The Tail Wagging Mystery Unraveled

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• An opinion piece published in Biology Letters calls into question some long-held beliefs about tail wagging
• A propensity for tail wagging may be one characteristic of "domestication syndrome," along with floppy ears, curly tails and white fur patches
• During the domestication process, humans may have inadvertently selected for dogs that wagged their tails more often due to our brains' preference for rhythmic stimuli
• Tail wagging in dogs could also have been selected during domestication as a direct expression of docility and friendliness
• Wagging is associated with both positive and negative arousal, and may be correlated with arousal-related hormones and neurotransmitters