It's Dog Day!

There are service dogs, rescue dogs, athletic dogs and cuddly dogs. We depend on them and love them so. That’s why today is Dog Day! Celebrate your canine friend with extra attention today.  The rewards are endless, but if your dog gets into mischief and looks up at you with those big adorable eyes, are they feeling guilt or shame?  Not according to the experts:

While dogs do feel a range of emotions, any perception that they feel guilt or shame is likely to be misconceived. Cambridge University researchers had owners teach their dogs not to eat a biscuit within their reach. Then the owners left the room, and another person conducting the experiment either removed the biscuit or encouraged the dog to eat it. When the owner returned to the room and saw the biscuit was gone, they were told to decide from the look on the dog’s face whether it had eaten the treat or not. The results revealed the owners could not tell. Dr. Susan Hazel of the University of Adelaide agreed, saying, “There have been a number of studies, and it’s pretty clear that dogs don’t feel or display guilt. It’s not the way their brains work.” Animal behaviorist Elain Henley says that dogs can feel emotions, but that emotions like guilt and jealousy are just human ideas, adding, “So when they look guilty, they are reacting to their owner’s behavior, the tone of voice, the gestures, maybe even the way their owner’s smell.” (Telegraph) (Image: commons.wikimedia.org)