Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails?
When I was about 7, I spent some of my birthday money on a dog translator. The $15 gadget, which looked like a Tomiguchi, promised that it would be able to decipher what pups were actually saying when they were barking. Unfortunately, it just repeated a few phrases that flashed on the screen even when a dog wasn’t barking. Obviously, it was a scam to trick dog-loving second graders.
Thankfully, even without a dog translator, our furry friends can still communicate with us through body language. For instance, we can figure out our dog’s emotional state by how they are wagging their tail.
Typically if your dog’s tail is in a “natural position,” they are conveying they are content. Conversely, if your pooch’s tail is pointed downwards or between their legs, they are fearful or apprehensive. According to Live Science, “a tail wagging to the right indicates positive emotions, and a tail-wagging to the left indicates negative emotions.” The publication noted other “dogs understand the asymmetric tail wagging of other dogs,” which is helpful when trying to make friends at the dog park!
Photo by Noémi Macavei-Katócz on Unsplash
If you have young children, we recommend teaching them how to decipher these different types of wags. Not only will it help them understand when they should be interacting with a dog, but it will also help them prevent wasting their money on a dog translator.