How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren

How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren

Author:Stanley Coren
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A Fireside Book


Figure 11-1 Basic tail positions: The top figure represents a relaxed, alert dog. Moving down the left column shows that the tail raises with increasing dominance or aggressive threat, while moving down the right column shows that with increasing fear or submission, the tail position lowers.

Tail bristling only at the tip: While the full tail bristling always carries an aggressive message, a tail that bristles only at the tip, especially if that tip is raised, adds a component of either fear, anxiety, or despondency, rather than aggression, to the message. Thus, a tail held down (but not tucked between the legs) with a bristle at the end and the tip bent a bit up, is apt to be saying, “I’ve got a case of the blues today.” In my dogs, this is usually cured by giving them a bit more personal attention. If that fails, I start looking for a physical problem that may be making the dog unhappy.

A crick or sharp bend in the tail when the tail is held high: There is an interesting change in tail shape that occurs most visibly in the dogs that are the most wolflike in appearance. German shepherd dogs, Belgian sheepdogs, and some of the northern breeds show this most prominently. This signal looks like a crick or a sharp bend in the tail. It will sometimes give the tail a bent or broken look, or make it appear to have a snakelike, rippling look, sort of like a letter S lying on its side. It is a definite sign that immediate aggression is being contemplated by the dog. If you are faced with this signal, especially if there are other signs of dominance or aggression, it is time to remove yourself and your dog from the situation. This sign translates: “Back off! If you don’t get out of here, I’m going to attack—now!”

A crick near the tip of the tail: This adds a moderately aggressive threat to any other signal. It says, “Stand back. You don’t want to push me or I may attack.”

Tail cricks have to be looked for. They are often a bit subtle but should be responded to, since they do often suggest that the dog is feeling aggressive enough to actually bite.

TAIL MOVEMENTS

The various movements of the tail can add additional shadings and meanings to many other messages, whether they are conveyed by sound, body language, or other aspects of tail talk.

Fast tail-wagging: This tail-wagging can come about as a sign of excitement or tension. Generally speaking, the vigor or speed of the wag indicates the degree of excitement. It is important in judging excitement from tail movements to attend to the speed of wagging, waving, or vibration, independent of the size of sweep of the movement. The size of the tail wags will differ depending upon breed characteristics, so you should look carefully. For example, a sporting dog with a full-flowing tail might seem to move its tail much more than a terrier moves its carrot-shaped tail (which may actually only seem to tremor).



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