Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails?
12th Feb 2025
Over here at TreatWag, we brag a lot about making tails wag. Last week we were at a puppy parade sampling our Lucy Pet treats and giving out a few premium natural dog chews and we aren't kidding. Tails were wagging! Happy wags communicating eagerness, want and sweet satisfaction.
Tail wagging is all about communication, indicating a dog's emotions from happiness or excitement to anxiety or aggression.
Spending time with dogs and watching them interact with other dogs will quickly teach you what they are trying to say, but following is a cheat sheet of what a wag might mean. Don't limit yourself to just wags; to get a full understanding of mood and intent, consider other body language and vocal signals too, such as raised hair, bounding energy or overall stiffness, a lowered head, or even a menacing growl or playful bark.
Decoding Tail Wags
- Speed - Fast = excited. Slow = relaxed or uncertain.
- Height and Position - A lowered tail tucked between legs indicates fear, anxiety and submission. A high tail held straight out means confidence or dominance. A super upright tail means he's paying attention to something interesting, such as the neighbor's cat or a pesky squirrel. Quick, side-to-side wagging at a neutral height probably means a dog is excited for a treat or to fetch his ball.
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Direction - A recent study published in "Current Biology" found that the direction a dog favors while wagging also indicates mood. Wags on the right side of their body are typically indicative a dog is relaxed, the study claims. A dog wagging his tail on the left side of his body is usually more alert, stressed or anxious.
A happy or aggressive wag is pretty easy to decipher, but other intentions might be less obvious. In the end, your relationship with your favorite pup will benefit from paying attention to tail-wagging cues.