Dogs can be pretty selective and strange with certain behaviors. Do you ever wonder why your dog wags his tail for everyone but you? Does this behavior put you off? Why do dogs do it? And how can you solve this issue?
Read on to find answers to these questions.
It may surprise dog owners when their dogs tend to be friendly to everyone but them. In this case, your dog wags his tail for everyone but you.
It can sometimes be difficult to understand why your dog is doing this. But for most dogs, it may be because they’re intimidated by you.
So, why does my dog wag his tail for everyone but me?
You need to understand that a dog’s tail wagging conveys a lot of messages. When a dog wags, it’s universally thought to mean that the dog is overjoyed and excited. However, a wagging tail can convey more than excitement in dogs.
For instance, a dog will wag its tail if it feels threatened, uncertain, or anxious. You have to know the difference between them.
But what happens when your dog wags its tail at everyone but you? This can ultimately leave you confused and dumbfounded about what has gone wrong with your canine friend.
If you find yourself in this position, here are possible reasons why your dog may wag at everyone else but you.
Your dog just doesn’t find you exciting
Dogs are very playful and affectionate creatures, but all that can hit a brick wall when they become uninterested in you. A lot of this can stem from spending less time with your dog. Or perhaps, your dog hasn’t bonded to you or may find you boring and less exciting.
Just like dog toys, you may find that there are toys your dog doesn’t just delight in playing with and will totally ignore these toys. The same thing may happen between a dog and you as its owner.
In such cases, they’ll be less fussy when they see you, which is a reason why your dog will not wag its tail when he sees you.
They’re intimidated by you
Before jumping to the conclusion that there’s something wrong with your dog, you should assess the situation first. For example, have you previously scolded your dog or yelled at him for doing something terrible?
Dogs will learn instantly if you’re being rude to them and may opt to avoid you altogether. This includes not getting excited at the sight of you. This, of course, can be a difficult situation to deal with.
Your dog is tired
Tired dogs are known to be very uninterested in the things that occur around them. When a dog gets tired, there’s no zeal to play or run after just everyone that comes knocking on the door.
This could be a possible reason why you may notice your dog being less active with its tail when you come home.
On the other hand, dogs can be really active during the day while their owners are away, especially if they live in a place where they have access to the outdoors whenever they feel like it. So it’s only normal to be really drained by the time you’re back home.
You may notice dogs wagging at just everyone while you’re home during the day. Again, that could easily be because they’ve got a large bar of energy to expend.
However, that energy will only be depleted as the hours go by, and during the late hours of the day, your dog becomes tired and just trots around.
You’re picking up the wrong signal
Dog owners who may have experienced their dogs wagging their tails for other people rather than them may easily assume that their dog isn’t excited to see them.
But, unfortunately, while a dog’s tail wagging can indicate excitement, that’s not always the case.
Dogs also wag their tail to show anxiety, uncertainty, and in some cases, alertness.
So, if your dog wags its tail when some new person or a family member approaches them, it could be that they’re just being alert for what’s to come.
But with you, your dog knows you are no threat to him, so It’s practically pointless being alert or uncertain. They know what to expect of you.
Your dog doesn’t know what you expect of him
Dogs can often need clarification if they pick up a negative signal from their owners.
Say, for instance, you just came home and found your stockings torn apart or property destroyed by your dog. You may rush to punish your dog for this. Hence, he thinks you may be upset because he got too excited when you returned.
Dogs will often come running at their owners with a wagging tail when their owners return home. But meeting you in a different state is where they may get confused and stop wagging as a result.
You’re punishing your dog the wrong way
Think of a young toddler punished by their mum for spilling milk on an expensive rug. He gets a little upset and may not come smiling the next time you call on him. Dogs aren’t so different from young toddlers.
Punishing your dog the wrong way could bring chaos to the already-established bond between you both. Dogs are very fragile at heart and will run into their shells the moment they sense hostility from their owners.
Since they cannot attack you, they’ll rather avoid you, including putting away specific excitement behavior from you each time you come around. But, at the same time, they keep wagging and whining for every other person around the house.
You may have physically punished your dog by beating, yelling, or pushing him away. So he learns that the best way to avoid such punishment from you is to avoid wagging and showing excitement each time you’re around or calling him.
Your dog is probably not expecting anything from you
Dogs often wag their tail to convey their emotional intent. This could often be excitement for what’s to come.
Knowing when your dog doesn’t wag its tail at you is essential to fully understand what’s wrong. But don’t forget, not all dogs wag that often.
To that end, does your dog only wag its tail in the morning? It could be that they’re expecting to be fed and know exactly when their food comes, so they get excited and wag.
Or do you play with your dog or walk him whenever you come home during the evenings? He may be excited to play or go out on a walk. Hence, he wags in anticipation of that action.
So, if you’re home at noon when virtually no activity occurs between you and your dog, it may not wag its tail because he is probably not expecting anything from you at that time.
How to make your dog wag its tail when it sees you
Spend more time together
Most times, what helps a dog build up a relationship or bond is by spending more time with it. Do you usually sit on the couch while your partner walks the dog or feeds him? Take up responsibility and start engaging in these activities with your dog.
Play with them when you’ve got the opportunity, and they’ll start warming up to you. Your dog will see that you’re not so boring a person and will start getting excited when he sees you.
Choose the perfect reward system
Dogs love treats, exciting walks, and interesting toys. If your dog doesn’t normally wag its tail when he sees you, then it might be that he doesn’t find you exciting.
You can start by calling your dog to reward him with a treat each time you come home. This way, he knows better to expect something tasty whenever he sees you and will already get excited at the idea upon seeing you and begin wagging.
Toys and exciting walks could also do the trick. You just have to pick the perfect toys or the perfect time to walk your dog.
Remember, an already tired dog will see walking as a burden rather than an exciting activity.
Get help
Not all dog behavior can be corrected at home. For example, if your dog doesn’t wag at you but wags its tail at everyone else, there could be something serious cooking inside. Get help from an animal behaviorist to assess the situation and make possible corrections.
Conclusion
Dogs can often get weird and get you a little worried. Does your dog wag its tail at everyone but you? There could be many reasons tied to this.
An intimidated dog or a dog who doesn’t find the fun in you may put up with this sometimes weird behavior. However, Spending positive time together or rewarding your dog could help revive the excitement.
