The Cutest Guilty Dogs Showing Their Shame
You don't have to be a pet owner to appreciate the look of shame and guilt on a dog's face when something is wrong. When you see those infamous "puppy-dog eyes" -- the big, wide-open, sad-looking even-seemingly apologetic gaze -- it's easy to tell that something is up, even if you haven't seen the associated muddy footprints, half-eaten food, or torn up couch and clothes. As man's best friend, pets get to know you pretty well, so they know what you consider acceptable. When they have committed one of any number of what they know is an unpardonable sin, their guilty glances often give them away.
Guilty Dog — Room Disaster
There comes a time in the lives of all pet owners when you return home to find a complete disaster. It could be a mess of torn paper, cushions, or just about everything in the room. And, there could be any number of reasons your dog has developed such a mess.
It could be that he's just upset at you, he feels left out and alone, or he just doesn't like some change in his life. There could be any number of reasons for the explosion of mess, and it's usually fairly clear that your dog is sorry about it after the fact.
The Pizza Box Debacle
What do you really expect, when you leave an empty pizza box just lying around? It's obvious to any dog that there recently was a pizza in there, and he may have even seen you eat it. Did you share? Worse still, you've left the box just sitting there on the counter or on the floor.
What dog could resist tearing the box apart in the hopes of licking, chewing and gulping up any remnant of meat, cheese or breaded goodness? Yes, he's guilty now. You can see it on his downtrodden visage. He knows you're mad, but he probably also knows that it was worth it, as he savors that last bit of greasy flavor.
Why The Guilty Dog?
Yes, dogs can tell when you're mad or sad. According to a study published in Current Biology, dogs can "discriminate human facial expressions." And, as a pet owner, you already know that your dog knows when you're angry or sad or happy.
The real question you should be asking is: Why do dogs look so guilty? Yes, they are cute when they look at you with those sorrowful eyes`. But, why do they even care what you think? Why do they seem to care so much when you're mad? Perhaps it's a simple as to fall back on that famous cliche about dogs being "man's best friend." Of course, for others, they may be afraid of whatever punishment they know awaits them.
Poop Rolling & Puke
Here's another guilty pet photo that went viral, mostly because you've probably experienced this for yourself. Yes, you've probably seen (or smelled) your dog when he rolled in poop, a dead animal, or some other similarly stinky remains. Most vets will say that it's "instinctual behavior," which is all well-and-good if you can clean him up before he leaves that stank in the car, house, and everywhere else he goes.
As you'll see, though, your dog may find a way to make it inside the house. When your other dog's vomit has left the doggie door wide open, the obvious beeline is for the house.
Sorry, Not Sorry
There's guilty and then there's the "not-so-guilty," half-gleeful look. Yes, he may be sorry he did it, but he clearly also enjoyed himself. Just one look at the flurry of down will show you that he has eagerly disemboweled a feather pillow.
He not only tore it apart, but he appears to have rolled in it, and his toothy grin probably means that he would do it all over again, even if he is reprimanded or punished for his crime. It's one of those experiences of a lifetime, fun and forbidden. It's obviously the very best combination possible.
Stringy Dog Mess
You can hear the dogs saying that it was all a set-up, that they couldn't possibly have managed such a mess of silly-string without some serious human intervention. Perhaps it really is a coordinated attempt to create a cute guilty-dog photo, but it really does look like they're guilty, right?
You can even imagine the silly-string covered dog yelping something about the unfairness of this experiment. But, really, dogs will be dogs, and play is rarely fair or even handed. The explosion of pink and green silly string makes for a great photo-op, and it also does look like they are having fun.
He Peed Down The Entire Hall - Guilty Dog
You may have noticed that kids sometimes manage to accomplish such feats that looking back on them (or even on the acts you'd somehow accomplished yourself), you can't really understand how they did it. Such is the case with this dog. How did he urinate all the way down the hall?
Did he dance, sway, or was he led? But, also, how is it possible for one dog to even hold that much liquid in its bladder to be able to accomplish something like that. Of course, it's gross, and you'd be mad, right? But, there's something freakish about it too. Yes, the dog looks guilty, and I'm sure you could test the urine to really prove he did it, but that's also got to take some sick kind of talent.
Spidey-Dog Climber
When you consider the look on his face when he's caught, it shouldn't really be that much of a surprise that he is so much more agile than he pretended. Perhaps it's a secret identity, and it may cause you to consider what other antics he's been up to while you were out of sight.
After all, if he's really able to climb a cat tree to eat the cat food, is it really any stretch to imagine that he's been getting up on the counters, dressers, or other heights you'd never before considered. When you think about it, maybe the blame you've been heaping on the cat has been entirely misplaced.
Another Bout With Garbage And Guilt
Every guilty dog photo is so different, like a fingerprint. But, the expressions on all of those dogs are unforgettable. Here' he looks like he must have found some good stuff in the kitchen garbage, but he's also got a slightly guilty-trying-to-look-nonchalant expression around his eyes. You've got to wonder how much time he really spent with the garbage before taking a seat.
You can still see smears of remnant food, after all. Or maybe it wasn't really about the hunger for the food, but more about the delectable-but-rank smells that were just waiting to be rolled in. Perhaps he was just caught in the midst of his effort, since the second trash can is still standing. It could be that he's trying not to look annoyed that you've ruined his evening of trashy fun.
Wheels of Terror
Just like any sibling situation, these two dogs love to harass each other, or at least the little dog likes to roll over the big dog with his little cart. He probably knows that nobody would let the big dog retaliate, but he may discover one day that his antics and torment of his fellow dog haven't been forgotten.
You can see that the big dog is just waiting and watching. It is intriguing to watch how fellow pets (and humans) can annoy each other so much in the communal family setting.
Guilty Dog To-Do List
It's probably not a great idea to bring too much attention to the guilty-dog antics of those dogs you see and hear about. The dogs are listening, after all. And, they may just be planning what madcap caper they'll carry out next. If you've seen The Secret Life of Pets, you have some idea of just what we imagine our pets are capable of.
When they feel they've been unreasonably shamed or punished or left too long by themselves, they appear to find ways to display their obvious sense of angst and anguish. They want us all to feel their pain as well.
Missing Noses
These noseless creatures are far from the headless or eyeless or faceless monstrosities left behind by some guilty dogs, but the missing noses is also strange. You've got to wonder why the dog would only go after the nose, and continue to rip out the nose, even when the owner replaced it over-and-over again.
Whatever the reason for his fetish, he certainly feels bad enough about it. He sometimes just can't help himself. He just loves the soft noses so much. What is it about those critters that make him think they are better off without the noses?
Guilty Dog Destroys Garbage Bag
At some point in your life as a pet owner, you've likely experienced your guilty dog digging into the garbage. To them, it probably smells irresistible. Just think of all that stinky, rank, even aromatic food. There may be food scraps, leftovers, or any number of other savory morsels.
To your dog, your nasty black trash bag is the epitome of adventure. They can gulp down the food, take another chew on those toys, and just sniff their way through your garbage. It's also an instinct for dogs to scavenge for foodstuffs, even though he knows you don't approve. It's also hard to discipline him unless you've caught him in the act.
Dogs Can Be Hoarders Too
Dogs just can't resist a tasty bone or rawhide to chew on, but this pup takes it to the extreme. When this dog's owner was cleaning the house, she stumbled upon a treasure trove of dog bones and rawhides under the couch.
Clearly, this canine didn't want to share his treats every time he was given a new one, so he stashed them away until they accumulated into basically a small mountain. He doesn't look like he feels all too guilty either, but the first step to overcoming your addiction is admitting you have a problem.