There are a variety of things that are somewhat intuitive to us and our best friends. A tucked tail and lowered posture usually means our dogs are uncomfortable or fearful of something in the current situation, a bounce in their step comes from joy perhaps from getting a walk. But there are some other subtle signs that I wanted to point out so you can recognize in particular if your dog is uncomfortable. This will not only help you recognize his distress but also to set him up for success.

The ‘wagging tail’ is probably the most misinterpreted bit of body language for most dog owners. Many times a wagging tail can be a sign of fear or anxiety rather than the happy dog. But how do you know? Take note of the natural gait of your dog’s tail in it’s most relaxed state. This will vary based on breed... Huskies will have a high curled tail whereas German Shepherds or Labs will have much lower position as a whole. What does your dog’s tail look like when you first come home from work or ask if he wants to go for a walk? Normally you’ll get a bit of a whole body wag or at least a hip wiggle, it will have a wide, steady swooshing motion and his whole body will be loose and relaxed. What does a ‘stressed’ tail look like? There can be a lot of forms of this. Dogs that are highly aroused can bring their tail up high over their backs (this is a term called flagging) and the tail end could almost twitch, I’ve seen dogs whose tail is spinning frantically in big circles, tails that appear to be wagging about 2/3 of the way up but as you get closer to the hind end, you see that there is actually no movement at the base or in the hips of the dog. And of course, the tucked tail that may be also wagging from the tip but it is clear the dog is fearful. Unfortunately, I get a lot of calls where the care giver tells me that they have a hard time understanding why their dog did what they did because they assumed it was ok since the dog’s tail was wagging. If you see one of these other ‘versions’ of tail wagging, give your dog more space, give them something else to focus on simply remove them from the situation completely. 

What about those dogs with short tails you ask? You can still see either stiffness or that loose wiggly butt on them as well!

I truly believe there is never a situation where the dog ‘gave no warning’. The more we can ‘read’ what our dogs are trying to tell us, the more we understand them and their behaviour. When we know better, we do better. Your dog will thank you for it!