When your dog is simply walking around, he doesn’t really need his tail to help with movement. However, when your dog is moving quickly or changing direction suddenly, the tail is very useful as a counterbalance.
When a dog walks along a narrow surface or climbs on uneven footing, its tail helps him to balance.
Just like humans rely on facial expressions to convey emotions, dogs use their tails to show us and other dogs how they are feeling.
Indicating their emotional state with their tail is part of a dog’s communication. A tail raised high shows that a dog is confident, assertive, or sometimes aggressive.
A dog that feels confident will raise its tail high so that its unique scent can spread and tell everyone that he’s around.