The Dog's Tail

The movement of the dogs' tail as expressions of the different stages and circumstances in which it find's itself in.Even the worst sinologist can tell if a dog is friendly when it wags it's tail. But again the act of wagging it's tail can be a way of expressing many different moods. It does it in a way of relating to men as well as to it's own pack.

• Fast and energetic movements: means it's in a good mood.
• Slow and short movements( and sometimes it's tail hitting the ground when it's tired): indicates to it's owner that it is pleased.
• Tail lifted upward, moving from side to side, as if it were a windshield wiper: means the dog is uncertain, it's a changeable movement in which the dog is deciding if it should be a warm greeting or a rejection.
• Tail between it's legs: means it's shy, insecure and/or scared.
• Tail in a horizontal position: expresses an immense feeling of satisfaction.

Comprehension: a dog may whine before it's expecting a reward, bark when it's scared, groan when it's bored and howl before sleeping. So it's important that you learn the phonic language, as well as the corporal one. For example, a Teckel will wag it's tail with joy, curve it's body, jumps up and down, howl and bark, to the point of sounding shrill, when it's owner has arrived home. It is offering a special greeting and it requires an adequate response. When it expresses a series of monotonous sounds, it'll glance at it's owner and wag it's tail, this means it is time for a walk. A high and sustained "woof-woof-woof" means that it's hungry and wants to eat. A low growling with it's hair standing up, means there is someone at the door and the doorbell is going to ring. The owners reaction is very important, if you're a good owner you'll know what the dog's trying to say and you'll act accordingly, and will mix listening and reacting in the right amounts. The better you understand it's barking, the more they're accepted, the more use the dog will make of them.

Hunting dogs resort directly to barking to transmit information it obtains with the better use of it's senses to the hunter:

• it lets out tracking sounds when it barks, following a trail;
• lets out sight sound when it has sighted the prey;
• lets out position sounds when it finds the wounded prey;
• it let's out death barks when the prey is dead.

The Man-Dog Language