posted June 03, 2012 06:56 PM            

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more in... Decoding Dog Behavior.

Telling Tails: Since dogs rarely wag their tails when they are alone, they must be using this gesture to communicate to others. For example, when a dog’s tail wags as it is given food, it is expressing pleasure to its owner. When dogs eat and play alone, they rarely wag their tails because there is no one to see them.

When a dog wags its tail, surrounding muscles press on scent glands, releasing pheromones that signal the pooch’s age, sex, and social status. Submissive dogs may not wag their tails when frightened because they do not want to draw attention to themselves.

A high, quickly wagging tail is often a sign of playfulness and intense joy, but can also signal an aggressive dog. A horizontal, steadily moving tail suggests that your dog is closely studying something. If a dog tucks its tail between its legs, it is afraid, and attempting to communicate that it is submissive and does not pose a threat.

Just One Lick: Licking is a very natural activity for dogs. Puppies lick their littermates to groom one another and to strengthen
family bonds. In the wild, puppies will even lick their mothers to stimulate her to give them partially digested food. Adult dogs lick each others faces to show submission, and also affection and friendliness. If a dog licks you, it may be showing that it acknowledges you as dominant, showing its affection, begging for food, and, of course, grooming you. Click for more: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/animals/breeds/dogtopics/dog_behavior .htm