A dog wagging their tail means they’re happy right?
Well not always.. it depends on context and the position of the wag and speed. Some breeds of dogs obviously don’t wag their tails as they are too short – pug’s and British bulldog’s for example so that makes it harder for them to communicate through their tail.
Body language
Fur can also play a part in making body language harder to detect as we can’t see fur being raised on a dog’s back if they’re uncomfortable if they are particularly fluffy. Also the Rhodesian Ridgeback looks like they have constantly raised hackles – but this isn’t always the case it’s because of artificial selection by humans.
Sniffing
Dog’s can gain vital information about each other from sniffing another dog – that’s why dogs sniff each others backside on walks.
Tail’s tell a tale
When a dogs tail is tucked under their body they are hiding vital information about them self and suggests they are feeling insecure about a situation. As a human one way we may do this is folding our arms to hide any gestures given from our hands.
A low wag that covers the anal area can suggest that a dog is feeling insecure and/or defensive with the tail being clamped close to the body. A stiff tail can be in response to a threat.
A windmill/ helicopter tail – one that goes round and round can indicate true sociability as can a wag where the dog’s hips are moving from side to side.
