Can Dogs Feel Embarrassed? What the Guilty Look Tells Us

By Dr Duncan Houston

Your dog drops its head after knocking something over, avoids your eyes beside a shredded cushion or retreats when people laugh. It is easy to describe the moment as embarrassment, but that description may say more about our interpretation than the dog's experience.

The useful task is to notice what the dog is doing and how your response affects the interaction. You do not need to decide whether the emotion has a human name before giving the dog space and responding calmly.

Quick Answer

We cannot confidently identify human-like embarrassment from a dog's lowered head, averted gaze or “guilty” expression. Research on the guilty look shows that people's reactions can influence these behaviours; it does not settle every question about dogs' inner emotional lives. Treat uncomfortable body language as a reason to reduce pressure, and use management and reward-based training for the behaviour you want to change.

Why do dogs look embarrassed to us?

People associate looking away, shrinking back and lowering the head with social discomfort or remorse. When a dog makes similar movements, we may apply the same explanation automatically.

However, the resemblance is not proof of the same experience. A dog may be responding to the person approaching, the tone of the interaction or something else in the setting. The movement needs context.

Separate the observation from the label. “The dog turned its head when I leaned over” is something you saw. “The dog is ashamed of what it did” is an interpretation that requires more evidence.

What did the guilty-look research actually test?

In Alexandra Horowitz's 2009 study, dogs' opportunities to eat a forbidden treat and owners' information about what happened were varied. Behaviours people recognised as a guilty look were more associated with being scolded than with whether the dog had disobeyed.

The paper explicitly states that the experiment did not test whether dogs feel guilt. Its question was what circumstances precede the behaviour people call the guilty look. That distinction is important: the findings challenge using the look as evidence of wrongdoing, rather than proving that a dog cannot experience any complex emotion.

Embarrassment and guilt are also different human concepts. A study of greeting behaviour after a supposed misdeed cannot establish what a dog experiences after slipping, being laughed at or encountering an unfamiliar situation.

Look at the whole interaction

What happened before the posture changed?

Consider whether someone raised their voice, bent over the dog, pointed, moved quickly or blocked the way out. Also note the wider event, such as a loud noise or unexpected attention from several people.

Do not stage another confrontation to see whether the same look appears. You can learn from ordinary observation without making the dog uncomfortable.

What is the dog doing now?

A lowered body, tucked tail, ears held back, looking away, lip licking or becoming very still can be part of an uncomfortable interaction. No single movement is a precise emotion label; watch the overall pattern and whether the dog is trying to disengage.

The same ear position can look different between breeds, and a brief glance away can occur in many ordinary situations. Compare the whole sequence with that dog's usual relaxed behaviour.

What happens when you pause?

Stop leaning over, touching or addressing the dog intensely. Give it a clear option to move away. Do not require it to approach for reassurance.

If the dog chooses comfortable contact, respond gently. If it prefers distance, let it rest without following, hugging or filming it at close range.

What if you discover a mess?

First make the area safe and manage access to it. A facial expression cannot reliably tell you which animal caused the mess, why it happened or what the dog understands about it.

After the immediate situation is organised, look at prevention. Was food accessible, the bin unsecured or a tempting item left within reach? Does the dog have an appropriate routine and suitable activities? A practical change to the environment is more useful than demanding a display of remorse.

Teach a relevant alternative at a separate, easy moment. For example, practise going to a familiar mat or leaving an item through reward-based training, rather than starting a difficult lesson while everyone is upset.

Decision checkpoint: if the same problem keeps recurring, collect context and get qualified help. Repeated scolding is not a substitute for understanding the pattern.

Does my dog understand that people are laughing?

Your dog may notice a change in attention, voice or movement. That does not establish that it understands the joke or feels socially embarrassed in the way a person might.

Watch the response. If the dog remains comfortable and chooses to engage, the interaction may be unproblematic. If it freezes, retreats or tries to avoid the attention, stop making it the centre of the activity.

Do not repeat a startling or frustrating setup because the reaction makes an entertaining video. The dog's ability to leave matters more than capturing a particular expression.

How can you offer support without adding pressure?

• Keep your behaviour calm: lower the intensity of your voice and movement
• Allow distance: make room for the dog to move away rather than cornering it
• Offer suitable contact: respond gently if the dog seeks interaction, but do not impose a hug or restraint
• Return to a familiar routine: give opportunities for normal rest and appropriate activities
• Plan future training separately: teach useful skills in manageable steps with rewards

Support does not mean ignoring household boundaries. You can prevent access to unsafe or unsuitable activities while teaching a clearer, more workable routine.

When does the situation need professional help?

A brief awkward-looking moment is different from a recurring pattern of avoidance, freezing or serious distress. If these behaviours continue, interfere with ordinary activities or create an unsafe interaction, speak with your veterinarian or an appropriately qualified behaviour professional.

Describe observations rather than presenting embarrassment as a diagnosis. Include when the pattern began, what tends to happen beforehand, who is present and what makes the situation easier or harder.

Keep any requested recordings safe and natural. Do not provoke the behaviour to demonstrate it. A professional can assess the individual circumstances and advise on a suitable plan.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using a guilty-looking face as proof that a dog committed a particular act
• Claiming one study proves dogs never feel guilt or embarrassment
• Laughing, pointing or repeating an event when the dog is trying to leave
• Forcing a cuddle as reassurance
• Relying on punishment instead of improving the environment and training plan
• Overlooking persistent distress because the expression looks amusing

Build clearer communication day to day

Keep expectations consistent and make appropriate behaviour easy to perform. Reward ordinary successes before a difficult situation develops, and provide suitable exercise, enrichment and rest.

Learn the dog's comfortable baseline. Notice how it chooses contact, where it likes to rest and how it moves when relaxed. That makes a meaningful change easier to describe without relying on a dramatic emotional label.

If several people live with the dog, agree on the same calm response and prevention plan. The dog should not encounter a different set of expectations from each person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a guilty look mean my dog knows it did something wrong?

No reliable conclusion can be drawn from the look alone. Research shows that owner reactions can influence the behaviours people identify as guilt.

Has science proved that dogs cannot feel embarrassment?

The guilty-look studies discussed here do not prove that. They investigate observable behaviour and its context, rather than settling every question about a dog's subjective emotions.

Why does my dog look away when I tell it off?

Looking away can be part of a response to an uncomfortable interaction. Reduce pressure and consider a clearer management or reward-based training approach rather than demanding eye contact.

Should I hug my dog if it seems embarrassed?

Only offer contact the dog appears comfortable choosing. If it leans away, freezes or tries to leave, give it space instead of holding it.

Can I film a guilty-looking expression for a trainer?

A naturally occurring, safe recording may help when a professional requests it. Do not recreate a confrontation or prolong discomfort to obtain footage.

Respond to the dog in front of you

You do not need to resolve the science of embarrassment to make a good next decision. Notice the dog's posture, reduce pressure when it appears uncomfortable and address practical problems through prevention and clear training. That is more useful than asking the dog to explain itself through a human-looking expression.

Sources

Research and behaviour background: Alexandra Horowitz, Disambiguating the Guilty Look: Salient Prompts to a Familiar Dog Behaviour, Behavioural Processes, 2009; RSPCA, Understanding Your Dog's Body Language; Dogs Trust, Helping Dogs Cope with Fear and Big Emotions; American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, Position Statement on Humane Dog Training.

ASK A VET™ encourages calm observation and useful care records. A description of what happened before and after a difficult interaction can support a more helpful professional conversation.