|
 The wolf uses
body language to convey much of what it is thinking. This is called:
posturing. Posturing is very important and takes place in all wolf packs
on a day to day basis.
What is needed to be good at body language?
| 1. A long
tail.
2. Ears that stand up and can be
moved.
3. Long Fangs.
Hey, even a vampire is good at body
language.
Let us get back to
wolves. |
Check out the wolf in the picture below. Can you tell me what the
wolf on the left is saying?
Lets take a
close look at the picture above. The wolf on the left has its ears up but
it has its tail down. The wolf on the right has its ears back, but they
are not pinned to his head. Also, the wolf on the right has its tail down
too.
I think these two guys are playing. It is
hard to tell from a picture alone. This is because body language does not
always tell the whole story. There is also verbal communication. You know,
growling, whining, and screeching.
The point
that this picture makes is that you must take into account what has
happened before this picture was taken to fully understand what each wolf
is thinking.
Lets take a
look at some different types of body language. First, we will start with
tail positions.
The picture below just shows half of
the story. The other half relates to movement of the tail in the position
it is in. We are just going to explore tail positions and leave movements
for another time.
Tail Positions
|
Tail
Position |
Description |
|
1 |
The
tail is held erect and high. This signifies a leadership role. The
alpha male and the alpha female are the ones that normally hold
their tail in this position. This is also a sign of
confidence. |
|
2 |
Attack arousal. The wolf is not sure what is going to
happen, but is taking a posture that can be either offensive or
defensive. This is a "ready for aggression"
posture. |
|
3 |
Imposing attitude with sideways brushing. The wolf holding
its tail like this is a confident animal. |
|
4 |
Normal tail position. This is a common tail position when
the wolf is eating or observing. It shows interest in
something. |
|
5 |
Very relaxed position. This occurs in a situation when
there is no social pressure. |
|
6 |
Submissive position. This position indicates to other
wolves that no aggressive behavior is fourth
coming. |
|
7 |
An
extreme sign of submission and/or
fear. |
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