Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails

Have you ever marveled over why dogs wag their tails? We've always heard, through videos, movies, and books, that dogs wag their tails out of happiness. Yet, is that all there is to it? Dogs also seem to show other emotions than happiness, too! Even when they appear angry, afraid, or annoyed, they still wag their tails. If you're angry, it seems unlikely to represent happiness at the same time. How do domesticated dogs portray their emotions; to humans, and other dogs? Do dogs wag their tails for emotions--or do humans just assume they feel emotions? Does breed affect how emotions are portrayed? Through these questions, I can attempt to discover what the truth is about a dog's emotions. Is there more to what we've known since we were young? …show more content…
In fact, my original topic, before I had to change it for approval, was on why dogs wag their tails. I now see that this was a very slim topic, as my question was easily answered. It sounds silly, but I found too much information! Although the topic was interesting to research, I bumped into answers to my questions almost immediately. It left me with nothing else to wonder about, to ponder. After a day or two, Mrs. Leung passed me suggestions on how to convert my focus. With this, I was able to develop a better topic, focusing on dog emotions in all, rather than just on the action of wagging a tail. When researching my new topic, and my many questions, I discovered many different things that I was surprised by. There is much I have learned so far, and not just about emotions, but about dogs in