Deb D’Andrea, Nederland.  You arrive home, your dog is thrilled to see you, greeting you with excitement, vocalizations and huge tail wags. My girls are filled with joy; Tiki and Sally furiously wagging their tails; Bear shaking her entire butt, as she has no tail. All clearly communicating to us, and friends, how they feel.

Tails communicate several emotions, from excitement to anticipation to being confident, fearful or aggressive. An excited dog wags fast; a confident or alert dog will hold their tail upright and wag slowly; an aggressive dog’s tail is usually erect and motionless; and a submissive dog has their tail tucked between their hind legs. If you observe dogs in various situations, it’s fascinating to see how well they communicate with just a wag.

When dogs greet, I watch whose tail does what. A dominant dog will hold their tail high, just slightly wagging; while a lower ranking dog will greet with their tail between their legs, wagging slightly. Dogs with no tails learn to communicate using more body language; like Bear who will wiggle her entire butt to show how happy she is. Then the greeting dance begins, each dog giving the other an official sniff.

Italian researchers tested tail wags of 30 dogs ranging from one to six years of age, 15 females and 15 males. Researchers discovered that a dog will wag more to the right when they are happy or see something they desire approaching; and more to the left when they are scared or want to run away.

Interestingly, the human brain is wired very similar. Our left hemisphere is associated with positive events, and the right side associated with negative or retreat, suggesting an ancient association of right and left brain asymmetry.

Aside from communication, tails also help provide balance when running, walking or turning sharply.

Granted, some dogs such as Bear, have no tail and do just fine as they learn to adjust to their individual situations. If you have the opportunity to watch a bunch of dogs together, sit back and take note of the various tail communications; it’s pretty interesting to see just how much you can read from their tail wag language.

Till next time. Deb D’Andrea, founder of 4TheLuvOfDogz & the Caribou Dog Ranch, recognized by the State of Colorado as a Certified Canine Massage Therapist, will visit your home or Vet’s office to work with your dog. Canine Agility may be offered at the Caribou Dog Ranch in 2018 if there is interest. Deb currently has limited availability for new Pet Nanny Clients; and bakes up fresh dog treats & doggy birthday cakes per order. For information contact Deb at 720-675-7078 or email: info@4theluvofdogz.com.