Let’s face it, our dogs can do things that simply perplex their owners. How many times have you just had to shake your head at your dog’s seemingly strange behavior? Or been revolted by something that just seems disgusting to you?
Amazingly, there are people, canine behaviorists, who have studied this to try to help us understand our canine companions. Their observations can enhance the human/canine connection we share with our pets. Many of their findings explain our pet’s behaviors through survival pack instincts that enabled dogs to communicate and flourish before they became domesticated.
3The “Guilty” Face
We have all seen this look, the look of shame, that pitiful, heartfelt look when we feel they know they have been naughty. When you are holding up the chewed up shoe, or pointing to the pee puddle on the kitchen floor, most dog owners report that they can see from their dog’s face that he knows he is guilty.
But, is this true? Probably not. In reality, dogs memories are very short. In fact, dog trainers report that if punishment or reward does not happen within a few seconds of the action it simply does not make sense to the dog. They don’t link the behavior with your reaction.
So, when you get home from work and discover that doggie has done something naughty, punishing him will make no sense to him. He will react to your feelings and actions, but he won’t really connect the two, no matter what you do. His memory doesn’t work like that. And his feelings are likely not complex enough to including guilt, though he does react to your feelings.
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