Tail-Wagging

Your dog may not be talking, but he’s still expressing himself lots of ways. You can tell in an instant if he’s excited, scared, angry, or content. Some people say it’s all in the tail.

A dog’s tail speaks volumes about his mental state, social position, and intentions.

Your dog will only wag his tail when another living being is present—person or pet. He won’t ever perform unless someone’s there to see it. That’s because the purpose of a wag is to let you know how he’s feeling: happy to see you, excited you’re home, ready to play, or that he comes in peace.

And a wagging tail is not always a sign of an amiable pooch. An aggressive dog might hold his tail high and wag only the tip, while a submissive or scared dog is likely to hold his tail low and wag it stiffly. This is why you should assess the whole of a dog’s body language before you approach.

Sweet Dreaming

Deep in the land of nod, dogs’ legs twitch, their tails wag, they whimper, they paw—but do dogs dream?

According to many scientists, there is evidence to confirm that, yes, dogs dream, as do all mammals whose sleep habits have been studied to date.

When it comes to sleep, your canine friend is a lot like you. Every night, he experiences two types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and slow wave sleep (SWS).

First comes SWS, during which time the brain is most at rest. Next comes REM sleep, when a dog will process the day’s experiences and dream. During these stints, you might find he’s difficult to wake, as REM cycles are when he sleeps most deeply.

Human dreams are based on experience and imagination. If dogs follow the same sleep pattern, it begs the question, “Do dogs have imaginations, as well as memories?”

Have you ever noticed your dog staring intently at nothing? It’s enough to make you wonder whether he has an imagination. Unfortunately, wonder is all we can do until dogs decide to tell.

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