For many dog owners, returning home to a tail-wagging furry friend is a familiar and heart-melting sight. But do wolves, our dogs’ wild ancestors, also use this tail-wagging behavior? The short answer is yes, and we think that’s adorable.

Tail Wagging in Wolves

Wolves do indeed wag their tails, and this behavior serves critical social functions within their packs. Tail wagging in wolves is most commonly observed during what is known as “greeting behavior.” This behavior is primarily exhibited by subordinate wolves towards dominant pack members, especially during reunions after periods of separation.

Wolves are only sometimes near their pack members. They may break away into smaller hunting groups or even wander off individually. When they come back together, tail wagging and other forms of greeting behavior become prominent, similar to how domestic dogs greet their human owners and other dogs.

Social Structure and Communication

In wolf packs, tail wagging is a way for wolves to communicate their status and establish social hierarchy. Typically, a wolf pack consists of a breeding male and female, along with their offspring and other non-breeding adults. Despite the public notion of a singular “alpha wolf,” the highest ranking of a pack is the breeding pair. The rest of the hierarchy is based on age, with older offspring ranking above younger ones. This also makes sense on a human level- parents are the ‘highest ranked’ in a familial unit, with younger siblings looking up to their older siblings.

When a subordinate wolf wags its tail low and rapidly, it signifies a submissive attitude. This apparent display of subordination helps minimize conflicts by defining each wolf’s role and access to resources, such as food. Such behaviors are crucial for maintaining order and harmony within the pack.

Pup Tail Wags And Lip Licking

The origins of tail wagging in wolves can be traced back to their early interactions as pups. Young wolf puppies start displaying tail-wagging and lip-licking behaviors to their older pack members when they are just a few weeks old. These behaviors are particularly noticeable when the adults return from hunting.

When the adult wolves return to the den, the puppies rush to greet them with low tail wags and lip licking. This greeting behavior serves a dual purpose. First, it helps reinforce social bonds within the pack. Second, it plays a crucial role in the feeding process. From about three weeks of age, wolf pups rely on meat that adult pack members regurgitate. The pups’ lip-licking behavior can stimulate the adults to regurgitate food, thus ensuring the pups get a meal.

As the pups mature and transition to eating solid food around six and a half weeks, they continue to use lip licking and tail wagging as part of their social interactions.

Domestic Dogs Tail Wagging

While domestic dogs share many behavioral traits with their wild relatives, they have adapted their greeting behaviors to fit their interactions with humans. Unlike wolves, domestic dogs may not use lip licking as frequently, but the lip-licking instinct often plays out as face-licking or doggy kisses.

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