Tail is down

[yummybagel]

Hello I have a male beagle who just turned a year old.
He's a cheerful guy, but I'm noticing that his tail is down alot of times.
I've heard that if a tail is down, then it means the dog is sad...
I'm a new dog owner so everything is just new and confusing...
It's up when he's walking, or when alarmed but when nothing is happening or just standing, his tail is down.
Does the tail always have to be up?
He seems cheerful, he runs around....

[Fundog]

Hi. No, the tail does not always have to be up. It can just hang limp sometimes, and it doesn't necessarily mean the dog is sad. Now, if the tail is tucked down between his legs, that is not a happy sign.... but otherwise, sometime they just get tired of holding their tail up in the air all the time-- we would too, if we had a tail.