Why do dogs wag their tail?

Dogs usually wag their tails for various reasons. They wag their tails when they are happy, excited and even when they are annoyed and angry. Tails are an important tool of communication for dogs.

Since they cannot verbally express their feelings and emotions they use their tails to communicate different emotions to us. Tails also help your dog balance especially when they walk on narrow surfaces. They also help them make turns while running and help them while swimming.

Usually dogs wag their tail because they like to be petted. But this is not always true. A person can get bitten for patting the dog when their tail wags!

If you are wondering how to interpret your dog’s tail wagging here is what you need to observe:

• If the tail is held in the natural position then your pet is calm and relaxed.
• If the tail is lower from the natural position it means your pet is nervous. If they tuck their tail under their body it means they are scared.
• If your dog’s tail is held higher than its normal position it means they are aroused or excited. Whereas a vertical tail signifies aggression.
• If their tail is held straight it means they are curious.
• Vigorous tail wagging means your dog is excited. Tail wagging in the right side is an indicator of positive emotions. While tail wagging towards the left signifies negative emotions. This is due to the fact that the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body and the right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body. The left hemisphere is associated with positive feelings and the right hemisphere is associated with negative feelings.