What is the evolutionary reason for dogs wagging their tails?

Answer 1

It's their way of showing that they are happy. Sense most dogs can't smile they just wiggle their tails. I did have a little dog a Chihuahua mix who could smile. He always got laughs and pets for that. But that tail was wiggling all the while. LOL.

Answer 2

I'm not sure of the evolutionary reason for tail-wagging but I do know that a dog does not consciously control its tail.

The tail is an extension of the spine which protects the spinal column which carries nerve impulses from the brain to all parts of the body.

A dog's tail is therefore connected directly to its brain through the spinal column and the tail wags in direct response to the dog's brain activity - if the dog is happy or excited the tail wags. If it is afraid the tail tucks under and if it is angry the tail curls up or lashes from side to side - very different from a friendly tail wag!.

The tail cannot lie! So when a dog meets another dog the position of their respective tails show each dog exactly what the other dog is thinking.

The use of the tail for communication is very important, particularly to wild dogs but also for our domestic dogs - perhaps the best communicators avoided conflict and survived to breed and evolve.

The tail's other important role is for balance particularly when turning at speed when it is used as a counter-balnce to prevent the dog from overturning. Again perhaps the most agile dogs were able to hunt successfully, survive, breed and evolve.

Feral dogs which are domestic dogs which have returned to their wild state seem to evolve very quickly over relatively few generations into a Dingo type dog and, as I have mentioned before these sandy-coloured, prick-eared dogs can be found in feral packs all over the world - all looking remakably similar with curly tails carried high like the Spitz breeds.

The importance of the tail to a dog is obvious - for communication and balance which is one of the reasons why I have never owned a dog with a docked tail and would never condone the out-dated and completely inexcusable surgical amputaion of a dogs tail for so-called aesthetic reasons.

P.S In answer to Kirdish - yes - the African Wild Dogs in the Serengeti (not sure I've got the spelling right) wag their tails at pack members in greeting).

Answer 3

Well... I don't know where this fits into the evolutionary scale but the tail is an extension of the spine used for balance. When excited the dog wags it's tail to show how it is feeling. If frightened, the dog will tuck it under himself to show that it is being submissive to the other animal, be it human or otherwise. Most animals deal in body language. In aggression, a dog will raise the hackles on his neck to make himself look bigger.

Answer 4

When animals feel an emotion, they adopt a position (body language) and a facial expression. This tells the other animals how they are feeling and allows them to respond. Its one way they communicate.
Displacement activity is something that animals do when they are in conflict and unsure how the conversation is going. Dogs wag their tails. Its a very obvious signal that indicates conflict.
A dog can learn that its owner likes that signal; and contnue to use it as a greeting.
But they also wag their tails gently when uncerain of their owners next move, or faced wioth a new dog that might want a fight.

Answer 5

Do wild dogs wag their tails?

Domestic dogs do, but that may not be a characteristic that evolved. Domestic dogs are a result of a long process of artificial selection, by human, to create the best dogs for specific purposes; who knows whether dogs wagged their tails humans took control of their development?

Answer 6

Evolutionarily words: canines don't have spoken language so each thing they do to study one yet another is approximately physique language and tail wagging is purely a thank you to talk. A dogs's tail tells alot. If that's up and nonetheless then they are intense approximately some thing, if that's wagging its oftentimes exhilaration, if its tucked between their legs then they are frightened, ect

Answer 7

Dogs wag their tails because they can? They also do other things because they can. They are excited they wag their tail. THeir tail stand up when they go after something. it goes between their leg when scared. etc... We show our emotions with our body also. dogs do it mostly with their tails..

Answer 8

The same reason people wag their tongues. It is a mechanism for releasing energy.

Answer 9

all i know is that, it signifies happiness. dogs wag their tails to show you that they are so happy to have you around ant that it misses you

Answer 10

Maybe they can't wag anything else.