Introduction

My dog’s tail wags and his eyes look mean. What’s wrong?

Dogs use their tails, ears, teeth and eyes to show how they’re feeling.

Dogs use their tails, ears, teeth and eyes to show how they’re feeling. The tail is a particularly important tool because it can be used to communicate different emotions like happiness, excitement or fear. The position of your dog’s tail can tell you if he’s happy or anxious. Tail wagging with fast side-to-side movements usually indicates that your dog is happy to see you, while a slow and deliberate tail move indicates that he’s comfortable in his environment and feels safe. If your dog has trouble controlling his excitement when greeting someone new or meeting another animal for the first time (for example when visiting the vet), then it might be better for him not being able to greet every visitor personally – especially if there are other dogs present!

A dog who is stressed will show this with a tucked tail and lowered body, dogs who are happy are more relaxed.

A dog who is stressed will show this with a tucked tail and lowered body, while dogs who are happy are more relaxed. A dog’s body language can tell you a lot about how they’re feeling, but it’s not always easy to tell what’s going on in their heads. If you’re unsure about your dog’s mood, ask your vet for help or advice.

If you see all the signs of aggression, it’s best to walk away.

If you see all the signs of aggression, it’s best to walk away. You can tell your dog to go back inside or something similar and slowly start backing up. If the dog is growling, show your teeth and back away slowly. If the dog is barking and lunging at you, then do exactly what I just said but with a happy tone in your voice so they know that you are not a threat. If they come at you while walking towards them then wait until they get close enough so their tail wags instead of hitting them first as it could set off an attack chain reaction when one dog thinks another is attacking them (which often happens if one gets bitten).

Aggression is different from excitement, though it might look similar to the untrained eye.

One important thing to remember is that aggression and excitement look very similar. In fact, it can be quite difficult to tell the difference between them. The key here is body language. A dog who is excited will have their ears up, looking at you; they may also be wagging their tail while they do this. Aggression, however, will involve a lowered head or a closed mouth with bared teeth—and possibly even growling.

A typical example of this confusion comes from people walking past dogs on leashes: sometimes the person thinks that their dog is happy because he’s jumping around and wagging his tail—but actually he’s just trying to get away from something (or someone).

Dogs wag their tails when they’re happy and excited, but also when they’re scared and unsure.

When it comes to tail wagging, the old adage is true: the wag of a dog’s tail does not always mean what you think.

The most common understanding of dog body language is that a wagging tail indicates positive feelings and emotions, such as happiness or excitement. But this isn’t always true! A dog’s emotions can be hard to read when all you have are their ears and tails (and sometimes their eyes).

Dogs will often wag their tails when they’re happy and excited, but they’ll also wag them when they’re scared or unsure—so if your dog only wags his tail when he greets another animal at the park but not when he greets people at home, then there may be more going on than just “happiness.”

Ears are a great indicator of how a dog is feeling. Ears up mean they’re alert and interested. Ears down can mean they feel threatened or that you’ve made them nervous. Pay attention to where the ears are pointed — this is what the dog is looking at or listening to.

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The mouth offers some great clues about how the dog feels. A relaxed jaw and closed mouth indicates a happy dog. An open mouth with a short snort should be treated like someone clearing their throat — a warning that something’s coming if you don’t back off! A tense jaw means the dog is uncomfortable or scared. A bared jaw with teeth showing means that the dog has had enough and may get aggressive if you don’t back off.

A relaxed jaw and closed mouth indicates a happy dog. An open mouth with a short snort should be treated like someone clearing their throat — a warning that something’s coming if you don’t back off! A tense jaw means the dog is uncomfortable or scared. A bared jaw with teeth showing means that the dog has had enough and may get aggressive if you don’t back off.

When it comes to interpreting your pup’s mood, remember this: dogs can be aggressive without showing teeth, so don’t assume that because your pup isn’t baring her teeth she’s not threatening you! This goes both ways — if your pup does show her teeth but doesn’t appear to be in an aggressive state of mind (i.e., she’s not growling or tensing up), then there may not be any cause for concern either way!

Dogs have lots of ways of communicating – don’t assume your dog is just being difficult if you can’t understand what he’s trying to say!

Dogs have lots of ways of communicating – don’t assume your dog is just being difficult if you can’t understand what he’s trying to say!

If your dog is wagging his tail and barking, it could mean that he’s very happy and welcoming. But if he’s drooling and growling, then he might be feeling aggressive. Even though dogs have different ways of communicating their feelings to us, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re being difficult or trying to be disobedient. It could just be that we don’t know how to interpret their body language appropriately.

Conclusion

We hope that this post has helped you understand how your dog communicates with you and the world around him. Remember, it’s not always easy to read a dog’s body language. The important thing is to pay attention! If there are signs of aggression or stress, back off and give him space until he calms down again. If he wags his tail when he meets someone new then maybe they’re friendly too!