Why Does My Dog Wag Her Tail When I Sneeze?

Dogs wag their tails as a form of communication. Understanding why a dog wags its tail when the owner sneezes means translating this form of communication. A dog wags its tail in response to external stimuli, here a sneeze. Figuring out what the dog means by the tail wag means assessing the wag itself.

  1. The Whole Picture

    • A dog does not wag its tail in isolation of other indicators of what the dog is trying to communicate. Posture is very important as well. If, in response to its owner's sneeze, the dog crouches down and wags its tail erratically, the dog is probably thinking the sneeze is a sign the owner wants to play. If the dog's tail was stationary and the posture rigid, the dog feels the need to investigate the sneeze further.

    High Tail Wag

    • The height at which a dog holds its tail when wagging has long been recognized as indicative of what the dog is trying to communicate. A tail held high with a slow and deliberate wag indicates the dog feels the need to fight or defend. A sneeze could trigger this reaction, particularly if it startles the dog.

    Low Tail Wag

    • A dog that holds its tail low and wags it only slightly in response to a sneeze is likely afraid of the noise. A dog holding its tail low while frantically wagging, is demonstrating submissiveness. The dog might think a sneeze is a display of the owner's authority to which the dog responds with submission.

    Direction of Tail Wag

    • Now, even the direction of the wagging, either right or left, may be significant according to a 2007 study published in Current Biology. Italian researchers found that dogs wag to the left when frightened and to the right when happy. If a sneeze triggers left-sided wagging then, the dog is probably afraid of the noise. Right-sided wagging in response to the sneeze probably just means the dog is happy with any noise the owner makes.