tail that’s wagging. What you have here is a loose dog. Their bum moves slightly, their whole body seems languid and they are generally relaxed. This is a happy dog.

But a dog is not always happy when they’re wagging their tails. You will have noticed this in friend’s dogs that you greet or in strays. Their tails are wagging, but the rest of their body is not. And the wag seems swift and sudden, like it is running on a upbeat tempo. This is a dog that is overly excited, and that isn’t necessarily because they’re happy to see you. Sometimes it just means they are high-strung. If you don’t know the dog and they seem high-strung when you meet them, it is generally better to wait for them to calm down before interacting with them. In an overly excitable state, anything can get them to snap and they may lash out.

And then, of course, there is the contemplative wag. This is a slow wag, lazy almost, but mostly it is a thoughtful wag. The dog doesn’t quite know what to make of you as yet, and they’re willing to amble over and sniff you a bit more to see if they like what they smell. This doesn’t mean they love you or even that they are friendly towards you. But it doesn’t indicate hostility either. It just means exactly what it means—they are undecided and are doing some thinking. It could also indicate insecurity, so be a bit cautious around the darling.

Tail positions

Tail positions can tell you a lot about what a dog is thinking, and how you should respond to them. But before we dive into the nitty-gritties of what the different tail positions can mean, we want to lead with several disclaimers. First, remember that the tail naturally rests in different positions for different dogs depending on their breed. Some dogs have long, fluffy tails that generally hang loose, while other have short and stiff tails that are more alert. Each of the positions described below will depend on your dog breed and how they use their tail.

Second, remember dogs are individuals. How each dog uses their tail is different—just like people smile for different reasons or have different verbal ticks. The broad strokes of what we have mentioned below apply for all dogs, but your dog may have a unique way to express their emotions and you’ll learn those ways in the more time you spend with them. Our friend has a Labrador, for instance, who wags her whole bum when she’s excited to see you—just an adorable little bum dance. That’s how you know she really cares. So always approach each dog as an individual, and look for ways to understand them in the context of their breed, personality and situation.

And lastly, dog and human communication isn’t an exact science. We’re learning all the time how complex our beloved companions are, and how to interpret and understand what they mean. Always brush up on your knowledge to make sure you stay as current as possible.

Tail position: Stiff and pointed up

If a dog’s tail is stiff and pointed upwards, then this means the dog is unhappy. A stiff tail that is pointed straight up is a sign of anger and aggression, and it means the dog is close to snapping. If this is a dog you don’t know, give them space until they figure out their equation. Don’t interact with them. If it is your dog, then you may need to leash them to stop them reacting to whatever is upsetting them.

Tail position: Up, but not stiff and straight

If your dog’s tail is just generally perky and raised, then this doesn’t mean they are upset or angry. It just means they’re feeling confident—just like a person strutting into a room on a good day. Confident is good, so a perked up tail should make you happy. Remember though that a raised tail can also mean alpha dog behaviours, so your dog may try and dominate over you. If you see a raised tail among a pack of stray dogs, then that just indicates to you who is leading the pack.

Tail position: Stiff and horizontal to the ground

When a dog’s tail is stiff and pointed horizontal to the ground, then the dog is in a curious mood. This isn’t the same as the contemplative wag. In the contemplative wag, the dog doesn’t know what to make of you as yet. They’re up for exploring, but they’re also generally hesitant about what could go down. A dog with a stiff tail that is horizontal to the ground is feeling neutral, and well up for exploring.

A good way to imagine it is this: think of a person coming up to a café counter, shuffling on both feet, hmm-ing and haw-ing, unsure of what they want. That’s a contemplative wag. Compare that to a person who strides up, tries all fifteen of the coffee samples laid out and then makes a decision, boom!, on what they think of the fifteen samples and what they want. That’s a tail pointed horizontal to the ground. In this position, your dog is an explorer and they’re not afraid of anything.

Tail position: Lowered or between the legs

If a dog has their tail between their legs, then they are scared and they are trying to make themselves as small as possible to escape notice. This is especially true if the tail is completely tucked between their legs and is hiding the anus.

If the dog has their tail lowered, then it means they are anxious and nervous, but not entirely fearful. A dog may wag their tail a little in this position. This indicates that they’re trying to appease you and make friends. This is sort of like offering chocolate to the really scary, big guy on the playground when you are not sure if you are going to be friends or enemies.

Research on how dogs use their tails is evolving all the time. New research suggests, for instance, that the side to which the dog wags their tail means different things. A tail wag to the right means they’re happy, while a tail wag to the left means they are frightened. Strange? Not exactly… there is science to back it up. The left side of the brain controls feelings such as serenity and love, and so when the left side of the brain is engaged—i.e. your dog is feeling happy—they wag their tail to the right. The right side of the brain deals with negative emotions such as fear and fleeing, so when the right side of the brain is engaged—i.e. your dog feels they’re in a dangerous situation—they wag their tail to the right.

Understanding how your dog uses their tail and what it can tell you is a crucial aspect of knowing your dog better. But your dog’s body language isn’t just restricted to their tail—it includes their eyes, mouth, and ears. Want to know more? We’ll dig into it in Part III of Animal Behaviour Essentials!