Do dogs get embarrassed?

icon_nwunsure Does anyone know if dogs ever get embarrassed?

The other day, my husband was crouching mulching around some pine trees, and Geordie must have thought he was an intruder. Geordie ran towards h. barking like crazy, then he realized who it was, and he quickly tried to act nonchalant. icon_blshing I can't explain his body language, but he seemed a little embarrassed, like he maybe felt like an @ss making that big noisy display!!

:rotfl: that was the cutest image in my head. It is my opinion that doggies have the same range of emotions as we do. They are happy, sad, lonely, jealous...I dont see why embarrassed wouldnt be a possibility

I think it is more likely that he simply realised he knew who the person was and therefore there was no need to be vigilant and thus the shift in body language from alert to relaxed. There was probably also an element of demonstrating appeasement once he realised he had challenged his master -- eg by not looking directly at the person, the dog looks as if it is slinking away (lowering towards the ground is also a sign of appeasement, as is tail down, ears dropped, etc). Tara has posted some good links to books elsewhere on understanding dog body language -- this is very useful to understand for a number of reasons not least because as primates we are making assumptions about body language that may be correct for primates but have no meaning with other species.

Embarrarrassed is a far more complex emotion than happy and sad. Dogs no doubt feel happy and sad as well as jealous -- to the extent that they do not want something else taking away your attention from them, but that is not quite the complicated emotion of jealousy that humans experience. n other words, dog are dogs, they aren't fur-covered people with people emotions. They tend to have a way of reminding us of this now and them whch usually involves eating something we find odious (excrement, dead things, slimy things), rolling in same, humping that cute teddy bear in the corner of the room in front of Aunt Mildred.

Food for thought:

http://www.slate.com/id/2096577/

LMAO Cathy, I can just imagine Geordie's face :lol:

I have very often wondered if dogs get embarrassed. I remember when Maxx once received an extremely severe haircut and the kids laughed at him. For about 3 weeks he wouldn't hardly look at any of us but lay facing the wall in the corner of the room. He also didn't want to go walkies but there was nothing wrong with his appetite and he wasn't sick :roll:

I've always thought he was embarrassed :lol:

Karlin,

Very interesting article! I'm saving that link!

In the July/Aug BARk magazine there's an article about the new law in Maine that protects pets from domestic violence - pets are considered to be part of the family and not just property, and animals can be protected separately from victims of domestic violence. Whereas Los Angeles uses the legal theory of property to protect pets, in the same way as protecting a victim's car from domestic violence.

After hurricane Katrina, where people were forced to leave their pets behind :cry*ing: policies have changed, and now pets are supposed to be considered part of the family during rescue efforts.

I've been reading the AKC website for information about puppy mill legislation. There needs to be a lot of legal change to put a stop to puppy mills!

Maxxs_Mummy said:

I have very often wondered if dogs get embarrassed. I remember when Maxx once received an extremely severe haircut and the kids laughed at him. For about 3 weeks he wouldn't hardly look at any of us but lay facing the wall in the corner of the room. He also didn't want to go walkies but there was nothing wrong with his appetite and he wasn't sick :roll:

I've always thought he was embarrassed :lol:

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icon_blshing little Maxx, I can just imagine :lol: Got to love these pups!!

Cathy,

That's wonderful news. Tbh I think I would have stayed in my house if it meant I couldn't take my babies with me.

You can just imagine what those poor people and their pets must have gone through

To my mind, it doesn't show a very civilised society to be forced to leave your babies behind

I really wish the anti-cruelty laws in this country were revamped and made much, much stricter :flwr:

As for Puppy Miller/farmers we all know what we'd like to do to them :x

Maxxs_Mummy said:

LMAO Cathy, I can just imagine Geordie's face :lol:

I have very often wondered if dogs get embarrassed. I remember when Maxx once received an extremely severe haircut and the kids laughed at him. For about 3 weeks he wouldn't hardly look at any of us but lay facing the wall in the corner of the room. He also didn't want to go walkies but there was nothing wrong with his appetite and he wasn't sick :roll:

I've always thought he was embarrassed :lol:

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Oh, poor Maxxy-boy

Cailean looked embarrassed when he thought our Ikea sheepskin rug was a real live sheep, and Simon showed him what it was

I really wish the anti-cruelty laws in this country were revamped and made much, much stricter

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They actually are being revamped; phase one is underway and phase two will be coming in. However they only apply to England, not Northern Ireland. :? Not sure about Scotland and Wales but I think they fall outside the changes too? Nicki would probably know.

Exactly Karlin! I doubt very much that the Welsh assembly will do stuff all to help the poor babies in puppy farms - especially when they donate money to keep them in business. It is one thing that makes me sometimes ashamed to be welsh

Maxxs_Mummy said:

Exactly Karlin! I doubt very much that the Welsh assembly will do stuff all to help the poor babies in puppy farms - especially when they donate money to keep them in business. It is one thing that makes me sometimes ashamed to be welsh

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It is said "off the record" that the Welsh Assembly won't be making any more grants towards puppy farms. Hmmm. I wonder.

Fingers crossed on that one then Fran x

Alison, Wilts, U.K.

That's too funny. Yes, I think they don't show embarressment so much as they kind of lose their dignity icon_whistling When Jake goes to jump up on something and misses I will chuckle at him. I swear he looks at me like "what are you laughing at".

misty said:

Cailean looked embarrassed when he thought our Ikea sheepskin rug was a real live sheep, and Simon showed him what it was

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:rotfl:

Cathy T said:

That's too funny. Yes, I think they don't show embarressment so much as they kind of lose their dignity icon_whistling When Jake goes to jump up on something and misses I will chuckle at him. I swear he looks at me like "what are you laughing at".

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Yes, I've seen that look from India before.

One time Kosmo was scratching his bum on the floor and I said "Kosmo scratch your bum!" I had a charlee bear in my hand and he repeated the bum scoot for the cookie. I thought it was so funny I was laughing my head off. He stopped dead in his tracks and ran to the corner of the rug in the living room where he pouted for a long time. I felt so awful for laughing at him I tried to make him forgive me but to this day if I say "Kosmo scratch your bum" he barks at me and runs away!! Stubborn little bugger ! I do think he was embarassed and he seems to have a vivid memory of it.. .. .. [/code][/quote]

:rotfl:

Sometimes I feel like Nóra gets imbarresed. Once my dad had been away for a long time. When he got home, Nóra was so happy to see him that she couldn't control herself and mayd her potty on the floor. She was truly imbarresed. She laid on the floor and looked up at us like she had done something terribel. We didn't say anything to her, but she felt so bad with this...

I have a little min pin back at my house that is an excited wee-er. Whenever we come home we have to ignore her until she calms down otherwise if we touch her she'll completely empty her bladder!! :yuk: Poor Nora I think she probably felt awful! I know when Kosmo gets sick and has the runs if he has them in the house he will immediately run onto the stairs with his tail between his legs because he knows that's a no-no. I feel so awful for him I end up taking him and dropping him with daddy a.k.a couch potatoe for the rest of the night.

I can just visualise the look on Geordies face when he figured it out it was not an intruder :lol: Just cute!
But I know about a cat (I don't know the English word about the breed but it is very furry) and once she was shaven and when some people came to visit it always looks like she was very embarrassed. She ran under chairs and didn't want any persone to see her.