“I don’t understand” exclaimed my client. “Mitzie’s tail was wagging when my guest came in, but then she bit him when he reached out to pet her!”
“Look!” said the dad to his son. “That dog’s tail is wagging. It means he’s happy to meet you.”
“It was so weird.” admitted the dog owner. “Rambo’s tail was wagging like crazy – at the same time, he was growling!”
In the blog post READ MY EARS, we learned how a dog’s ears can indicate – sometimes perfectly clearly – what he or she is thinking.
And since dogs use body language to communicate with each other, their tails are the exclamation point (or question mark) to the sentences they speak.
There are several kinds of tail motions, not all of which indicate that the dog is thrilled with his current circumstances.
Here is how to interpret what your dog’s (or the dog you have encountered) tail is saying:
1. A stiff tail, held upright, and moving rapidly from side to side = “Back off, mister.”
2. The tail is not moving at all and is held low = “Give me a minute. I’m checking you out.”
3. The tail is tucked under the dog’s body = “You are scaring the heck out of me.”
4. The tail is sweeping languidly in a slow wag = “It’s all good.”
5. Slight wags with the tail at mid-level = “Not sure about this.”
Remember, dogs don’t speak English (or Italian or French or ….).
It helps if their owners learn to speak Dog Tail.
And Dog Ears, too.