When I first saw Guilty Dog Denver on YouTube, I rolled on the floor laughing. I remember watching that video over and over again. It was hilarious!
Everyone I know loved Denver’s guilty reaction to eating a bag of candy.
Soon, other viral videos of guilty dogs followed, each better than the last. Something hit me until I heard what you did in one of the videos.
Do dogs really know they are guilty? Do they really feel guilty?
Of course, I had to satisfy my curiosity. Otherwise it will turn into a cat (and we don’t want that, do we?)!
Here’s what we found out: And here’s the real reason for this ridiculously cute guilt!
It’s not wrong, it’s…
The dog looks carefully
… fear!
The problem is that your dog doesn’t know that some things in your world are classified as bad. In their world, it’s normal to chew on slippers or eat other dogs’ poo. It’s gross, I know!
Guilt is a complex emotion. So far, scientists have discovered that dogs can experience basic emotions such as love, fear, sadness, happiness and anger. But the accusation of their dog mentality is much more complex. We feel guilty after doing something we shouldn’t. We will accept this feeling. But for dogs, it’s a black and white situation (no pun intended). Most of the time they are either happy or sad. |1|
Speaking of sadness…
Sad border dog looking through the fence
Those sad puppy dog eyes, guilty expression, and bowed head could mean you are hurting your dog with your reaction.
I know it’s not very fun to come home with fallen plants, torn newspapers, and looted kitchen scraps, but you have to control your reactions. Emotional stress, anger and unnecessary fighting are not good for either party. You’ll feel bad for yelling at your dog, and your dog will be heartbroken because your loved one is so mad at him. Therefore, there is no point in shouting. Your dog doesn’t understand. Of course, you should never use physical punishment, such as hitting a dog. It doesn’t deserve it, but it comes from a raw and simple heart. A woman yells at a lying dog through a megaphone.
The best thing you can do is take your dog outside regularly, preferably in a crate, to let him “think”. Of course, your dog won’t sit there and think about his actions. But this kind of punishment makes sense. Dogs have an excellent memory and remember everything. They will definitely remember your reaction after doing something. They remember that you cut your attention and you cut it in a dog for a period. | 2 |
Clean methods, how to treat restrictions and toys should be useful enough to learn the dog better. The next time he decides to hit the litter box, he will definitely stop and remind you that this behavior earned him negative points.
She definitely didn’t want you to pay attention to her for a while and it would break her little heart. We tend to anthropomorphize dogs. But it would be a mistake to think that they think like us. However, there is no harm in taking funny photos of your dog misbehaving right next to the signs that something is wrong.
