# No tail wagging?



## Plushie (Aug 9, 2010)

Might be a weird question, lol. But my dog never seems to wag her tail...
Well, okay, it probably is a bit inaccurate. She does wag her tail, particularly after I've come home after she hasn't seen me for a while (such as when I'm back from school). And she wags her tail when she's excited, like when we're going to go for a walk. But most of the time when I'm with her, the wagging stops.
It hangs loosely down, is not stiff, is not curled up or down. What is she trying to 'tell' me? That she is unhappy? Content? Sad? Calm? Her ears aren't laid back in a scared posture or upright/alert, they are in their 'regular' position (or so I assume).
She also doesn't wag her tail when I pet her. She doesn't mind petting and seems to like belly rubs (she'll roll over for a belly rub--but won't wag her tail! lol). Could it mean that she doesn't like being pet or doesn't care for it? Nor does she wag her tail for praise or when she's given treats.

Nothing important, I just was curious why she doesn't wag her tail a lot. I'm not the best at dog body language so help is appreciated 8D


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

My dog is the same way, wags are saved for special occasions. I know she likes a big cuddle, but she never wags her tail while being cuddled.

Dunno why tho.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I say, "Be grateful."

Esther has a tail like a tree trunk. If you look at her, her tail thumps. If you touch her, talk to her, talk about her or think of her silently, her tail thumps. If you're near her, the tail is a lethal weapon. I have bruises that make people I play soccer, if I happen to be wearing shorts. If she's sleeping, and she has a random happy thought, her tail starts thumping - usually against a wall or some furniture, where it reverberates through the whole room.

Then, if she's really happy, it's the full-body wag. I begin to understand why puppies get their tails docked.

I am suspicious of people, and dogs, who are cheerful and upbeat ALL the time. I suspect they don't really understand the situation. I'm quite sure that's true of Esther.


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## theyogachick (Aug 2, 2009)

LOL...Gracie wags her tail constantly, too...when it is time to eat, go for a walk, ride, play...and when she is really happy she also does the full body wag! Ears to tail...

Gizmo, on the other hand, is not a tail wagger. He wags only when he is really, really happy. 

Guess it depends on the dog.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

RonE said:


> I say, "Be grateful."
> 
> Esther has a tail like a tree trunk. If you look at her, her tail thumps. If you touch her, talk to her, talk about her or think of her silently, her tail thumps. If you're near her, the tail is a lethal weapon. I have bruises that make people I play soccer, if I happen to be wearing shorts. If she's sleeping, and she has a random happy thought, her tail starts thumping - usually against a wall or some furniture, where it reverberates through the whole room.
> 
> ...


LOL!! Although a clueless dog who can read your silent thoughts is a scary prospect....


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## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

> I am suspicious of people, and dogs, who are cheerful and upbeat ALL the time.


Ummmmm, you are talking about my cavaliers! LOL Their tails NEVER stop wagging.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

RonE said:


> I say, "Be grateful."
> 
> Esther has a tail like a tree trunk. If you look at her, her tail thumps. If you touch her, talk to her, talk about her or think of her silently, her tail thumps. If you're near her, the tail is a lethal weapon. I have bruises that make people I play soccer, if I happen to be wearing shorts. If she's sleeping, and she has a random happy thought, her tail starts thumping - usually against a wall or some furniture, where it reverberates through the whole room.
> 
> ...


Tags' tail isn't a lethal weapon tree trunk, but it never stops waving. Last night at Rally we had to do an Honor "down" exercise while the next dog ran the course. He was in a sphynx down, staring at me, with his tail up and wagging THE ENTIRE TIME. I finally whispered "stop smiling, you look like a simp." and it went faster. He wags his tail when you look at him, speak to him, mention a word he knows, etc. 
Dude is more like the OP's dog, tail wags are saved for special occasions. He may occasionally twitch it if you're talking to him, but I think it's more likened to someone giving you a fake grin.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Maggie's tail almost NEVER stops wagging, you look at her, it wags. You say something to her, it wags. You try to ignore her, it wags. Zoey on the other hand will only wag her tail when she's really really happy. When we come home, when I wake up in the morning (and she has been laying 3 inches from my face.. staring, and waiting for me to get up and take her out) When we're doing tricks or working on obedience, when you ask if she wants to go for a walk.. other than that it's usually just curled up over her back, but not wagging. 

In my opinion it makes the wag mean SO much more when they don't do it all the time. It gives me a lot more joy to see Zoey's tail wag than Maggies, simply because it means Zoey is REALLY happy!


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## BobbieTheGirl (Aug 6, 2013)

I have a new rescue (2 months), a snarky 5 year old poodle mix who has seen a few miles of rough road recently. He is worried and fretful/fearful most of the time and he does not wag. I'm thinking he's just not happy. My other dogs were silly/happy waggers and this is different.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

just depends on the dog lol, my BCs are not major tail waggers, they are different positions that mean different things, but their tails rarely actually wag. 

Gem and Gyp are docked, but they are not major waggers either, they wag so hard their whole body does the twist when tehy are exited to see someone, and their tails are straight up in the air but still when they want to play, the rest of the time their tails mid as well be pinned to their bums lol 

Baby dog is a slow wagger, her tail is usually out and up, but I don't think I have ever seen her wag it vigerously, she is more of a tail waver lol 

Rusty is big tail wagger though, but he has a curly Spitz tail, so its not all that obvious.


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## Aska (Jun 9, 2013)

BobbieTheGirl said:


> I have a new rescue (2 months), a snarky 5 year old poodle mix who has seen a few miles of rough road recently. He is worried and fretful/fearful most of the time and he does not wag. I'm thinking he's just not happy. My other dogs were silly/happy waggers and this is different.


Not wagging doesn't mean your dog is unhappy. My dog is a happy dog, but she rarely wags her tail... almost never.


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## JeJo (Jul 29, 2013)

Heads or tails?(or both) -My Kayla isn't especially waggy-tailed, really, but the rest of her body seems joyfully engaged when she's happy. That's not to say that her tail is completely unexcitable, though. Whenever she is lying on the floor, the briefest dogdelighting trigger-word or sound never fails to bring about an upbeat and rhythmical "thump-thump-thump" as her tail womps the floor. I love that sound, especially when she's under the table, unseen, clearly making her happy presence known. The good side of a controlled tail is that things don't get swiped off or knocked over (especially shorty grandkiddos). : )


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