Do Dogs Have Morals? The Answer May Surprise You!

Dogs are precious and lovable, but what’s going on in their heads? Do they have a moral compass? The answer may surprise you!

To better consider this topic, let’s think about play and how dogs play. Dogs play in order to socialize with the people or animals they like. It’s a form of communication and a form of fun.

Researchers have found that, while playing, dogs actually take specific steps and follow a set of rules that keep play as innocent, harmless fun instead of escalating into a full-blown fight. These rules can be summarized as:

• They are polite and aware of manners
• They provide clear communication
• They apologize when they accidentally hurt whoever they’re playing with
• They are honest when they play

Dogs also often handicap themselves to provide fair and safe play. Larger dogs will be more gentle and even roll over to provide their smaller companions with an advantage. Wags of the tail, quick eye shifts, or small noises all tell the playing dogs what they need to know. Packs of dogs have also been known to shun dogs that don’t play by the rules, or that get too rough.

So, do dogs have morals? Given the definition of morals whereby they regulate social interactions as a set of intentions, choices, and resulting action – then yes! The rules, boundaries, and manners dogs have indicate a sense of morality. How cool is that?

Feature Image Source: Pixabay