Understanding Canine Emotions: Embarrassment In Dogs?

Dogs are known to express emotions, and it is believed that they can feel a wide range of them, from happiness and excitement to sadness and anxiety. But can dogs feel embarrassed? The answer is not so clear-cut. While some researchers argue that dogs do experience embarrassment, others disagree, stating that embarrassment is a complex emotion that is beyond a dog's emotional reach. So, while it is challenging to know for sure what dogs are feeling, as they cannot tell us directly, we can look at their body language and behaviour to make an educated guess.

Dogs can feel a range of emotions, including embarrassment

Dogs are capable of feeling a wide range of emotions, from happiness and excitement to sadness and anxiety. They can also feel more complex emotions such as jealousy, grief, and even embarrassment. While some researchers argue that embarrassment is too complex an emotion for dogs to possess, others, including canine behaviour specialists like Dr Marc Bekoff and neurobiologist Dr Frederick Range, believe that dogs do experience feelings of embarrassment, shyness, and humiliation.

Recognising embarrassment in dogs

Embarrassment in dogs can be difficult to recognise, and it is often a matter of interpretation. Some behaviours that may be seen as signs of embarrassment in dogs include:

• Submissive behaviour
• Changes in body posture, such as lowering of the ears and tucking of the tail
• Changes in body language, such as avoiding eye contact or turning the head away
• Rolling on the floor
• Refusing to leave a certain area
• Hiding or becoming silent
• Becoming anxious or restless

Understanding dog emotions

Understanding the emotions of dogs is a complex and evolving field of study. While we can observe their physical responses and body language, we cannot know for sure what they are feeling without the ability to communicate directly with them. However, through close observation and an understanding of their behavioural patterns, we can make educated guesses about their emotional states.

Helping dogs deal with embarrassment

If you think your dog is feeling embarrassed, there are some things you can do to help them deal with these emotions:

• Train them to deal with negative emotions and impulses, such as the temptation to hide when embarrassed.
• Provide them with a safe space, such as a crate, to retreat to when they are feeling distressed.
• Socialise them with other people and dogs to help them feel more secure and confident.
• Use positive reinforcement, such as treats, to encourage them to interact and explore their emotions.

Embarrassment is a complex emotion, even for humans

However, it's not always clear if our dogs experience this emotion. While there's no doubt that dogs have emotions, and can show us how they're feeling through body language and behaviour, it's hard to know if they are capable of more complex emotions like embarrassment, shame, jealousy, disappointment, and compassion.

Some researchers, like canine behaviour specialist Dr Marc Bekoff, believe that dogs do experience embarrassment. Bekoff, who has observed dogs for thousands of hours, also thinks dogs can feel shyness and humiliation. Neurobiologist Dr Frederick Range agrees, and his studies show dogs can feel other secondary emotions such as jealousy, guilt, and empathy.

However, the consensus among animal behaviourists is that embarrassment is most likely too complex an emotion for dogs to possess. They argue that for a dog to feel embarrassment, they would need an overall sense of social norms and morals, which they don't have in the same way as humans.

Instead, what we perceive as embarrassment in dogs may be a misinterpretation of their body language. One emotion that can be mistaken for embarrassment is 'appeasement'. This is much more likely when people say their dog is feeling embarrassed. Dogs can pick up on our body language, mood, and tone of voice, and they can tell when we're not happy with them. Their reactions to our displeasure can be misinterpreted as embarrassment when they are, in fact, signals of fear or anxiety.

While it's unclear if dogs can feel embarrassed, they certainly have a wide range of emotions and can express these to us in their own way.

Dogs may exhibit submissive behaviour when embarrassed

While there is no clear consensus on whether dogs can feel embarrassed, they may exhibit submissive behaviour when they are. Embarrassment is a complex emotion, even for humans, and it is difficult to determine if dogs experience it in the same way. However, dogs have been observed exhibiting behaviours that could be interpreted as embarrassment.

Submissive behaviour is often associated with embarrassment in dogs. This can include changes in body posture, such as lowering their ears and tucking their tails, and changes in body language, such as avoiding eye contact or turning their heads away. Some dogs may even roll on the floor, refuse to leave a room, hide, or become silent. These behaviours can be indicators that a dog is feeling embarrassed or ashamed.

It is important to note that interpreting dog behaviour is not always straightforward. What may seem like embarrassment could be a reaction to their owner's response or a display of fear or appeasement. Dogs can be highly attuned to their owner's emotions and may exhibit submissive behaviours in response to their owner's displeasure. Additionally, owners may project their own emotions onto their dogs, a phenomenon known as anthropomorphism.

While the existence of complex emotions in dogs is still a subject of debate among experts, it is clear that dogs are capable of experiencing a range of emotions and can form strong bonds with their owners. Further research and understanding of canine cognition and emotions are needed to definitively determine the presence of complex emotions like embarrassment in dogs.

It is hard to know if dogs feel complex emotions

However, dogs may exhibit behaviours that resemble embarrassment, such as submissive behaviour, changes in body posture and language, and refusing to make eye contact. These behaviours may be in response to their owner's reaction to a situation rather than the dog's internal emotions. For example, a dog may sense that their owner is unhappy with their behaviour and exhibit appeasement signals, which may be misinterpreted as embarrassment.

Some researchers, such as Dr. Marc Bekoff, argue that dogs do experience feelings of embarrassment, shyness, and humiliation based on thousands of hours of observation. Other researchers disagree, stating that dogs only experience "instant-reaction" emotions such as fear, joy, sadness, and anger. The current research on complex emotions in dogs is still in its early stages, and more scientific research is needed to understand fully if dogs can feel embarrassed.

In conclusion, while dogs may exhibit behaviours that resemble embarrassment, it is hard to know if they truly experience this complex emotion. Their behaviours may be in response to their owner's reactions or other factors. More research is needed to understand fully the emotional capabilities of dogs.

You can train your dog to deal with embarrassment

While the jury is still out on whether dogs can feel embarrassed, they do experience a wide range of emotions, from happiness and excitement to sadness and anxiety. If your dog is feeling embarrassed, they might exhibit signs of distress or anger. Here are some ways to train your dog to deal with these emotions:

Training tactics and bonding exercises

Use training tactics and bonding exercises to make your dog feel more confident in social situations. Start training your pup early on to deal with negative emotions like distress or the temptation to hide when embarrassed. If your dog feels embarrassed, train them to go to their crate so that they feel safe and secure.

Socialisation

Make your dog more social by getting them used to being around people and other dogs. Learning that other dogs have similar shortcomings will make them feel more secure and confident in their abilities. Positive reinforcement works wonders with training dogs, so try to give them a treat when they socialise with others. With patience and consistency, your dog will learn that there is nothing to be embarrassed about and can remain calm in any situation.

Observe their body language

Dogs express their emotions through their body language and behaviour. Observe their physical responses to stimuli and try to understand what they are feeling. For example, if your dog is happy, they might wag their tail or jump around the room. If they are sad, they might be silent and withdrawn. Understanding the signs and symptoms of your dog's behaviour can be a rewarding experience.

Provide comfort and support

If your dog is feeling embarrassed, they might need some extra care and support. As a pet parent, it is important to help your dog deal with their emotions and make them feel loved and understood. Talk to your dog gently and give them some comfort to help them feel better.

Frequently asked questions