Do Dogs Wag Their Tails When Happy? What Does This Behavior Really Mean?

For fur parents, being greeted by their dogs with wagging tails could be extremely heartwarming. But what exactly does this tail-wagging behavior mean?

Why Dogs Wag Their Tails

The frequently observed dog behavior has been observed in homes all over the world. Generally, people believe that the behavior implies happiness for the canine. However, the explanation for tail-wagging could be more complicated than happy emotions.

A recently published study outlines a few explanations for this endearing behavior. Researchers of the study hope that other specialists will put these hypotheses to the test to learn more about the endearing behavior of these canines.

One possible theory is the domestication syndrome hypothesis. This notion links the behavior with how humans have domesticated dogs over time. This domestication started as early as 35,000 years ago.

It is possible that the behavior was one that humans selected unintentionally, as it was associated with other preferable characteristics, such as friendliness to people and tameness. The endearing tail-wagging behavior could have been a byproduct of other characteristics that were specifically targeted.

Another notion is the domesticated rhythmic wagging hypothesis, which suggests that humans chose the tail-wagging behavior in domestication. This choice could have been made consciously or unconsciously. This is possibly due to how humans are drawn to stimuli that are rhythmic.

However, these explanations remain theories. They have also garnered disagreement in the scientific community. Animal cognition researcher Holly Root-Gutteridge from the University of Lincoln explains that, while the rhythm hypothesis is interesting, she is quite skeptical about the extent of humans' response to the rhythmic beats of tail-wagging.

The study offers more insight into the wider understanding of what scientists do and do not know about behavior. As part of the study, the researchers examined over 100 studies about the unique behavior. They then summarized what they discovered.

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Endearing Tail-Wagging Behavior

For one, previous studies have shown that dogs mainly wag their tails as a form of communication. This contrasts with how other animals put their tails to use.

Dogs also appear to engage in tail-wagging in order to convey various messages. For instance, scientists think that wagging towards the right could indicate curiosity and the desire to approach, while wagging towards the left could be associated with uncertainty. Low tail wagging could also be associated with submission and insecurity.

Taylor Hersh, a co-author of the study and a bioacoustician from Oregon State University, explains that what could be the coolest thing is that dogs could perceive such asymmetries in fellow canines.

The authors also point out some gaps in science. In fact, they were able to note a big gap, pertaining to the conscious control of dogs over tail-wagging and the extent of this behavior being unconscious. Previous studies also show that dogs have a tendency to wag more compared to their other canine relatives, which is something that still baffles scientists.

With this, the researchers suggest that tail-wagging be studied more systematically, such as through video analysis. They also suggest that dogs be exposed to different stimuli and that different measurements be taken to examine the emergency of any possible patterns in hormone levels or heart rates while tail-wagging. They also propose the use of neuroimaging techniques in more studies in order to examine the brains of the animals as they engage in this behavior.