“A shorter, stubby tail has the same function as a longer one,” Barrios says, and various types of wagging mean the same thing for dogs with stubby tails, like Pugs and English Bulldogs, as they do for dogs with long tails. And contrary to popular belief a wagging tails does not always indicate a happy dog. The direction of your dogs tail wag can tell you a lot about his emotional state. It's commonly believed that dogs wag their tails to convey that they are happy and friendly, but this isn't exactly true. We met Buddy the dog on our walk and this cute pupper wags his tail in circles! I've never seen a dog do that and I just had to document it! A tail wagging more to the right indicates relaxation, and a wag to the left is shown in times of fear and uncertainty. Learning to understand dog tail positions and what they mean is another great tool for better people to dog communication. Does Your Dog Wag His Tail to the Right or Left? Wagging = happy 2. What Does A Dog's Tail Wagging Mean? Within Canidae, specifically canis familiaris, the tail plays multiple roles, this can include balance, and communication. It is considered a social signal. Tail wagging by dogs is the behavior of the dog observed as its tail moves back and forth in the same plane. We tend to interpret our dogs' tails in one of two ways: 1. While many of you may know dogs who wag their tails in true joy and celebration, the psychology of the matter points to a variety of communications that tail wagging … The behaviour can be categorized by vigorous movement or slight movement of the tip of the tail.