Tail wagging what does it mean

A slow wag could mean that a dog is unsure and feeling insecure about a situation. A recent study found that the direction a dog is favoring when wagging his tail may be a mood indicator, as well. A dog wagging his tail more on the right side of his body is probably more relaxed, while a dog wagging his tail on the left side of his body could be more alert, stressed, or anxious, according to the study published in Current Biology in While many of these cues seem fairly simple, recognizing them will help you communicate better with your dog and will help you read the moods of other dogs, as well.

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Research in other species, including humans, has shown that the left hand side of the brain controls positive emotions, and the right hand side controls negative emotions. Bizarrely in all animals, the right hand side of the brain controls the left hand side of the body, and vice versa.

It also acts as a rudder if the dog is swimming in water. A wagging tail is simply a sign of a dog interacting with its environment. Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This enables us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site. Tail wagging reflects a dog's excitement, with more vigorous wagging relating to greater excitement.

In , researchers discovered that the way a dog wags its tail also gives clues about what it's feeling. Specifically, a tail wagging to the right indicates positive emotions, and a tail wagging to the left indicates negative emotions. This phenomenon has to do with the fact that the brain's left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, and vice versa. Discover our range of dog food.

Buy Now. Most people think that dogs only wag their tails when they're happy, but is that the truth? Read our article to find out everything you need to know about your dog's most invaluable communication tool and what all the different dog tail signs mean. Why do dogs wag their tails?

Dog tail signs and positions - what do they mean? Natural position, no wag This position indicates relaxation in your dog. Erect, wagging tail You may think that an erect, wagging tail tells you that your dog is happy, but this is actually a behaviour usually displayed in excited dogs, meaning that their behaviour may be unpredictable. Tail between legs If your dog has their tail between their legs or tucked, this indicates that they may need a little space as they could be feeling nervous or scared.

Big wags.