Humans smile, dogs wag tails. But just like our facial expressions, a wagging tail conveys a wide range of emotions.

Happy Terrier Dog

People usually associate a wagging tail with a happy, friendly dog. However this isn’t always true. While dogs do wag their tails when they’re in a good mood, they also do it when they feel aggressive. To better gauge your dog’s mood, look at other body language such as the position of its tail, ears, hair, eyes and body shape.

Do all dog breeds wag the same?

Because dogs have a wide range of physical traits, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to reading tail wagging. Pugs, for example, have a tail that curves around onto their backs. Greyhounds and whippets on the other hand have low-slung tails.

A rough guide

That said, it’s still possible to get a reasonable read on your dog’s mood by looking at its tail alone, so here’s a quick snapshot:

  • Relaxed: your dog’s tail will be either resting in its normal position, or casually wagging back and forth
  • Happy: the tail will be waving more quickly than usual, possibly in circles. Maybe it knows it’s about to play or receive a tasty treat.
  • Anxious/nervous: your dog likely has its tail curved around its backside, wagging lower than usual. If the tail is tucked up to the belly, your dog is very scared. If this is a common occurrence, consider an Adaptil Collar or Thundershirt to calm your dog
  • Aggressive: something has your dog arced up when its tail goes rigid, straight up, and moves back and forth
  • Aroused: the tail will again be upright, but this time it won’t really be moving at all. If your dog is constantly showing signs of arousal, you may want to consider taking them to your local Greencross Vets for desexing.
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What about my cat?

It’s no secret that cats have little in common with dogs. And when it comes to tail wagging, cats usually do it to indicate agitation rather than joy. When irritated, their tail will be in a low position and flicking side to side. When your cat’s tail is pointed up, and possibly swaying slowly back and forth, that generally means it’s open to interaction.