The dovetail is a mortise and tenon joint (a joint that fits two pieces of wood together tightly). The most complicated way of making corners was the full dovetail notch. Since it was so complicated, it was also the least used method.

The half dovetail notch was the most common, especially in Southern Appalachian log construction. It is also a mortise and tenon joint.
An example of this would be the Cooper Log House in the Steele Creek Community.

Saddle notch is the easiest, used with unhewn (round with bark) logs in the earliest , usually temporary shelters of pioneers.