Can Dogs Feel Shame or Guilt? Our Vet Explores Canine Emotions

Picture this: you come through the door, tired from a day at work. Instead of the excited wagging tail you’re expecting from your best friend, you see ‘the look’. You know the one: sad eyes looking up at you, ears folded back, and a tail wagging anxiously, tucked firmly between their legs. And that’s when you see that the trash can is toppled over, and there is garbage everywhere. 

Your dog knows you’re going to be upset, but do they know they did something wrong? Are they reacting to your disappointment or angry behavior? Are they feeling guilt or shame? The truth is, until we can truly get inside the canine mind, we don’t know for certain, and there is no consensus on whether or not guilt or shame are within a dog’s emotional capability. Millions of pet parents will tell you that their dog absolutely feels guilty when they’ve done something wrong, but science tells us that this is simply a response to our behavior. So which is it?

Read on to find out.

Do Dogs Know They Did Something Wrong?

We know that dogs are highly intelligent creatures, able to learn commands, remember words, and pick up on our emotions, all from a very young age. But when they destroy your favorite pair of shoes or shred the new sofa cushions, are they cowering because they feel guilty, or is it simply a reaction to our anger?

Certainly in their early stages of learning, when we’re teaching them all the dos and don’ts, cringing or hiding are going to be a direct reaction to negative stimulus; something called positive punishment. 

For example, they pee on the carpet, you shout, they make an association between the action and your reaction.

The opposite of this is positive reinforcement, when we reward the desired behavior with praise or treats. Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool in dog training because it gives your dog exactly what their heart desires. Positive punishment is not so helpful, as it is only effective if you catch them in the act, plus it can create stress and fear; things you don’t want your dog to associate with you.

Over time, dogs learn to anticipate what you want, whether that’s sitting at mealtimes without being asked, giving you their paw in the hopes it will get them a treat, or staying off the bed because they don’t want to be shouted at. Some dogs are very literal when it comes to training, and learn that they are not allowed on the bed when people are home, but no one tells them to get off the bed when people are out, and so, you eventually discover that your dog immediately heads to the bedroom as soon as you leave the house. This isn’t defiance; it is literal learning.

Of course, if you manage to enter the house without them noticing and you catch them in the act, their reaction will be that of a dog in trouble, because they know they have broken the rule that says ‘not allowed on the bed when people are home’. This will look like guilt, but it is more likely that we are putting our own interpretation on their behavior, a phenomenon known as anthropomorphization, where we apply human emotions and logic to the behavior of animals. 

So we know that dogs know when they’ve done something wrong, but does that mean they can also experience guilt or shame?

Can Dogs Feel Guilt or Shame?

There’s no doubt that our dogs can deliver facial expressions and body language that scream “guilty!” However, just because it looks like guilt to us doesn’t make it so. Similarly, people often assume their dog is yawning because they are tired or bored, when in fact, this is more often an indication of stress or discomfort.

Dogs are, on average, believed to have similar cognitive abilities to that of a toddler,¹ meaning their capacity to determine right from wrong, or anticipate consequences, is limited. This is comforting, because it means that our dogs do not do something that will upset us, knowing it will upset us. But it’s how they behave afterwards that leads to debate.

Take Fred for example. Fred is a three-year-old housetrained Chihuahua who, on occasion, gets caught short and poops on the back door mat. That’s not his fault; it usually means his owner didn’t pick up on his subtle request to go outside, and he is never told off for these accidents. What’s interesting is that Fred’s owner knows there’s poop on the mat before they see it because Fred looks guilty. Despite being toilet-trained through 99% positive reinforcement and 1% positive punishment (shout to interrupt indoor toileting), his reaction to toileting indoors is to cower, tremble, and appease. What is this if not guilt and shame?

The complex emotions that arise when a person feels they ‘did’ something bad (guilt) or ‘are’ something bad (shame) are typically only applied to humans, purely because only humans can truly understand how another human is processing a thought or feeling. They are inextricably linked to concepts of morality and social standards, and from our current understanding of canine cognition, intelligence, and behavior, feelings of guilt and shame are simply too ‘human’ to apply. That isn’t to say that dogs aren’t capable of complex feelings and emotions; just not these particular ones.

The far more likely scenario is that your dog has intelligently learned to associate certain actions or scenarios with a negative feeling, but often, they only make that link after it has happened. They understand that the shredded blanket is going to result in an unhappy human, but they can’t always premeditate those consequences, so the ‘guilt’ doesn’t set in until after the damage is done. They know they’ve done something wrong, and this makes them feel stressed and anxious, which to us looks like guilt. And some dogs are more sensitive to this than others.

For every Fred that huddles in their bed, wringing their paws after pooping in the house, there is a Sasha or Barney that stands in the rubble of their destruction, tail wagging, with absolutely no idea that they’re about to be shouted at. This doesn’t mean they’re unintelligent, uncaring, delinquents, or psychopaths; they simply do not form strong links between outcome and consequence. Equally, some dogs are able to make the connection between an action and the angry human reaction, and learn not to do the ‘naughty’ thing.

The fact that dogs can – and do – display these appeasing, anxious behaviors before, or in the absence of, any negative human reaction tells us that they are capable of anticipating our anger, frustration, or raised voices. It does not, however, prove that they are feeling remorse for what they have done, only that they are capable of learning.

What Do I Do When My Dog Acts Guilty?

There are certain behaviors and actions that dogs show when they think they are in trouble.

When dogs display these behaviors after rooting through the garbage or making a mess of our favorite rug, it’s easy to interpret them as evidence of guilt. However, these are classic signs of stress, anxiety, and appeasement that your dog is exhibiting in response to your actions or emotions, or in anticipation of them. It is important not to make things worse by actually shouting or punishing them.  

Try to keep your cool, ignore your dog, and sort out whatever mess or destruction has been created. Anger will make their anxiety worse, and reassurance will reinforce their appeasing behaviors. The best thing to do is to wait until the moment has passed, and focus on giving positive reinforcement for actions and behaviors you want to see more of.

Dog Shaming

We have all seen the videos of dogs looking guilty. It seems harmless. Pet owners are filming their pets as they interrogate them about the mess they made. It is adorable to watch, but is it good for our pets? If the behaviors displayed are fear and anxiety, we may be causing stress for our faithful companions.

While dog shaming might seem cute and innocent to you, it may not feel so good to them. Whether the issue is related to anxiety, health, or training, it is important to address it, not encourage or exploit it for likes.

Summary

While our dogs are capable of a wide range of emotions, guilt and shame are moral and societal constructs which really only apply to humans. Many dogs do show signs that we would associate with guilt, but it is more likely that these behaviors are in response to, or in anticipation of, our own reactions. Whilst it’s important for dogs to learn boundaries, and training is essential for a happy and harmonious household, we shouldn’t use fear or punishment to get the message across. Every dog is different, and what may have worked for you in the past might not work now, and for some dogs, like poor little Fred, a harsh word can live in their memory for years. Focus on positive reinforcement, and don’t forget to reward your dog for good behavior, even if that behavior is doing nothing at all!

See Also:

• What Do Dogs Think About All Day? Understanding the Canine Mind

• Do Dogs Get Embarrassed? Understanding Canine Behavior

Featured Image Credit: san4ezz, Shutterstock