The position of the head, ears, eyes, lips and tail says a lot about the dog’s mood.
If the dog wags its tail, it simply means that it is excited. Often it is positive excitement (he is happy). However, the dog can also be enraged: in this case its tail is stiff in the air and is being wagged back and forth. Anxious animals also often wag their tails because they are excited. The tail is usually held lower and the rest of the dog’s gestures betray its feelings.
Soothing signals serve to ensure smooth cooperation and as a preventive measure for disputes. The very small signals in body language (walking slowly, swerving, averting your gaze, standing, yawning, licking your muzzle, raising your front paw, urinating, scratching, etc.) not only serve the dog to avoid conflicts with other dogs – and people – but also have the purpose of calming oneself down (e.g. street noise, New Year’s Eve banging).