Why do dogs wag their tails?

Cornered
abandoned
aloof
I asked the lonely dog
Why does his tail wag?
It wags with hope, he said
of finding love,
a kinder touch
and if I get lucky
maybe
You.

Why do dogs wag their tail?

What is a dog’s tail for?

As Mother Nature envisioned it, the purpose of the dog’s tail is for balance. It prevents the dog from toppling over as he makes sharp turns while running or swimming. The tail also balances him when walking along narrow paths, climbing or leaping. Puppies don’t come right out of their mom’s womb wagging their tails. The majority of them don’t begin wagging until they are about a month and a half old and they do it for communication. Why do dogs wag their tails? Dog tails are more like human faces, showing their emotions through movement and position.

Dogs don’t wag their tails when they are alone (unless something catches their attention).

Here’s what the various tail positions of the dog mean:

• If he’s feeling happy, he may wag it gently from side to side.
• Wagging speed indicates how excited a dog is.  So if you are meeting your pooch after a prolonged absence, you might even see his tail move in a circular pattern.
•  The height at which the tail is held may indicate dominance or submissiveness. The straightness of the tail indicates alertness/aggressiveness while a curved tail can indicate more relaxation.
• When the tail is in a relaxed position and neither too high nor too low, tail wagging indicates happiness or excitement for a positive reason.

Alrighty then, Now that you know the language of the tail,  graduate to the body language of the dogs.

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