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Interpretation and Observation – what does “Happiness” look like? – Video Assess
True or False: “A wagging dog is a happy dog”?
Here’s a video of a little terrier wagging his tail. Is this a happy dog? (We’re asking you to interpret his emotional state, not to state whether you would approach him or not.)
Support your answer (interpretation) with body language (observation).
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3 Replies
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False, a wagging tail doesn’t mean a happy dog. Here’s what I observed:
High tail, raised above the top line of the back.
Tail wagging quickly in stiff short motion.
Ear going from high, forward to flat, back.
Stiff body, stiff legs, standing tall
Long series of barking with small breaks in between.
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Wagging tail doesn’t always mean the dog is friendly. Wagging tail wrt to tail motion and tail position and the context the dog is in can interpret different meanings.
In the video: the first observation I noticed is barking, barks with short breaks. Tail wagging at the end medium speed, held above top line. The body is leaning forward but the dog is backing up. Ears go back and/conflicted when not barking. And finally the dog moves away.
Interpretation: the dog doesn’t want the person (the one with the camera shooting) come near/into his space. He is leaning forward, ready to charge if come any closer but at the same time he may be afraid to do so. There are some fear barks with conflicted ears. Finally he goes away when the person didn’t move forward or interfere with his space.
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@stomper16 Brenda and @RADS Radhika
Great job noticing key body language signals that confirm a conflicted dog while wagging with high arousal!
This is NOT a happy dog. This dog is very conflicted and is asking for MORE SPACE.
The dog doesn’t want the person (the one with the camera shooting) come near/into his space. He is leaning forward, ready to charge if come any closer but at the same time he may be afraid to do so. – Radhika V.
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