When Pups Show You Their Guilty Face, Do They Know They've Been Bad?

All pup parents are familiar with their pup’s “guilty” face – they see it after their pup has done something they’re not supposed to, like dug up the yard, gone to the trash, or chewed on an expensive shoe.

But do pups actually experience guilt the way we think they do? Do they really know what they did wrong?

Guilt is a pretty complex human emotion, and it requires a high level of understanding regarding actions and consequences. Pups don’t usually think in these terms, and it’s arguable whether they’re capable of this in the first place. What pups actually do is rely on their natural instincts, which allow them to accurately interpret cues in the environment.

What does this mean? Well, imagine you’ve come home only to find that your pup has made a mess. Instantly, you feel your mood sour – and so does your pup. Your pup takes cues from your reaction, sensing that something is wrong and that your body language speaks of anger or displeasure. This puts a pup on edge and triggers their “fight or flight” response – your pup sees you as their pack leader, so your stress puts them on edge, too.

This means that your pup may not be able to recognize that you’re angry because of their actions at all. As such, scolding your pup won’t have the desired effect. Instead, you can try to organize your home environment so that house training is easy to follow, and direct your pup to a crate if you will be gone for extended periods of time. With the right environment, a pup will feel compelled to make the “right” choices! Do like and share this information if you found it useful!