The Dog’s Tail
Pandora is four years old and we are still working on her anxiety of walking near cars. However, it’s not always easy to see the progress so I rely on the tiniest of cues to show me the teeniest crumbs of progress. One of the newest cues is paying attention to her tail. The dog’s tail, it’s a great gauge to let us know how they feel.
For another method to gauge tiny pockets of success, check out this post and scroll to There’s Always Progress.
One Caveat
Please refer to the title of this blog, specifically the “Novice” part of the title. All I can do is give hints at what we do, I cannot confirm these are the best cues or options for everyone. So please check with your vet and or a trainer who specializes in nervous dogs.
And one other caveat, if your dog has a stumpy tail, I am not sure that this will be a helpful post. My apologies.
The Full Tail Tuck and Wrap
When Pandora is in an area where she can hear, and especially when she can see moving vehicles, her tail wraps down her bottom and tucks up against her underside.
The image above is what Pandora does with her tail when she’s unsure of the situation. In this case, we had walked a few paces beyond our last stopping point to turn around and head home. When she’s in the stroller, we’ll go to a certain point (like a telephone pole, a fence, something to gauge how far we are progressing) for about a week and then we venture a few steps beyond that point.
Pandora was ready to get out of the stroller and she hopped out. But this was new territory, so her tail is fully tucked. I also let her sniff until she’s ready to begin walking.
Partial Tail Tuck – Sign of Progress
In this picture (above) we see Pandora release the end of her tail. We’ve moved a few paces back toward home and she knows the area, but she’s still not fully comfortable yet. Again, lots of sniffing. That’s okay, once we get to the point of her being comfortable we can then work on a steady pace.
Here’s another partial tail tuck picture (below). The tail has come up just a smidge more. Again, we’ve moved into even more familiar territory.
The Dog’s Tail is Lifting
At this point, Pandora is beginning to loosen up quite a bit more (picture below). She knows we’re most definitely on the right path toward home, she’s smelled this area frequently enough that she’s feeling better, she’s feeling safer.
Again, she gets to stop and sniff whenever she wants. Sometimes she’ll sniff something that she doesn’t like, I know because her tail will get closer to her rear again.
The High and Happy Tail
Pandora is happiest at home or on a desolate trail. Someday, I hope to reach this level of happiness on one of our stroller walks.
When she’s this happy, it’s hard to capture her still. LOL. This is Pandora on a trail in all her bounding happiness.
Dog’s Tail Cue Recap
- ~Remember to look for these cues that the dog is getting comfortable with a situation or to see if the dog is getting more fearful of a situation.
- ~The Full Tail Tuck and Wrap
- ~The Partial Tuck
- ~The Slightly Looser Tail Tuck
- ~The Half-Happy Tail or The Half Not-so-Happy Tail (depends on how you see it)
- ~The High and Happy Tail.
