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The Way of the Wag

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The Way of the Wag
Our pets have their own ways of letting us know what they want or
need, like or dislike, through their spoken barks or meows, but mostly
through their body language. And although our pets use their whole
bodies to communicate, their tails are such a visual indicator of what's
going on in their heads, it's worth focusing on.

It's interesting to note that the tail's primary purpose is not to
communicate, but for survival in the wild. For dogs it's used for agility,
to help them change direction quickly when chasing prey. For cats, it's
for balance when walking out on a limb, and more importantly, to help
them flip over in the air to land on their feet if they fall off that limb.

But our domesticated pets use their tails mostly to communicate with
their owners and others of their species.

We all know the happy wagging of the tail. It wags when we come home.
It wags when a treat appears. It wags when the leash comes out and he
knows it's time for a walk. Therefore, we read the wagging tail as
"I'm happy!"

However, a wagging tail actually means "I'm excited!" And although
that usually goes with being happy and friendly, it can also mean
"riled up." So when you, or your children, encounter a strange dog,
a wagging tail alone doesn't necessarily mean it's ok to approach. It
just means he's excited by your presence, and he's not all that afraid
of you.

If he's a stray dog that hasn't been socialized, that excitement could
turn to anti-social behavior, such as an overly rough greeting or even a bite.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - Mar. 24, 2008