Ask Harvey

Dear Harvey,
What does it mean when my dog wags his tail?
Sometimes he wags so hard it hurts when he hits me!

From,
Joey, age 8

Dear Joey,
Us dogs talk to each other in lots of different ways.  People think we talk by barking and sometimes we do, but dogs also use our tails to tell each other things. We also talk to each other with our ears, our eyes and our fur!  This is called body language. 

You asked about wagging tails… well that happens when we are happy and excited.  We are telling everyone around us that we like what is going on.  So if your dog wags his tail hard when you’re around it probably means he likes you a lot!

Fur your information…
Dog language:
•    Tail up: alert, confident, dominant
•    Tail wagging: dog’s energy level is elevated (excited or agitated)
•    Tail held low or tucked: fearful, submissive
•    Tail held horizontal and wagging slowly: caution
•    Tail held relaxed and stationary: contented dog
•    Facial Expressions - Soft eyes, ears forward or flopped, mouth open (lips slightly back giving the impression of smiling), tongue hanging limply from the side of the mouth:  happy or relaxed.
•    Head down (“hang dog”): submission or depression
•    Head in normal mid-way position: everything is all right
•    Raised fur and tensing of muscles: threat may fight
•    Play bow – head low, rump elevated:  invitation to play
•    Rolling over: submission
•    Backing up: unsure or fearful

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