Scientists have concluded that if a dog wags its tail to the right, it means the dog is happy.
Tail wagging is common among dogs, but is there a connection between this behavior and their brain activity?
Researchers have studied the brain activity of dogs while they wag their tails and have discovered some new insights.
Earlier studies had shown that when dogs are happy, they wag their tails more to the right, whereas when they are stressed, they wag their tails more to the left.
Based on this new research, scientists say that dogs recognize this difference in tail wagging among other dogs and respond accordingly.
This study was published in a biology journal.
Professor Giorgio Vallortigara, a neuroscientist at the University of Toronto in Italy, said: “We know that in humans, the right and left sides of the brain play different roles in emotions, producing positive and negative feelings. In this study, we tried to investigate the same in other animals.”
He added, “Like humans, in dogs, the left side of the brain is responsible for the movement to the right, and the two sides of the brain play different roles in expressing emotions.”
To study how dogs react to a tail wagging to the side, scientists monitored the animals and even showed pet dogs videos of other dogs.
During the research, scientists also monitored the heart rates of pet dogs and analyzed their behavior.
Professor Vallortigara explained: “We showed dogs videos of other dogs and observed their actions while they tried to cope with a stressful situation. We collected information about whether their tails stayed more on the right or left side.”
He said, “When dogs saw a neutral dog wagging its tail to the right, they remained completely relaxed. But when they saw a dog wagging its tail to the left, their heart rates increased, and they became anxious.”
Professor Vallortigara emphasized that this reaction does not indicate that dogs were consciously communicating with each other through body movements.
Instead, it shows that dogs learn from experience which actions to be concerned about and which to ignore.
Researchers say these findings can help dog owners, veterinarians, and trainers better understand canine emotions.
It is worth noting that this is not the first study on dog tail movement. Last year, researchers at Lincoln University conducted a similar study.
According to canine behavior expert John Bradshaw, the body language of dogs has not yet been fully explained by various studies.