Why does my dog wag his tail when I talk to him?

If your dog has been wagging its tail when you talk to it, this post will show you likely reasons why and what to do about it.

So, why does my dog wag its tail when I talk to it? Likely reasons why your dog wags its tail when you talk to it are that it likes the attention or that it thinks it is time for food or exercise.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog wags its tail when you talk to it and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause.

Why does my dog wag his tail when I talk to it?

Below are likely reasons why your dog wags its tail and what would make each of them more likely.

Mimicking your own behavior

A part of the the cause could be that your dog is mimicking your own behavior. This would be more likely if your dog does it more when you talk to it in an excited tone.

Rewarding the behavior

It could also be the case that it has learned that it gets rewarded for wagging its tail when you talk to it. If you tend to give it treats, extra attention or toys, when it wags its tail, it wil likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Your dog thinks it is time for food or exercise

Another likely reason why your dog wags its tail when you talk to it is that it thinks that it is time for food or exercise. This would be especially likely if your dog tends to do it more before it has gotten food or exercise.

It likes the attention

It could also be the case that your dog likes the attention. This would be more likely if your dog tends to wag its tail more when you start talking to it when you have not given it much attention in a while.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.

If your dog has always wagged its tail when you talk to it

If your dog has not always wagged its tail when you talk to it, it would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. If your dog started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in how you talk to it or a change in the time you feed and exercise it causing it to get excited whenever you talk to it because it wants food or exercise.

The timing of when your dog wags its tail

It would also help to consider the timing of when your dog wags its tail when you talk to it. If your dog does it more before getting food or exercise, it would be more likely that it is hoping to get food or exercise. Whereas, if it does it after getting food and exercise, it would be more likely that it likes the attention.

What to do about my dog wagging its tail when I talk to it?

Below are options you have when dealing with it.

Let it do it

Wagging its tail is likely a sign that it is happy. The easiest option is to just allow your dog to continue wagging its tail when you talk to it.

Give it what it wants

If your dog seems to be doing it because it is waiting to get something, it could also help to give it what it wants such as by feeding it or exercising it earlier.

Why does my dog wag his tail when i look at him?

It is likely that your dog wags its tail when you look at it because it likes the attention or that it thinks you are going to give it something that it wants. It would help to consider if it always wags its tail when you look at it and what is different about the timing.