So something I've noticed is that my dog holds his tail high while outside and on walks. And I don't know what this behavior is associated with or if it has anything to do with dominance. Here are a few things I've noticed.
Typically dogs that walk around like this seem to be more territorial/reactive/aggressive. Lobo has had some of these issues but they have slowed down and are more tame now. He is still reactive but not as much as he used to be.
However it is a correlation I see, dogs that carry their tail high tend to be more reactive, but y'all are the experts here so I wanna hear what this means exactly.
It doesn't mean anything exactly!!!
In a very sound dog it can mean one thing, in a weaker dog it can mean something else. In the dark it can mean one thing, in new territory it can mean different things depending on the temperament of the dog. It can be part of dominant dog, part of reactive dog, part of shy/sharp dog, and on and on.
Experienced dog folks when seeing the time,place,temperament of dog can usually come to conclusions, but short of that it could be many things.
My dog carries his tail high(er) when out in the yard. He's not a reactive dog .. he's a happy happy camper when he's outdoors. He doesn't do it on walks, just when he's running around our acre having fun...cause outside = fun.
You also need to look at the rest of his body language; the way he carries his body, ears, eyes, mouth. Is he still focused on you? Does the tail move, relaxed or is it stiff?
My girl carries her tail high and curled when mantrailing (SAR). It is tail elevation, along with breathing, head carriage (mouth open/closed), pace etc that I use to determine if she is 'on' the odor she should be on, and perhaps, it's proximity to us.. Usually within proximity (or a scent pool) her tail gets like a scorpion, cured tight like a malamute (although not as fluffy)..
I do believe the tail conveys emotion and perhaps intent BUT, that is all determined by circumstances and situations, not necessarily a dominance
Beau carries his tail high and struts and is about the most non-reactive dog you would ever want to know. I have only seen him go off once in his life (he is 6) and it was when we we parked at a hotel and this guy reeking of alcohol and cigarettes reached into the back of my truck. Saw a dog I did not know I had. Told the guy his name was Cujo and he did not like men. [Seriously Beau could care less about anyone human or animal]
When he is working odor, his tail is also very expressive. While he is working it it can be like a snake and when he is at source he has sweeping wags.
My white shepherd carries his tail curled in an arc over his back almost like a husky when he is feeling bouncy and excited. Otherwise he's super laid back and calm. I think it's just an individual difference... also, his tail is so long that if he lets it hang straight down there is an inch of tail left after it hits the floor.
What Hineni said is also true of my dog, when he is tracking I can tell by his tail, among other things, if he is on it or not. He has a "looking for it" tail and a "ON it" tail, which tends to be quite high and wavy
If we are out walking the tail goes up for something that excites him.
Hakki's tail goes up when he is strutting! He loves to carry his special toy in his mouth and struts the entire way - tail is up high. He does this when he is really proud of himself.
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