Today for the first time I noticed that Yellow/Happy/Chunky:) wagged his tail! It was really subtle, but after Sugar came into the whelping box and they were fed, Mr. Yellow started moving away, stopped and WAGGED his tail for almost 5 seconds!!! It was SO amazingly adorable! I called my husband into the room to witness the big event (of course he wasn’t quite sure why I was so excited…) and I felt like I did back when my kids would do something amazing for the very first time!
So, is there anything interesting about tail wagging? I think there is! I looked into the science behind tail wagging and BBC had an article based on research about tail wagging and if it has any significance:
So, based on the articles below, I feel justified in my excitement about witnessing Mr. Yellow’s first tail wagging extravaganza 🙂
I know it’s only a picture so you can’t see it wagging, but trust me-it was adorable!
Link: The Science behind a wagging tail
Here is an excerpt from the article:
“Scientists have shed more light on how the movements of a dog’s tail are linked to its mood.
Earlier research had revealed that happy dogs wag their tails more to the right (from the dog’s point of view), while nervous dogs have a left-dominated swish.
But now scientists say that fellow canines can spot and respond to these subtle tail differences.
When the animals saw an otherwise expressionless dog move its tail to the right (from the tail-wagging dog’s point of view), they stayed perfectly relaxed.
But when they spotted a tail veer predominantly to the left (again from the tail-swishing dog’s point of view), their heart rates picked up and they looked anxious.
Prof Vallortigara said he didn’t think that the dogs were intentionally communicating with each other through these movements.
Instead, he believes that they dogs have learned from experience what moves they should and shouldn’t feel worried about.
He said: “If you have several meetings with other dogs, and frequently their tail wagging one way is associated with a more friendly behaviour, and the right side is producing a less friendly behaviour, you respond on the basis of that experience.””
Another article on the internet says this about wagging tails
Link: why do dogs wag their tails?
“Interestingly, a 2013 study found that dogs understand the asymmetric tail wagging of other dogs — a right-wagging tail relaxes other canines, while a left-wagging tail makes them stressed.”
First signs of siblings engaging in a brief moment of play!
The bio-sensor training continues and now they fall asleep while I’m doing it! Red is completing the exercises like a champ!
a view from the top of him laying on his back-he says “i can do this in my sleep!”
lifeofsugar.com 