Dogs may wag their tails so much due to rhythm-loving humans, scientists say

Experts hypothesise that attractiveness of behaviour was selected for during domestication process

Whether it is an elegant swish or a furious oscillation, tail wagging is ubiquitous among dogs. Now researchers have suggested it may have become commonplace during canine domestication because humans love its rhythm.

It is thought humans domesticated dogs sometime between 15,000 and 50,000 years ago - a process that has led to a fervent bond between the two species, with about a third of households in the UK having a dog.