Why is my dog walking with his tail down?

The phrase “tail between your legs” is shorthand for being sorry and contrite in the human world. When our dogs literally do this action, we can figure out he’s communicating with us on some level. But does it have the same meaning as our own colloquialism?

Different Heights – or Lows – Mean Different Things

Like a lot of dog behaviors, a downward tail position is not marked by one universal definition. In fact, the message that your dog may be telling you can be quite subtle. So much so, it may take some scrutiny to pinpoint precisely what is happening.

Not surprisingly, a downward tail could be an indicator of submission. But it can also be symbolic of a dog feeling afraid or anxious. The tail’s position will indicate his emotional level; the tighter it’s tucked toward his body, the more submissive, fearful, or anxious the dog is feeling.

At the same time, a low hanging dog tail could mean pretty much the exact opposite. Specifically, it could be an indication that your pooch is feeling relaxed and comfortable. This happens because the dog is essentially allowing the tail to follow its natural curve.

There May be a Medical Reason Behind the Tail’s Position

If your normally bouncy, energetic dog persists to have long intervals where his usually straight or upward-pointing tail is down, he could be suffering from a condition called limber tail. Also known by names such as cold water tail, broken wag, or limpy tail, the condition could be brought on by excessive exercise, too much time in a crate, or even a change in a climate. While it may cause your pooch some discomfort, it isn’t that difficult of a condition to treat – provided that you get your friendly neighborhood vet involved in the healing process.

Other Possible Medically-Based Reasons for a Down Tail

While limber tail is not too disconcerting, there are a few other tail-specific injuries that your pooch can pick up that do demand greater scrutiny and care. A tail that is consistently down may indicate that your pooch is in a substantial amount of pain. Some of this discomfort could stem directly from the tail although it can also be linked to pain incurred from the base of your dog’s spine or his hindquarters.

Certain kind of tail injuries, such as a cut or a bite, could look a bit worse than they actually are. This is because there is a large quantity of blood that flows though the tail. If the tail’s skin is broken, the resultant bleeding could be prolonged and may take longer to heal compared to other parts of the body.

Sometimes, the tail injury could be self-inflicted. A nervous dog may chomp on the end of their tail to calm themselves down. A tendency to bite their tail could also be indicative of a flea problem.

While these particular conditions are relatively mild, injuries coming from the base of the tail are not. In these cases, a downward pointing tail could indicate an injury to the muscles that help him pee and poop. This type of injury could coincide with other medical conditions that should be treated, such as constipation or incontinence.

On most breeds, a lack of tail movement can lead you to conclude this particular injury may be afoot. If your dog has swollen hindquarters and does not lift his tail in preparation for evacuating his bowels, there is a great chance that there is something foul happening with his bowel and bladder muscles. If you observe either symptom, schedule an appointment with your vet post haste.

Learn the Language of Dog Through Your Pooch’s Tail

The movements of your dog’s tail are not arbitrary, and knowing how to interpret how it moves, bends, shakes, and wags is an excellent way to further the bond between you and your dog. In this case, knowing precisely why your dog’s tail is pointed down will enable you to give him comfort or give him sufficient aid in a manner in which craves or needs. This will ultimately allow your pooch to deepen his trust in you; an action that could make the bond between you and him as strong as possible.

Dogs do a lot of communication through body language. One of the ways that they express themselves and what they’re feeling or thinking is through their tails. They can convey all kinds of emotions with just one wag – or a lack thereof. And below are the different signs and what they mean:

Perked Up

When a dog is feeling perky, his tail is probably feeling it too. And you’ll see it in their tail by a confident stance in their tail. While it’s great for your dog to feel confident, they may be crossing into alpha dog territory and you should watch out for dominant behaviors like intimidation.

Straight Out

If your dog’s tail is sticking straight out behind them then this means they’re feeling a little apprehensive about something. You dog may take this stance when they aren’t sure about someone new, or if they hear a strange noise that they’re unfamiliar with. Whenever you see your dog assume this position, just give them a little space to figure things out. But if you are outside with your dog and their tail begins to do this, grab onto their leash in case they bolt or have a negative reaction.

Soft Wag

When a dog’s tail wags slightly it could mean several things. The first could mean that they’re hesitantly giving their approval about something or someone new. Or if they’re meeting a new dog then it could mean that they’re not sure whether they should assume the beta or alpha role. If this is the case, then remove them from the situation until they fully start to wag their tail.

Active Wag

This one is the most obvious one. An actively wagging tail is a clear sign that your dog is happy. And more accurately, they’re happy to see you. And that is always a nice feeling to know that your dog wants you around.

Pointing Straight Up

When your dog’s tail goes up like this, they’re usually trying to convey that they’re mad. This can signify that they’re about to react to whatever it is they’re unhappy with. If you see this stance, you should restrain your dog’s leash or put them in a crate until they have calmed down.

Between Their Legs

When a dog is scared or sad, they will stick their tail between their legs. This could be a stance they take when they’ve done something bad, like peeing in the house, and they’re feeling ashamed. Or if they’ve been scolded they may put their tail between their legs. Dogs will also assume this position when they’re scared about something. When this is the case, just calmly assure them that everything is okay.

Relaxed and Floppy

This is the ultimate sign that your dog is happy and content. They are feeling loved and at peace with their surroundings. As loving pet parents, this is what we want our dogs to look like all the time.

Tail Down

Tail down coupled with their head down could be a sign that they’re feeling either sad or submissive. This stance is a “beta” posture, so it could be them signaling to you that they know you’re the pack leader.

What do you think about these dogs’ signs? How often do you see these different tail positions? Let us know!

A dog’s tail and how it carries it is an important indicator of many things such as its current social standing as well as its mental state. There can be some variations, of course, depending upon how the dog naturally carries its tail. For example, a West Highland White Terrier will normally carry its carrot-shaped little tail in a different way than a golden retriever will carry its flowing, feathery tail or very differently than a greyhound will carry its thin, whip-like tail.

Watch for these dog tail positions discussed below in your own dogs and how they carry their tails in various interactions with other dogs and it may help you to begin to understand more about how your dog really feels and sees the world.

1 – Your dog carries its tail practically horizontal, yet not stiff, and pointing away from its body. This lets you know that they are paying close attention to their surroundings. 2 – Your dog is holding its tail straight out, pointing away from its body, both horizontally and stiff. Watch and you’ll notice that this is part of the process that occurs in any initial challenge whenever they first meet a stranger or an intruder. 3 – If the dog’s tail is help upward, somewhere between a horizontal and vertical position, realize that this is often the sign of a dog that is dominant, confident and feeling in control. This can also be a display of a dog who is asserting his/her dominance – basically translating into “I’m the boss here. Don’t mess with me.” 4 – If the dog’s tail is carried up and slightly curved over its back it means, “I’m the top dog.” A confident and dominant dog who feels that it is in control will often express itself this way. 5 – If the dogs tail is carried lower than the horizontal position but still has some distance from the legs you can be aware that your dog feels pretty relaxed and that all is well. 6 – If your dog’s tail is carried downward, closer to its hind legs it can mean several things such as “I’m not feeling good” or “I’m a little depressed.” It could also mean “I feel insecure,” which is especially true of many dogs when they are in an unknown or new setting or situation. 7 – If the dogs tail is tucked between its legs it often means “I’m frightened!” or “Please don’t hurt me!” This is especially common whenever the dog feels that it is in the presence of a more dominant dog or person. Tail carriage of this type can also mean, “I accept my lowly role in the pack, and I’m not out to challenge you in any way.” 8 – All right, let’s talk about a few more examples of how a dog carries its tail. If you notice bristling hair down its back or down the dog’s tail this often suggests a sign of aggression. This meaning may also change in intensity if the dog modifies its tail position. So, if the tail is carried straight out from the body it means “I’m ready to fight if you are!” or if it moves the tail slightly up or over its back it means that “I’m not afraid of you and will fight to prove that I’m really the boss.” This is serious – especially if it happens between two dogs that won’t back down. 9 – If your dog carries its tail with a crick or sharp bend in it while it is carried high this often means pretty much the same thing as in the tail bristling example. This too can be read as a sign of aggression. 10 – If the dog has a nice broad tail wag it often means “I like you.” You’ll often see this display during play sessions between dogs – for example, when one dog seems to be fighting the other, pouncing, growling, and barking but with a wagging tail all the while – the wagging tail reminds the other dog that this is all in fun. A broad tail wag can also mean that “I’m pleased.”

11 – If you happen to notice that your dog is exhibiting a slow tail wag, with its tail carried at half-mast it can often mean “I’m confused.” Later when the dog finally solves the problem that it was confused about you will often notice a dramatic difference in the speed and size of the tail wags which will usually markedly increase as well.