Many people assume that a wagging tail shows your dog is happy and excited - but this isn't always the case.
According to veterinary expert, Dr Scott Miller, from Barking Heads, there are many different meanings aside from joy.
Dogs wag their tails to let humans and other animals know whether they are feeling tired, stressed or angry too.
Dr Miller told The Mirror: "Tail wagging is commonly misinterpreted as just a sign of happiness, that a dog is friendly and wants to say 'hi' but it is far more complicated than that.
"The wag of a canine’s tail can be as a result of feeling aroused, overstimulated or even frustrated."
Sign up to our TeamDogs newsletter for your weekly dose of dog news, pictures and stories.
He continued: "Focusing just on the tail is like just listening to a part of a sentence, pretty hard to interpret what someone is telling you, so the entire body language must be taken into account."
Whether your dog's tail is wagging quickly or slowly can help indicate their emotions.
Dr Miller explained: "When confident or aroused, the tail is held high to expose their scent glands which are either side of the anus, to advertise their presence with good airflow around the area.
"If the tail is wagging side to side but pooch seems tense with hard staring eyes, then this could indicate an overly aroused or frustrated dog that is best left alone.
"A slower wagged tail can indicate a canine that is calmly assessing a situation and should be given time and space to do so.
"A helicopter style 360 wag is a sure fire sign of friendliness, with a relaxed stance and bum wiggling likely to suggest this is a dog that definitely wants to positively engage with you or your dog."
So, the next time your dog's tail is wagging away, you'll be able to decipher what they're actually trying to tell you.
Do you have a dog story to tell? Contact nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
