The Dog was Wagging his Tail, so I Assumed he was Friendly. Then he Snapped at me!
Did you ever have this experience? You saw a dog that was wagging his tail, so assuming that dog was happy and friendly, you went up to him to pet him, only to have the dog back up and bark at you, perhaps snap at you, or - worst of all - bite you!
If that ever happened to you, you were probably surprised or even shocked, perhaps frightened, and if the dog bit you, in addition to the physical pain of the bite (dog bites hurt!) your feelings may have been hurt as well.
I can’t count how many times people have told me that they thought a wagging tail always means that a dog is friendly. The one constant is that a wagging tail expresses arousal, and the faster and harder the tail is wagging, the higher the level of arousal.
But a wagging tail doesn’t necessarily mean that a dog is friendly and wants to meet you; sometimes that wagging tail can mean just the opposite. Dogs communicate in a variety of ways, using their bodies to convey physical signals, and the tail is one of the primary methods for dogs to express their feelings. Knowing the meaning of different types of tail wags can give you valuable information about how the dog is feeling. Here are some common types of tail wagging and what they mean.
The photo on the right was described by Shutterstock as a “dog playing”. But this dog is actually showing signs of nervousness. He’s licking his lip and nose, often an indication of tension; he’s raising one front paw, which is a gesture of appeasement; and he’s crouching a little, making his body lower. His tail is stiff, and he generally looks tense and a bit scared.
A slowly wagging tail is likely to indicate calm friendliness and relaxation, especially if the tail is held low. If the dog is tense or nervous or fearful, his tail may be tucked tightly between his legs back legs. Of course, when that happens, the dog isn’t wagging his tail at all, but the dog’s body language still gives us valuable information about the dog’s state of mind.
The higher the tail is held, the more aroused the dog; a tail held very high, above the line of the dog’s back, is likely to indicate strong curiosity, or perhaps unfriendly intent. Of course, if the dog in question is one that normally carries his tail high, then the position of the tail may not mean he’s unfriendly; some dogs such as terriers, huskies and other Northern breeds tend to carry their tails high. If the high carriage of the tail is natural for the dog, that tail position doesn’t necessarily mean that the dog is feeling tense or negative.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEANING OF WAGGING TAILS
Scientists have recently discovered more interesting information about the way dogs use their tails to express their feelings. They have found that when dogs are feeling friendly and happy, they tend to wag their tails to the right of their bodies; when they feel tense, perhaps about an unfriendly dog approaching them, they tend to wag their tails to the left of their bodies.
Note that wagging to the right means that the tail is wagging to the dog’s right, so that if you’re observing the dog from behind, you’ll see that tail moving to the right, but if you’re in front of the dog, the tail will appear to be moving to the left of the dog.
An article in Psychology Today, written by Dr. Stanley Coren, explains more details about wagging tails and what they mean and how this new information was found.
What a Wagging Dog Tail Really Means: New Scientific Data
WHAT IF YOUR DOG DOESN’T HAVE A TAIL?
If a dog doesn’t have a tail, either because it’s been docked (cut off) or because it’s naturally short, there are still lots of ways to get information about how the dog is feeling; even though the dog’s tail can tell us a lot, it’s also important to look at the dog’s whole body. When the dog’s body is loose and he moves around easily, without tension, it’s a good indication that the dog is relaxed and comfortable.
On the other hand, when a dog is nervous or tense, his body looks stiff, his ears are pulled back tightly, he may appear to be standing on his tiptoes, and the fur on his back may be standing up. His mouth may be tightly closed, and you may see wrinkles on his forehead because his facial muscles are so tight.
One can learn a lot by observing dogs in public, watching to see if they look calm and relaxed, and then taking note of the position of the dog’s tail. Is the dog’s tail low, is it moving from side to side, slowly, in a relaxed way? Or is the dog’s tail held stiffly at the level of his back or higher? If so, that dog may be nervous and tense. Check to see if the dog’s body and tail both seem to be saying the same thing.
HOW TO MEET AND GREET UNFAMILIAR DOGS
Whatever you’re picking up from a dog’s body language, no matter how friendly the dog appears, it’s always best to let him approach you rather than moving toward the dog, especially if you and the dog are unfamiliar with each other. Dogs that want to meet people are usually happy to approach, if the dog doesn’t move toward you, it may mean he’s not interested in a close meeting.
Many people have been taught that the correct way to greet a new dog is to extend a hand toward the dog so he can sniff the person’s hand. Doing this isn’t really a good idea: dogs often feel threatened by a hand moving toward their face, just as we would if a strange person came up to us on the street and moved his hand toward our face. Dogs’ sense of smell is so strong that the dog has probably already picked up the scent of the new person; moving your hand toward his face will not make the dog any more interested in meeting you, and might work the opposite way.
Taking care not to move toward a dog’s face is especially important for children. And of course a baby should never be purposely moved toward a dog.
Once I was walking several dogs on a nature trail, and a young woman carrying a small baby approached us. We began chatting, and then suddenly, without any warning, the woman took the baby in both her hands and quickly moved it close to the face of one of the dogs.
I gasped in shock and said, “Don’t do that! It could be dangerous!”. The woman looked up at me and asked, “Why? Because of poison oak?”
This woman had no idea that there was anything risky about suddenly pushing her baby toward the dog’s face.
Luckily, the dog in question was very mellow and didn’t react to the sudden approach of the baby. But many dogs would have been startled (as I was) and might have reacted with a defensive snap or bite. I hope that anyone reading this article knows better than to push a baby (or anything else) toward a dog’s face.
TAKE SPECIAL CARE WITH DOGS AND CHILDREN OR BABIES
It’s important for children to know that if a dog doesn’t approach them, they should honor the dog’s need for space and refrain from approaching the dog. If the dog’s person is close by, children can ask if it’s okay to meet the dog and pet him, and how the adult would like the child to do that.
Children should be taught to avoid petting dogs on the head or face, which are sensitive areas, and to avoid putting pressure on the dog’s back; this can be a negative kind of touch for some dogs. A better way to pet dogs is on the dog’s side or chest; most dogs love that kind of touch
If you have a baby or toddler, it’s best not to encourage close interaction with dogs, especially if you don’t know the dog in question. Many dogs haven’t had experience with babies and don’t know how to react. Babies and toddlers can make sudden, unexpected moves or sounds which might be startling to a dog. Don’t ever let a toddler run toward a dog - that could be perceived as a real threat to the dog.
Next week’s article will be about dog parks, whether they’re a good idea at all, and if you’re going to go to a dog park, what about your baby or toddler?
How do you think your dog would react to a baby or toddler he doesn’t know? To find out more about how your dog is likely to react, download one of our free Checklists. Just go to www.yourdogandbaby.com (the Home Page on this website) and get one of our FREE GUIDES. You’ll learn a lot about your own dog!