A question about whether dogs feel guilty.....?

Question

I've heard/read about so many people who say that dogs CANNOT and DO NOT feel guilty about their actions, or feel an impending scolding coming. For example, you come home and your dog who is usually happy to see you is huddled in a ball with those big sad eyes, then you turn the corner to your bedroom and see that he has destroyed a pillow or something.

Now, some people would say that he doesn't know what he did was wrong -- he is "merely picking up on your signals that you are mad".... but if I just came home, and am happy as usual to see him and don't even know about the pillow, how did he pick up on signals I didn't even give? His signals told me he did something wrong. It was just another day to me - I had no idea what he had done.

I don't understand it. I personally believe that dogs can feel guilty or know that an upcoming scolding is coming if they do something wrong. I welcome any and all comments otherwise. I think its very interesting! Thanks

Wow what a lot of different responses! I was hoping for that. I really can't decide if all the dogs I've had in my life are "super intelligent" like someone said, or I'm just reading more into their signals than what is there.
At this point I do still think that a dog will know when its done something wrong, and will act accordingly because it knows a reprimand is coming because of what it did wrong (And by the way, a reprimand in our house is a strong finger waving and a commanding "BAD!".... not hitting, ever).

Answer 1

Oh they know! Believe me they know! Our 4 yr old dachsund has recently decided she'd rather pee and poo on the living room carpet than go outside, so I have resorted back to crate training to try and keep an eye on her. My husband let her out early this morning when he got up, she wouldn't get off the step. He finally let her back in, and as I was sleeping and couldn't say not, he left her loose. He went out to start his car, came back in, and found her slinking to her crate. Walked around the corner, and there in the living room floor was a nice pile of poo! She knew!

I can't help but wonder why some people are so determined that humans own emotion and feelings, but it simply isn't true. They feel, they think, and they remember!

Answer 2

The way a hamster learns what happens when it suddenly quits moving it's feet when it is on it's wheel, a dog also learns the outcome of certain behaviors. In 25+ yrs, I have never seen a dog "cower" after the first time they destroy something. It is after they are punished for it , then do it again that they anticipate a negative response from their human.

If a puppy chews up the couch and gets scolded, then in a day or 2 chews up a pillow and gets scolded, then in another day ort so chew up some trash and gets scolded, it begins to anticipate a "scolding" after chewing. However, they are not always smart enough to learn from past mistakes, especially if their reprimand is given in an inappropriate way for the dog to comprehend the purpose. If a dog chews up a pillow at 9 am and gets punished for it at 6:30 PM, can the dog really understand what it is getting punished for?

Animal behavior really is an interesting and fast advancing science. Please don't discard it as "schmientist" crap.

Answer 3

To be perfectly honest, renal failure (especially in an older dog) is almost ALWAYS fatal. A second opinion probably would have had the same result. IV fluids can only do so much...it may have lengthened the dog's life a litte, but not by much (and the quality of life would have been very low). I believe you made the right choice in euthanizing your dog. 13 years old is pretty old (atleast for most dog breeds), so your dog had a long life. You shouldn't feel guilty at all...take comfort in the fact that you loved him enough to let him go.

Answer 4

Consider that your dog has had a history of associations with your presence + the ruined pillow or whatever it is. As a result of this association, he's going to start with the appeasement behaviors and body language as soon as you walk in the door. So it's the history of punishment that's associated with your coming home. Dogs are masters at associating event A with event B. The dog has learned that your presence + the ruined object is dangerous.

http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/diagrams.html

http://www.wagntrain.com/BodyLanguage2.htm

Dogs are not capable of the humans emotions of guilt or spite. Ascribing those emotions to dogs is unfair - instead, try to set up your dog for success by changing his environment. Make it impossible for your dog to get to those things and give your dog appropriate chewies. Good luck!

Answer 5

I agree with you! I have three dogs at home, and whenever one of them do something wrong you can always tell who it was! If you get them all near the mishap, two of them will be acting normal, and one will be trying his/her best not to make eye contact and have a really miserable look on his/her face. Its really funny. Of course, its not okay to scold your dog after the fact it has already happened, because even though he looks guilty he may or may not understand why you are yelling at him. It is only okay to scold your dog as something is happening or immediately after (3 seconds or so). But I know what you mean about the guilty thing, it is funny to watch!

Answer 6

YES I believe they can and do. Your point is exactly right-you didn't even know he did anything yet, but he was already feeling bad about it. I used to call my puppies "sneak poopers" because they would poop in areas that you wouldn't notice right away, and then when you did, all it would take was a groan, and even in another room, the pups would hightail for their 'spot' looking all sad like "I couldn't help it, mom". And I've never scolded a puppy for accidents in the house after the fact-it is pointless and they don't learn from it. They know when they been busted! I wish cheating spouses were as easy to read, life would probably be a lot easier!

Answer 7

Yes they do, My dog got sick, She kept throwing up only when I let her out in the yard, She did not want me to know about it. She would still eat her food when I gave it to her. On Monday night she threw up twice & hid it with her pillow. She would throw up when I left the room. I knew she was not feeling well, But not that sick because she was hiding the vomit, She was dinking water she seemed OK. She did have a bad heart and died this past tuesday. She waited till I had gone up stairs to do something when she choose to die. It was her time & she knew it and waited till the right moment.

Yes they can feel gulty and not want you to think or know they might have done something wrong, They may even try to hide it when it is their time to go (Die) because the dont want to upset you.
I only found out how may time she threw up was because I decided to check the yard after finding vomit hidden in her pillow. It was for about three says she was doing this and was hiding it from me.

Answer 8

They have some emotions like us humans do but I seriously doubt that they feel guilt but they can become fearful. If the dog is scolded alot and especially upon your arrival through the door, he can grow to become fearful of what your reaction might be. To get him to stop tearing up pillows, you should put them away and/or but him new toys regularly to keep him distracted or get a pet sitter to come visit him during the day while you're away or put him in doggie daycare where he can play with other dogs and work off some of the energy.

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Sweetie

Answer 9

Dogs know when they've done something wrong. One time my dog got overexcited, jumped up as I was kneeling and smashed his chin on my teeth. When I looked at him you could tell he was sorry 'cos he was sat in a corner looking at the floor.

They do feel sorry, but I doubt they feel guilt because they don't keep reminding themselves about it like someone feeling guilt would.

Also, I read in a book that you shouldn't scold a dog much later than 2 secs after they do something wrong because they don't connect themselves with what they are being told off for after that time.

Answer 10

Your dog does know that you will be upset when you discover what he did while you were gone. It doesn't mean that they did it to get back at you while you were gone. They just know that what they did you will not approve of. Why do you think puppies will run and hide to poop or pee? They understand that their pet parent will not like it if they do it in front of them! You just need to find an alternative behavior to reward.

If you put the things up that your dog might destroy and leave things out that they can play with, then come home and praise them for playing with the correct things, they will repeat this behavior instead of ruining your pillow!