??He doesn't understand unless you catch him in the act??

[Tonya]

Just a healthy debate. I hope.

You know how we all say to only discipline the dog if we catch them in the act. For instance, if we find pee or a hole in the yard, we let it go unless we caught them doing it because the dogs won't connect the two.

Well, don't you think dogs are smarter then that? If I walk by a hole that Roxy has dug or something she's chewed up, she gets a guilty look. If Sarah peed and I didn't catch it, she'll run off when I am cleaning it up.

I would love to hear opinions.

[Shelteez2]

What is your body language when you find the items?
My first theory is that the dog's are reading your body language. If you are upset about this then they will know and act sorry.

What about when you get home and the dog is hiding and you don't know what's wrong?

My theory for that is that they've gotten in trouble for a mess before (ie a person came home saw a mess and then said bad dog or whatever). So the dog associates the mess with getting in trouble, BUT the thing is that the dog doesn't associate the actual act of making the mess with getting in trouble.

I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone else but me. LOL But that's what I choose to believe.

[aly]

Dogs don't feel guilt persay, but it can look that way to us humans. Your dogs probably act weird around certain things because they know you've yelled at them before for it. For instance, if Roxy looks guilty around a hole, she remembers that you have yelled at her for digging holes previously. However, if she ripped up a plant while you weren't home and you come home and try to yell at her for it, she'll have no clue what you're talking about, get confused, and not know what is wrong.

I know I'm not explaining myself well at all, but I've had a really long, emotionally draining day and can't really concentrate. I will add more to this thread later. But I definately know that science proves that you just have to catch them in the act and you cannot discipline after the fact.

*edit* ah yes, I meant to add in the body language thing too (as Shelteez explained).

[Jods]

tonight when we got home Mercedes ran for the backyard.. lol... So we knew she had done something wrong. We came in and the house was a mess cushions from the couch strewn everywhere also fluff from the pillows that were ripped everywhere... Soda cracker box torn up.. and on and on... We just went out to dinner for like 3 hrs lol... anyways what I'm getting at is she ran to the door cuz she knew she had done something bad or because the last time she did it she got in trouble. I dunno??? I think when she does soemthing she knows she's being bad.... This is a hard question... Like the one dogs can only see black and white is this true???

[pitc9]

With my pups, if I find something chewed up, and I show it to them both. The guilty party always shows it!
I've had it work a few times!! I've picked up something and showed Buddy, and he just looks at me like "What!? I didn't do it" Then I look at Sierra and her ears are pinned back and she's sneaking into another room. And I've done it the other way, and I swear Sierra just laughs when Buddy's done something!!
I don't know if it's true... but I swear I can tell which of my dogs have done something wrong!

I've also had it when it's been a group effort and they BOTH run and hide!!

[Tonya]

Originally posted by pitc9
With my pups, if I find something chewed up, and I show it to them both. The guilty party always shows it!
I've had it work a few times!! I've picked up something and showed Buddy, and he just looks at me like "What!? I didn't do it" Then I look at Sierra and her ears are pinned back and she's sneaking into another room. And I've done it the other way, and I swear Sierra just laughs when Buddy's done something!!
I don't know if it's true... but I swear I can tell which of my dogs have done something wrong!

I've also had it when it's been a group effort and they BOTH run and hide!!

Exactly! It's normally Roxy or Sarah who's done bad, and they show it. Dusty will sit there and yap at me like "THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT! I WAS GOOD!" Occasionally, when it is Dusty, he does the funniest thing. Just like a little kid, he runs backwards and keeps his butt away from me.

He's kind of a wierd dog, scolding doesn't work real well on him, so I've always tapped his butt when he's bad. I don't inflict pain, but just kind of pat it with my hand and say "No!" It is the only thing that works for him. He's pretty much grown out of being naughty though, I almost never have to discipline him.