{"id":16172,"date":"2023-07-07T15:08:41","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T15:08:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/blog\/uncategorized\/do-dogs-feel-guilt\/"},"modified":"2023-07-07T15:11:55","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T15:11:55","slug":"do-dogs-feel-guilt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/en-us\/blog\/puppy-behavior\/understanding-your-puppy\/do-dogs-feel-guilt\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Dogs Feel Guilt?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019ve all seen it\u2026 a ripped up sofa and a guilty looking dog right? But do dogs actually feel guilt? Dog shame and dogs feeling guilty is something many people wonder about. Does your dog know when they\u2019ve done something wrong? Do they feel guilty? What even is that guilty look we see in dogs on social media all about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enjoy training guilt free with Zigzag!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In this article we\u2019re going to take a look (pun intended) at why do dogs look guilty, whether dogs feel guilt or is it fear? Is there a difference in body language between a dog that\u2019s fearful and a dog that\u2019s guilty, and do dogs understand when they do something wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Zigzag app <\/a>we have a full puppy training program, that helps your puppy learn right from wrong, all laid out in lessons that use up-to-date methods and are kind and effective. There\u2019s also a team of professional dog trainers<\/a> on hand via our in-app chat, to answer all kinds of questions, yes including \u2018do dogs feel guilt\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Richard Horne<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why do dogs look guilty?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we think dogs look guilty, this is our interpretation of their low, appeasing, non-threatening, and some may say submissive body language. In human terms, if someone displayed this type of body language, we may assume it was their non-verbal way of saying sorry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Looking for training advice – try our app!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We anthropomorphize dogs a lot! So when they exhibit certain body language, we often try to put it in human terms, but they\u2019re not humans, they\u2019re 100% another species.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more in our guide to puppy behavior<\/a> and puppy body language.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do dogs feel guilty? Or is it fear?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We hate to break the news, but dogs do not feel guilt, avoiding eye contact, turning their heads, and looking sad<\/a> is a response to our cues. Domestication <\/a>has made dogs very attuned to how we feel, and the guilty look is generally a fearful response in anticipation of punishment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the difference in body language between guilt and fear?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Signs of \u2018guilt\u2019 and signs of fear are often linked, but can also look different. What matters is the context and situation the dog is in, if they are fearful of fireworks<\/a>, their behavior will look different to them reading your behavior that they have done something you don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs of Fear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A dog scared of something will generally have their fight or flight system activated, and the body language<\/a> displayed will be based around making the threat go away, or hiding away from it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n