The direction your dog wags his tail can tell you about his emotional state. A tail that wags more to the right indicates relaxation and wags more to the left during fear and uncertainty. And contrary to popular belief, wagging tails do not always mean a happy dog.
Dog communication is so complex, and wagging direction is worth taking note. Interestingly, there is a scientific reason for this; the left side of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body and vice versa. The left brain is engaged when the tail wags to the right, and the right brain controls the tail wags to the left. Since the left side of the brain controls positive feelings like love and friendship, a happy dog wags his tail to the right. Conversely, the right brain is associated with negative emotions like fear and depression, so a frightened dog wags his tail to the left.
Learning to read tail wags can make socializing your dog easier by understanding their emotions in social situations. At dogbehavioristut.com, we teach you to read your dog’s feelings during training, on walks, or at the dog park. Call for a free consultation (970-481-9981) SLC.
