At Sit Means Sit in Madison, Wisconsin, we get many dog owners telling us how guilty their dog looks when it has made a mistake. We also get frustrated owners telling us that their dogs don\u2019t <\/i>look guilty after doing something wrong. It is clear that these owners are watching their dogs for signs of human emotion. While dogs do experience emotions (and how many of them is constantly under debate), the situation is not quite what owners think it is.<\/p>\n
In a recent study, it was found that dogs look to see what reaction their owners expect from them. This involves carefully reading the owner\u2019s body language and expression. When the human in the study demonstrated \u201cdispleased\u201d body language and expression, the study\u2019s dog responded with body language that can be interpreted as \u201cworried.\u201d Remember, this \u201cworried\u201d interpretation is done according to human expectations for expressions, not canine. The study concluded that the dog expressed behavior that it knew would appease the displeased human. The dog knew that a displeased human was a bad thing, so it did the first thing it knew to fix the situation. This doesn\u2019t mean the dog felt regret or guilt.<\/p>\n
Misunderstanding is at the core of many of the problems between owners and their dogs. At our dog obedience training school, we work to clear up these misunderstandings so that you can move forward with your canine friend knowing how to interact constructively. If your dog is doing something you cannot understand or fix, don\u2019t give up! Contact us<\/a> or just bring your dog in for a free consultation today!<\/p>\n Looking for info on dog training services in Madison? Learn more about our services here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At Sit Means Sit in Madison, Wisconsin, we get many dog owners telling us how guilty their dog looks when it has made a mistake. We also get frustrated owners telling us that their dogs don\u2019t look guilty after doing something wrong. It is clear that these owners are watching their dogs for signs of…<\/p>\n