Question about dog body language

Hello. I try to pay attention to my puppy’s body language when meeting other dogs, and give her space to decide if she wants to approach or retreat, but one thing that’s puzzling me is that often she will tuck her tail as if frightened whilst still trying to approach the dog / pulling insistently toward them. Is this a “feel the fear but do it anyway” sort of thing? Or is it that one signal might mean something else in this context? She’s ten months old but has been doing this for a while, even with dogs she’s met multiple times, when we pass on the street or at cafes.