Content
- The dog's tail, the most expressive part of your body
- Does the dog wag its tail left or right?
- Why does it happen?
- wag their tails to express happiness
- when they want to play
- To show your authority
- Wags its tail to communicate with other dogs
- When you feel calm and relaxed
- is sad and afraid
"Dogs wag their tails when they're happy and keep it down when they're sad," how many times have you been told this when you asked why dogs wag their tails? Without a doubt, this is one of the most widespread beliefs about canine behavior worldwide. However, the reasons that make our furry friends shake, lift or hide their tails go far beyond that.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we show you in detail the reasons that lead puppies to wag their tails so that you can learn to interpret each of their movements. Keep reading and find out because dogs wag their tails.
The dog's tail, the most expressive part of your body
Along with the ears, the dog uses the tail to express all your emotions, feelings and moods, so understanding each of their movements can help us to interpret what our friend is trying to tell us. In addition, some movements it makes with its tail are directly related to the socialization process, therefore, amputating it will not only represent a cruel act towards the animal, but will also prevent it from relating to other dogs, pets. pet and people correctly.
On the other hand, the animal's tail is nothing more than the continuation of the spine. Thus, the dog's tail (tail) is formed by caudal or coccygeal vertebrae, which can have between 20 and 23. Regardless of the way the dog has the tail (straight, curved or curled), because it is the end of the spine helps you maintain balance, which is another important reason to avoid amputation.
Does the dog wag its tail left or right?
A study carried out by a team of scientists at the University of Trento says that depending on the direction in which the dog wags its tail, they express one or another emotion. According to his research published in 2013, this is what dogs express:
- when the dog wags the tail to the right you are receiving a positive stimulus and therefore the emotions you feel are positive.
- when the dog wags the tail to the left the emotions felt are totally contrary and, therefore, it is faced with negative stimuli.
Why does it happen?
The scientists who carried out the study claim that the brain of dogs follows the same organization as ours, so they have a right and left hemisphere, with different functions. In addition, the right hemisphere of dogs is also responsible for the movements it performs on the left side of your body, and the left on the right. This way, when the left part of the brain receives a positive stimulus, it issues the order and causes the dog's tail to move to the right. The same happens when the stimulus is negative, the right hemisphere causes the tail to move to the left.
wag their tails to express happiness
The previous study helps us to know if our dog wants to express negative or positive emotions, but not what kind of emotions exactly, so it is essential to keep asking the different reasons that can lead the dog to wag its tail, as well as to notice others signals from your body. So when our dog wags his tail from side to side energeticallyand on top of that, he jumps, barks, or tries to swing over us, he's telling us he's happy, happy, and excited. This attitude is seen, above all, when we return home after a few hours, when we get ready to take a walk with him or when we go to offer him food.
when they want to play
when the dogs wag their tails in circles and, furthermore, they play or move their front paws from side to side, this indicates to us that they want to play with us. If it's the right time, don't hesitate and start your favorite game. You can play with dog toys, teach him to fetch a cake or run together in an open space. Remember that dedicating a period of time each day to play with your four-legged friend is essential to keep him active and also to strengthen your bond.
To show your authority
if your dog keep your tail up, fully raised, and the ears straight up, is adopting an authoritarian attitude to show another dog, person or animal that he is the boss. some dogs have a more submissive character and others a more dominant one. If our dog belongs to the second group, it will be essential that he continues to work on his socialization to prevent him from becoming aggressive.
Wags its tail to communicate with other dogs
On both sides of the anus, dogs have the so-called anal glands. In them, a lubricating substance is generated, which they use to defecate without difficulty. However, this is not the only function they have, as the anal glands provide each dog with a unique scent. By waving the tail, the dog that does so gives off the said aroma to identify and capture the attention of dogs around him. Ever wondered why dogs sniff each other? Here's the answer!
In addition to allowing dogs to communicate with each other, dogs wag their tails to give off its particular aroma for reproductive purposes. Thus, when females are in heat, it is not surprising that they chase the males with their tails fully raised and making effusive movements from one side to the other. If you want to avoid a possible pregnancy, keep in mind that sterilization is the best solution.
When you feel calm and relaxed
When a dog is calm, relaxed and at ease, he tends to leave his tail down but away from paws. It may add some other slow movement from side to side, but never quickly or effusively. In this way, we see that when dogs keep their tails down they do not necessarily indicate fear or represent a response to a negative stimulus.If you want to know the calmest dog breeds, don't miss this article!
is sad and afraid
If the dog has the tail between paws and ears back, is showing us that you are afraid, sad or scared. Especially when this last state occurs, the dog also has ruffled fur and trembles. For these cases, it will be essential to pay attention to the possible causes that may be causing sadness or fear in our partner. For more information, see our article where we explain what to do when your puppy is sad.