Speak Dog: What's in a Wag?

What's your dog thinking? Whether or not our four-legged friends are thinking deep thoughts is anyone's guess. Luckily, reading canine body language is less of a mystery.

Check out your pooch next time you greet each other. Is Fido's tail wagging so widely that it takes his entire backside along with it? A happy tail often lies midway between sky-high and tucked low, swinging or helicopter circling. If pooch becomes tense and alert ["Do I know that dog?"] you're more likely to see a vibrating, upward pointing tail. Bet you already recognize the tightly tucked tail and rounded back of a nervous nelly.

Bottom right: What is the Italian Greyhound's tail saying?

Our own body language is sometimes at odds with doggie etiquette. Humans love to hug and kiss, but this is often overbearing, scary or downright rude in dogspeak. Humans may face one another and make eye contact. Yet, canine culture may understand this a threatening posture, responding with fear, uncertainty or aggression.

If your pet seems tense and alert upon approaching another dog, keep it short or skip it. When you want to call your dog to you, soften your tone, kneel, and angle slightly away from her. This "invitation" is less confrontational and more likely to get the desired response. Now you and your pup are talking the same language, and better communication strengthens the human-dog relationship!