Many nervous dogs will lower their tails and wag the tips quickly, but may bite when the person who frightens them turns away, as they finally develop the courage to let that person know how they feel when that person is no longer directly facing them.
Wagging Tail
A happy dog may wag its tail and get their whole body involved. A dog who is about to bite is usually fairly rigid, and their tail will be pointed high and moving more quickly back and forth. This may be a sign of an impending dog bite.
There are multiple reasons that a dog may exhibit aggression toward family members. The most common causes include conflict aggression, fear-based, defensive aggression, status related aggression, possessive aggression, food guarding aggression and redirected aggression.
This research verifies what we can already see: dogs don't wag their tails only to express happiness. They also wag their tails during general arousal, aggression, and other emotional states.
While there's little doubt that dogs are capable of feeling primary emotions, which include feelings such as happiness, sadness and fear, there's far less evidence that dogs experience what are called secondary emotions, which include guilt and shame, says Scientific American.
“If your pet is play-biting (or pulling at you for attention), then he'll do it because he's having fun with you, and it's a sign of affection,” explains Dr. Nelson. “He will look happy, bite gently, and may even be lying down.” If you see these 11 behaviors, your dog might need obedience training.
Happy tail syndrome in dogs occurs when this strong tail repeatedly hits solid objects with force during a wagging session, resulting in the thin skin of the tail splitting open. You would think that this injury would be enough to stop even the happiest tail in its tracks, but alas this is not usually the end of it.
Flagging occurs when a dog holds his tail stiff and high while slowly and rigidly moving it back and forth - this can be indicative of potential aggressive behaviors toward a human or another animal.
A dog tilts his head to show that he is engaged much the way a human would nod during a conversation to indicate that he is listening. Social dogs that enjoy human interaction usually tilt their heads more often to encourage the continuation of the conversation and prolong the human contact.
They mouth or nip during play, or out of excitement or impatience: Some dogs may mouth your hand or nip at your heels while playing with you, especially when they're excited or being chased. Herding breeds and those with a higher prey drive may also nip or bite as a natural instinct.
Most mouthing is normal dog behavior. But some dogs bite out of fear or frustration, and this type of biting can indicate problems with aggression. It's sometimes difficult to tell the difference between normal play mouthing and mouthing that precedes aggressive behavior.
Regardless of the cause of the dog's aggression, a dog's body language can indicate whether or not they are about to bite. Dogs usually display signs of aggression well before biting. These warning signs include growling, snapping, snarling, baring teeth, and lunging.
A confident dog wanting you to move away will often deliver a low-pitched warning growl. His body will stiffen and the loose circular wag may become a stiff side-to-side motion.
One of the common ways your dog will try to say sorry is by making “puppy eyes” or tucking its tail between its legs. Avoiding eye contact and lowering their ears are also common ways for dogs to apologize. They also watch for your reaction.
Most dogs assume a neutral or submissive role toward people, but some dogs will challenge their owners for dominance. A dominant dog may stare, bark, growl, snap, or even bite when you give him a command or ask him to give up a toy, treat, or resting place.
The “guilty” dog may squint his eyes and blink more frequently. He may also avoid eye contact or lower his head and look at you with the whites of his eyes exposed. He may press his ears back, closer to his head. He may lick his lips and yawn, lower his tail and sink to the ground in a cowering motion.
Who's at Risk for Happy Tail Syndrome? Happy Tail Syndrome most commonly occurs in large short-haired dogs with strong and muscular tails that tend to be more energetic and excited easily. Some of these breeds include Bully breeds, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Labrador Retrievers, and Dobermans.
Happy tail syndrome is more often seen in large, short-haired dogs with muscular tails like Labrador Retrievers, Pit Bulls, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Dobermans, and similar breeds.
Happy tail syndrome is a condition where dogs cause damage to the tip of their tails from striking surfaces. Many times, this condition occurs when they are wagging their tail, which is why it's coined happy tail syndrome. This condition is anything but happy for dogs and pet parents.
Stop it or remove your dog from the situation before it escalates. Do not discipline your dog with physical, violent, or aggressive punishments. Opt for positive reinforcement before resorting to the use of aversives. Remember to reward your dog for good behavior.
Common emotional effects of a dog bite injury include interpersonal avoidance, intrusive memories, mood swings, guilt, and irrational thinking. Very young children can be afflicted with conditions like selective mutism as a result of the extreme trauma of a dog attack.