Dogs are known for their expressive tails, wagging furiously when they’re happy or excited. While this is endearing in real life, it can create a challenge on movie sets, especially during serious or emotional scenes. Imagine a tense moment in a drama or a heartfelt goodbye in a tearjerker—if the dog’s tail is wagging with excitement, it can completely undercut the mood of the scene.
This is where CGI (computer-generated imagery) comes to the rescue. Filmmakers often use CGI to adjust or entirely replace a dog’s tail movements when the natural behavior doesn’t fit the tone of the story. For example, a wagging tail might be digitally altered to hang still or droop to match a somber moment, ensuring the scene remains emotionally authentic.
A famous example comes from Call of the Wild (2020), where CGI was used extensively for the animal performances, including subtle adjustments to tails and ears. In other cases, a real dog may be used, but its tail is enhanced or corrected in post-production.
While purists might argue that it takes away from the “realness” of the performance, CGI tail adjustments are just another tool in a filmmaker’s kit to ensure every detail aligns with the story being told. After all, even the best-trained dogs can’t always act on command—especially when their tails have a mind of their own!
