# Tail wagging



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Ever wonder why dogs wag their tails. I love watching tails. (talking literally here) . And I really think our bushy haired curly tailed Hav's are a little harder to read than a typical shorthaired dog. I think the Beagle has the best tail ,with it's usually tipped white end. And different breeds carry their tails differently. But just like any calming signal ,tail wagging serves a purpose. We can gather lots from this little appendage. And one must be aware , not all tail wagging means the dog is happy. Lots of people have been bitten by a tail waggin dog. Being different breeds carry their tails differently, it's important to be familiar with this to a degree. 
THe height of the tail generally means the following. A medium height or closer to horizontal tail wag indicates an attentive calm dog. The higher the tail is wagging,ie closer to verticle, it means the dog is becoming more uneasy and possibly threatening/assertive. As the tail moves to a lower position it indicates the dog is more submissive and appeasing. 
The frequency of the tail repetitions is also another barometer on how the dog is feeling. The faster the tail is wagging the higher level of excitement. The applitude ie the distance from it's furthest left to its furthest right positions tells whether the dog is happy or uncertain. The broader the wag, the more happy the dog. The short vibrating type wags the more unpredictable the dog. The combination of a high vibrating type wag, means beware.
A recent study is really interesting and is based on the same principles as the human brain. It's studies show when dogs feel generally positive about something or someone, their tails wag more to the right side of their rear ends, and when they have negative feelings, their tail wagging is biased to the left. How cool is that? Same sort of stuff that show in human brains how certain emotions are controlled by different sides of the brain. 

So watch those tails and let your dogs wag their tails. Let's not let the tail wag the dog. LOL


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

When Emmie wags her tail it just looks like her butt is moving; super cute! But it is hard to tell what it's saying since it's pretty tight to her back and being black, it's hidden a bit in her long fur.


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## Eveningpiper (Sep 23, 2015)

Our Ruby wags her whole body, especially when Daddy comes home.


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

Zoe also wags her whole body when she's happy and excited.


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