Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails?

Dogs wag their tails or you could say that Tail-wagging is one of the ways in which a dog “talks.” You know that a dog is happy when it wags its tail at you.

Dogs also use tail wags to give certain messages to other dogs. An uplifted and slowly wagging tail means, “I’m the boss around here.”

Another kind of wag means, “Okay, you’re the boss.” A tail curled between the legs means, “I give up! Don’t hurt me!”

A dog communicates in still other ways. Jumping up on you with his feet means, “Let’s Play.” A growl warns, “Come any closer, and I might do something we’ll both regret.”

So can dogs control their tails wagging? Dog tail language is complex; just like humans, they also have dialects and speed determines different feelings. The speed of the wag indicates how excited the dog is.

Meanwhile, the breadth of each tail sweep reveals whether the dog’s emotional state is positive or negative.

It also appears that they often start wagging out of instinct, not out of conscious thought. It’s kind of like a human frowning (or resting bitch face) and is an instinctive thing rather than a conscious decision.

So now we know why do dogs wag their tails? Even though we sometimes wish that our dogs could speak to us, dogs are great communicators and their tails play a huge role in letting us know how they’re feeling.

Content for this question contributed by Darold Girard, resident of Elmwood Place, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA