Do you think dogs can feel guilty ?

[felinequine]

I'm sorry if nobody else agrees, but I think Daphne is guilty about things she does..And if you don't agree, I'm not a behaviourist...

[momoffuzzyfaces]

If dogs don't feel guilty, some of them should get academy awards for some of the performances I've seen.

[C.C.'s Mom]

Even though I've read Carries words.... I'm also one of those who see human expressions and emotions in my pets.

One look in The Cook's eyes after eating the Forbidden Catfood...... yep: guilty!
But, she can also give me that look when I ask her something to do. So I have to agree on momoffuzzyfaces, she's quite an actress!

[lizbud]

Hey Guys,

The ' look' humans interpret as guilt, is not that at
all to a dog. Dogs have no concept of right & wrong
as humans think of it.. They know immediately when
you are displeased with them and act appropriately
submissive, but will go ahead and do the very same
action which brought on the disapproval , the next
chance they get. They do what feels good & right for
them at the time, but they do not feel bad all afternoon
while awaiting their people to come home and find
the 'bad' deed. Yes they have what humans call a
look of guilt, but they do not experience it in the way
we think of it. Does that make any sense to you ?
What I'm trying to say is dogs are not capable of
abstract thought processes.

[carrie]

Here is a classic example of humans misinterpreting animal expressions and body language.

Most if us have seen pictures of captive chimps that have been trained to smile on command. Circus chimps, film chimps and those used in T.V. We tend to accept the big grin as a sign that the animal is feeling secure and is happy enough.
The big toothy grin is, however, how a chimp shows that it is feeling fear - a fear face.
Once trained it does not mean that every time the chimp displays this expression it is fearful, just like a dog can be trained to limp when there is nothing wrong with it. It does show that while the expression is very similar to a human one the meaning behind it is very different indeed.

[MichelleN]

I agree that dogs don't "feel" the emotion but I have a question. My boys are rescues so I have no idea how they were being treated 6 months ago. However, in the house, they are usually brought in and told to lie down on the rugs (they would much rather be under our feet and sometimes we let them). When Digby comes inside, he usually has a "wary" head-down look on his face. Do you think that he was yelled at by the previous owner when he came inside, or is he reacting to our usual command to lie down? Is he just being submissive?

Ah, confusing creatures!!

[ilovehounds]

All very very very good points ! But I still think they feel guilty, sad, happy, excited, depressed, embarassed ........... they are my babies and I love them very much and treat them like a child so I feel they can feel the same as a child can ???? Call me crazy everyone does ...lol..

[lizbud]

ilovehounds,

I would never call you crazy. Most people in
fact tend to anthromorphize their pets.Dogs &
cats can feel many of the same emotions as us.
They feel pain, fear,hunger,happiness,joy,& can
be excited or depressed, but not guilty or
embarrassed. Only humans do, and only humans
need to ... Hug Hannah & Copper for me. Liz.

[sweet_stormy]

Yes, I think dogs can feel guilty. When my mom yells or something Snowball will go hide under the end table in my living room or under the computer desk. Or if she takes something and we tell her not to do it again she puts her head down low and her ears go down lower too. Today my dog Snowball took a plastic thing of flowers and it was in her mouth. I said "Looks like Snowball wants to get married." and my brother Nick said to Snowball "Who's the special dog Snowball?". I just laughed.

[LoudLou]

Originally posted by ilovehounds
All very very very good points ! But I still think they feel guilty, sad, happy, excited, depressed, embarassed ........... they are my babies and I love them very much and treat them like a child so I feel they can feel the same as a child can ???? Call me crazy everyone does ...lol..

Then we will both be crazy. I feel the same way.

[lizbud]

Just want to say how much I've enjoyed reading
everyone's thoughts and feelings about this subject.

Thanks ilovehounds ,for posing the question...

All the discussion reminds me of a quote and riddle
posed by Abraham Lincoln that says;
"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg ?
Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg ."