Tail wagging is not always a sign of happiness. Dogs use their tails to express a range of emotions in different ways.

Dogs communicate with their whole body. When they are happy to see their master, their body wiggles, their eyes light up, their ears perk up and they make short, bright noises. But despite the body language, you can tell how a dog is feeling just by looking at its tail.
Every dog has dozens of different ways of wagging. If you know the most common ones, you learn to interpret the dog better and analyse the subtle nuances.

Excited wagging

Probably the best-known sign in dogs is the joyful wagging of the tail. The tail swishes rapidly back and forth and expresses joy and contentment.

Careful waving

A dog that is unsure about a situation moves its tail slowly back and forth, parallel to the ground. The head is usually tilted to one side in order to better grasp the situation. The dog has not yet decided whether it likes the current situation or not.

Watchful waving

The tail is pointed steeply into the air and wags tensely. The rest of the dog's body is also tense, as the dog is in the figure-eight position. It prepares its body to attack should this become necessary.

Dominant wagging

A naturally dominant dog shows that it is in control by raising its tail high in the air and wagging it rapidly back and forth. Among dogs, this is seen either as a sign of submission or as a challenge.

The submissive wagging

The famous tail tuck. The dog literally tucks its tail between its hind legs and moves it as little as possible. This is a clear sign of submission to the dominant counterpart.