A wagging tail is NOT always a happy dog !!!! Do YOU know the difference?

A wagging tail does NOT, only mean a “happy dog”.. these are observations from working with over 10,000+ dogs.

This is one of the biggest myths in the animal world, possibly leading to potential injury or even worse for small children via misunderstanding of the ACTUAL body language / message that our K-9 companions are saying. 

ALL dogs also wag their tail when they are aggressive, assertive and focused on unknown objects. This movement often observed with a stiff tail from side to side with a rapid motion, or very very slowly. Like a metronome.. 

Tail being held in a high stationary position, is an “alert” signal to STOP. This is a sign / K-9 message that needs to be noticed. Previously finding a good way to explain it to young children via school talks with short saying’s; “A tail waving in the air, means BEWARE”.. “If a tail has stopped moving, we ALL STOP moving”.. then practiced with the kids standing still, with their hands by their sides, head held high - looking AWAY from the dog. Until the dog changed its tail or moves away. If kids don’t go towards dogs, into their space or near toys / food most of the time no incident. To interact safely with kids and dogs we ALWAYS ask the animals to come towards us, giving them the option to move or avoid our advances. 

A “happy dog” has a free flowing tail movement (like waving a flag in the air) in-conjunction with other positive body language. Sometimes this positive body language is called Calming or Stress Signals. All able to be viewed extensively on the internet e.g. tongue licks, up to 50 different types of licks showing what they are really trying to say. Various ear positions “talking” to us along with their eyes, body position and paw actions. (Good books to read: Calming Signals, The Dog Listener, It’s Me or the Dog)

Stretching is a greeting, the bigger the stretch the bigger the hello. Also used to indicate a desire to interact in something positive very soon. 

A tail moving in a circular motion (often only a few seconds upon seeing someone they like being somewhere they know or about to do something that they love) is indicating an expectation of a positive event. 

Yawning in dogs is a Calming Signal / Stress reduction technique and occasionally used with a high pitch noise as a bit of a control attempt. By control attempt, meaning that they are trying to get something desired. Wanting to go for a walk, their favourite toy etc.

Similar to when dogs paw at us, or offer their paw in the air in our direction. This is mostly a sign of wanting something, wanting to be friends, wanting to be patted or a submissive gesture showing us that they feel scared and want to be somewhere else but no further option.

Avoidance is often shown by the animal turning their head away, moving their eye contact to anywhere else but towards you and leaning the body away from people. 

As a rule most dogs don’t actually like to be hugged... it is different if you ask the animal to come over and be hugged as a practiced / learning a trick, being where they lean against you and know what is going on. Generally pressure across the back of the neck, in dogs will induce avoidance. They still “love us and want to be affectionate (actually releasing chemicals within BOTH the animal and human bodies upon physical touch and time spent together. Some scientists calling this hormone release apart of “the chemical formula for love”) thru contact in almost any other place on their body. Touching feet / paws of dogs can sometimes be an issue and if avoidance behaviour present then some desensitisation alongside positive associations can assist with the touching of the area. 

As we all know the spot just above the tail on their back being “gold” for most dogs. The side of the face / cheek with side of neck being one of the best places for us to touch our furry friends.

“Shaking off” is when they are over the last thing that happened and ready to move on. Positive or negative. One important thing to remember when reading any from of Body Language is the X factor... eg. if a dog is “shaking off” and they have just been in water then this obviously is for drying off not relaxing. Stress can be from both a positive and negative influence e.g. if we are at a sporting event, concert or happy family gathering this is a “stress” on the body being outside of the normal (homeostatic) levels. 

By us looking at the whole K-9 Behaviour and reason for the specific Body Language, asking ourselves why did this occur will create happy canines and understanding by their human companions. 

Lastly offering quick fix for an everyday K-9 problem. JUMPING UP, easy fixed.. attach a lead / bit of rope about 2m long when first getting home or someone arrives at your place. Do this before any other interaction with the dog. 

Now a bit of a preamble here, dogs don’t use treats (pretty hard to attach bum bag with no thumbs, lol.. treats do have a place in training just not for us in general rehabilitation or behaviour adjustments) or pats for understanding / control of other animals. They use eye contact, body position and we should use the same as much as practicability possible. Therefore meaning when they jump up, WHEN..we look at them in the eyes and say get down, NO or otherwise. (Often frustrated and verbalising this thru tone..) They are actually being rewarded in some way for doing the act of jumping up simply thru looking at them. 

Let’s make this easy for all. DON’T hang onto the lead / rope with your hand, letting it drag behind. When the dog comes near us we step with ONE FOOT on the lead near the point where it touches the ground. DON’T get into a position where you are pulling the dogs head down towards the ground by the pressure of your foot on the lead or having it tight as it stands still. Have the rope so the animal can stand with their head held up but not quite able to lift their paws off the ground (I tie a knot in the rope where the correct height is to use as a marker for future greetings) more than about 5cm. Adjust your foot on the lead to get the right position, then lift your head and eyes up.. anywhere else, don’t peak at them or what they are doing directly as they are masters of eye contact, just wait... Waiting until the animal stops trying to jump up, waiting for all four paws to be on the ground for more than 20seconds or when they sit down, when they start to sniffing the ground for 20seconds, or the animal lays down near your feet.. As soon as they do what you want, ANY of previously mentioned things, will do. 

Then should look at the dog for 2-3 seconds say their name, with a positive word. I use good dog, good down as I am looking at them. Look away, then continue walking in / doing what you were doing. When they approach again, step on the lead, lift your head start again. When the dog does what we want e.g. sitting down, it is VERY important that we look at them and say good dog / good down etc.. during this waiting time you are able to talk to others, have a drink or read emails etc. As this is happening the dog may get confused and become more “naughty” initially, ignore and wait for what you want them to do. The first few times may take 5+mins as a totally new thing for your furry friends to do when meeting you or other people. However this will quickly become a ritual for greeting / meeting and being near people. Dogs talk with their eyes, tail, tongue, paws, ears and actions. They read everything our bodies are saying, including emotions. The tone of the things we say to animals (and people) relays a plethora of information about the subconscious meaning of the words / things we are thinking of as we verbalise. Communication is a two way street and when we pay more attentionof the language that exists, the understanding grows.