The “Bad Dog” look that dogs get isn’t actually shame or guilt

You know that look. You come home and all your shit’s been ripped up and your dog his hiding and/or hanging his head. Most people assume they feel ashamed. Well, as sophisticated as their brains may be, they’re not feeling bad about what they did. They’re feeling afraid.

According to a study that looked at what dogs do when their owners are not around, they found that the so-called guilty look is actually a response to the owners reaction, rather than an understanding that they fucked up. So it’s not a reaction to their act, but a reaction, to your reaction, to what they did.