Decodingโ Canine Communication: What Your โขDog’s Tail is Telling You
Tokyo, โฃJapan – โUnderstanding โa dog’s โemotional โฃstate is crucial for responsibleโข pet ownership, andโ a key indicator lies in the often-overlooked movement of their tail. โAccording to veterinarian Dr. Miki Yamaguchi of the โDog Kimochi Veterinaryโข Consultation Room, a dog’s tail serves multiple purposesโค – maintaining balance during activities likeโฃ running and swimming,โข expressing emotion, and โคeven helping to regulate body temperature.
but howโ do you read โthat emotional โsignal? It’sโ more nuanced than simplyโ “wagging means happy.”
Tail Tells: A Guideโฃ to canine Emotions
High Wag with Relaxed Body: A tail lifted and swinging, accompanied byโ a relaxed posture and facial expression,โค generally indicates positive emotions like โjoy or โขexcitement.
Wagging with Stiffness: A tailโฃ wagging whileโฃ the dog’s bodyโข and โขface appear tense suggests nervousness or wariness. Dr. Yamaguchi โcautions this can be a warning – approaching further couldโ provoke a defensive reaction.
Tail Raised (Not Wagging): A raised tail doesn’t โalways mean happiness. It โขcan indicate focus,as when a dog anticipates a thrown ball. Though, if accompanied by a tense body or facial expression, it signals alertness, perhaps inโค response to a frighteningโข or unfamiliar stimulus.
Tail โคTucked: When a dog curls its โคtail inwards,โ between its legs or close to itsโฃ body, it โคtypically signifies fear, discomfort, or pain.
Beyond the โTail:โ Holistic Observation is Key
Dr. Yamaguchi emphasizes that relying solely on tail movements can be misleading. “Dogs express emotion not only in their tails, but alsoโ in โtheirโค facial expressions and body,” she explains. “Instead โขof just focusing on how โฃtheir tails areโข swinging,โ observe their โfacialโ expressions โฃand body as well.” โข
Successfully interpreting aโฃ dog’s feelings requires โconsidering their entire bodyโ language. Missing these cues can lead to miscommunication and potentially stressfulโ interactions.
(Supervised by: Dr.Yamaguchi miki, veterinarian at Dog Kimochi Veterinary Consultation Room)
