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Dog Tail/Dog Communication/Body Language

  • Nancy
  • Jun 30, 2024
  • 3 min read

Relaxed neutral tail
Happy - relaxed neutral tail, soft eyes and mouth


If only they could talk!  Dogs communicate differently than we do.  What is polite for a human is not always polite or comfortable for a dog. This, of course, depends on its personality.  A couple examples:   Humans like direct eye contact, moving straight towards someone, with a strong voice.  Staring at a dog can be threatening to them. The proper way for dogs to greet one another is from behind, yes a butt sniff is appropriate in the dog world. While humans may think this is rude, in the dog world it is not.   Approaching a shy pup head on with an excited voice is scary to a shy, fearful dog.  Many times people mistakenly try to approach scared dogs thinking it is comforting them not realizing it is making the situation worse. 

 

Dogs use their bodies to communicate with humans and other dogs. While people are listeners,  dogs are always watching. That is how they take information in, process and figure out what is going to happen next. There are many ways dogs convey all types of emotions and intentions with the use of various body parts.   Language between dogs will include: tail position and its movement, head, neck, ear and eye position, body posturing, vocal sounds.  A lot to watch for and figure out! Some are obvious while others are tricky and often subtle. Learning to read them can open up a whole new world of understanding between the two of you. In addition it will improve your ability to understand what your dog is feeling towards and communicating to other dogs.  

  

During our training interview/consultation phone call, one of the questions we ask is “Is your dog fearful, anxious, confident, happy around people, dogs, items, situations, sounds, etc.  Many times the answer is different from what the dog is communicating to us upon our arrival.  We always look for what the dog is telling us through their body language and how it may relate to training/behavioral problems the family is experiencing.   


The Tail

In this first part of a multipart blog, we will focus on the dog tail and how it is one part of a dog's body language used to communicate.  Tails can be complicated and a wagging tail does not always mean a dog is happy!

Low dog tail
Stressed - low tail, head/eyes down, slumped body posture
Vertical Dog Tail

Depending on how we interpret a tail depends on the breed and where the tail naturally falls. For example, a husky's or pug’s tail naturally curves up over their back. A beagle, other hounds, and hound mixes tend to naturally hold their tail upright (photo above right).

While a dog’s tail can tell you a lot of what emotions they are feeling, it is just part of your dog’s overall body language and what they are conveying.  So everything must be considered when reading a dog's emotions.

Straight rigid dog tail
Uncertain - straight rigid tail, worried eyes, tight mouth


Tail Positions:

Dog Tail positions

  1. Tucked Tail - indicates fearful, submissive behavior

2. Low tail - stressed, unsure 

3. Neutral relaxed tail - content, happy

4. Straight out and rigid - uncertain, apprehension 

5. Slightly raised, - happy, excited

6. High and rigid - confident, alert something has caught their attention

If the tail becomes curved over the back - a lot of emotion, high arousal, may be aggressive.


Tail Wag Speed:











 
 
 

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