Behaviorists: Dogs feel no shame despite the look

[TexasTowelie]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The next time you start shaking your finger and shouting "Shame on you!" because your dog chewed up your favorite fuzzy slippers, just remember that no matter how guilty your dog looks, it doesn't know what your rant is about.

Behaviorists insist dogs lack shame. The guilty look — head cowered, ears back, eyes droopy — is a reaction to the tantrum you are throwing now over the damage they did hours earlier.

"Just get over it and remind yourself not to put temptation in the way next time," said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

But scientific findings have not put a dent in the popularity of online dog shaming sites like dogshaming.com and shameyourpet.com or videos like those posted on youtube.com/crackrockcandy. In the photos and videos, dogs wear humorous written "confessions" and often are surrounded by the remnants of their misdeeds. There is no question that in some photos, they look guilty of eating, drinking, chewing, licking or destroying something they shouldn't have.

Dogshaming.com was the first and is among the most popular sites. Since Pascale Lemire started it in August 2012, it has received more than 58 million page views and more than 65,000 submissions. A submission has to come with a photo showing the dog's guilty look.

More at http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Behaviorists-Dogs-feel-no-shame-despite-the-look-5269256.php?cmpid=hpts .

[Xyzse]

1. Actually, that is probably true.

Which is why you have to catch them on the act, so that they know not to do something.
Otherwise, you're complaining about something they have not much memory of.

Once they do know, then they can feel shame for things they do and know they did wrong.

[RebelOne]

2. My Chihuahua is a yapper at anything or anyone outside.

Whenever she yaps, she knows I will be coming to scold her, so even before I do she cowers down and shuts up, until something else moves outside.

[magical thyme]

3. my Jake puts on the look of shame when I call him to come to me

Anybody who witnessed would think I must routinely beat the crap out of him or something

I don't know why he does it. He droops his head and tilts it sideways, droops his tail and wags just the tip of it slowly, sort of. And minces along at about 1/4 mile/hour until we reach each other (I get tired of waiting for him, so end up meeting him halfway, with me going about 3/4s half and him going about 1/4th half). I think the head tilt may be so that when we meet, he is already in "scritch my ear on that side" position.

Other times, he starts his "come with shame" and suddenly, without warning, bursts into a gay gallop and bounds up to me.

I don't know why. I never know when he's going to do it. It just seems to be some game that only he understands.

Luna, on the other hand, comes full tilt gallop, forgets himself and jumps on me while beating me half to death with his tail.

[JoeyT]

4. Mine look guilty before I even know what they've done.

I can always tell when something has been done when I'm not tackled when I walk in the door.