Your dog did something goofy, and he is now finding it difficult to make eye contact with you. This is the first time you’re experiencing such an action from your pup. You’re feeling perplexed because you have no idea of what is making your dog act in such a manner. Out of sheer ignorance, you begin to wonder: do dogs get embarrassed?
Dogs get embarrassed when they engage in inappropriate behaviors. Dogs show physical cues such as frowning, hiding, whimpering, to communicate their embarrassment. Haircuts, falling down, and getting yelled at can cause a dog to feel embarrassed.
In this article, we’ll discuss why dogs might get embarrassed and how they can be adequately trained not to feel embarrassed. We will also give answers to some frequently asked questions about dogs being embarrassed.
Reasons Dogs Get Embarrassed
As stated above, dogs might get embarrassed for various reasons; since dogs can not speak, we will examine everyday things they do that indicate dogs are self-conscious and have feelings too!
Getting A Bad Haircut
Real-life experiences have shown that dogs feel embarrassed when they get an unusual haircut. Take time to remember the last time you got a bad haircut; how did you feel?
Were you feeling excited to go out immediately when you got the awkward haircut? I guess not! Just like humans, dogs are aware when a dog groomer gives an unusual haircut.
For example, shaving off all the hair of a hairy dog can cause him some anxiety levels. It is not uncommon to see dogs hiding behind the furniture whenever this happens.
Dressing Up For Your Dog
Unlike humans, dogs are not fond of dressing up; they feel embarrassed when you suddenly, out of nowhere, attempt to put a cap on top of their head or wear a piece of clothing for them.
Most dogs don’t enjoy being dressed up for; they simply feel embarrassed by this. Though we may be fascinated by seeing our dogs in new apparel, let’s always remember our canine friends most times are embarrassed by this.
Your Dog Is Misbehaving
Dogs can express some basic emotions like joy, happiness, sadness, and anger. They also can understand and obey instructions when adequately trained. So when a dog intentionally disobeys your instructions, he knows he has done something wrong!
The guilt he feels may likely get him embarrassed. Some of the signs you might notice are that your dog is trying hard not to make eye contact and even hiding from you together!
Mocking A Dog
One of the reasons why dogs are dear to our hearts is their ability to understand our feelings. They understand when we are feeling frustrated or joyful.
On the other hand, when you decide to mock your pup because of some actions, they aren’t oblivious; they understand what you’re up to! The next time your dog makes some wrong moves, don’t be too quick to mock him or laugh hard at him; he might get embarrassed because of your actions.
Genetics
Genetics plays a significant role in the emotional state of some dogs. Some dogs are just naturally shy and timid; these two qualities are the bedrock of embarrassment.
When a dog lacks confidence, it is easier for them to get embarrassed. Some behaviors exhibited by dogs are plainly down to genetics; if your pup’s mother is shy, there are chances your pup is also shy, inheriting the trait from her mother.
How Do Dogs Get Embarrassed
Dogs feel embarrassed when their owners and people around them behave in a manner that’s making them uncomfortable. Dogs don’t get embarrassed for no reason, but the way people act around them might get them feeling ashamed or embarrassed.
How you relate with your pup might be the telling difference whether he will be embarrassed or not. Always treat them right! Training dogs from infancy on how they should behave can help them to avoid feeling embarrassed for no reason when they grow up.
What Do Dogs Do When They Are Embarrassed
Dogs tuck their tails; they begin to walk funnily, their ears point downwards when they are embarrassed. Dogs are very good at hiding their feelings when something is pretty not right with them.
If you pay close attention to the signs they inadvertently display, you’ll be able to detect that your dog is ashamed or embarrassed. Some additional signs they may display are; tuck their tails, showing their belly, acting anxious, avoiding eye contact, and expressing submissive behavior.
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When You Laugh At Them
Yes, they do! Dogs get embarrassed when laughing at them because they can differentiate between light-hearted laughter and a mocking one. Dogs are very much part of our lives.
They can read our emotions. Dogs can tell if we are happy, sad, or frustrated. When you deliberately laugh at them because of something they have done, dogs can get embarrassed because of this. Science has helped in this regard.
An MRI scanner was used to investigate the reaction of dogs to different sounds at a particular time. And the result was positive. This has led scientists to conclude that dogs show different reactions to different sounds.
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When They Get Shaved
Dogs get embarrassed when they get shaved, especially if they don’t get shaved regularly. If you as an individual decide to get all the hairs on your head shaved off, probably something you are not used to doing, you start feeling shy or embarrassed.
Dogs are known to share similar feelings when you shave all their hairs. Such drastic change leaves them feeling gutted or embarrassed.
Dogs are very good at feeding off our emotions; when you’re mad at your dog groomer in the presence of your dog because of some terrible mistakes made by him, don’t ever think your pup doesn’t know why you are angry.
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When They Fall
From our point of view, we believe dogs feel embarrassed when they fall. There is no straightforward answer to this question. Behavioral animal scientists believe embarrassment is too complex for dogs to experience.
Dog owners from different parts of the globe seem to hold a contrary opinion.
Take, for instance, when a dog misjudges a distance, and they fall, they seem to get embarrassed by pretending as if nothing happened. Some dogs will at times move away from the sight of their owners.
Dogs do not like being laughed at when they fall. The next time your dog trips, pretend as if nothing happened, save your pup’s ego!
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When They Fart
No, they don’t. Dogs do not get embarrassed when they fart. From our keen observation, we noticed that dogs view farting as part of normal body functions.
Although some dogs get scared and surprised when they fart, most dogs are not bothered by the act itself. And the reason for this is that dogs technically don’t have what they consider as social norms.
Unlike humans that get embarrassed by their farts, dogs don’t have such a nature. Farts from dogs can sometimes be humiliating for them; you don’t want to laugh at them, remember laughing at them makes them feel embarrassed.
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When They Poop
Dogs don’t get embarrassed when they poop. Dogs are fond of staring at their owners when doing “their business.” They stare at their owners because they understand how vulnerable they are in that state.
Dogs are most vulnerable when they are defecating; with this in mind, they look directly into your eyes to hold your attention. Your dog wants you to keep a watch over him in this defenseless state.
Some dogs would move farther away to poop; they feel safer when no one is around. Instincts guide dogs; regardless of the style they choose to poop, we are sure they don’t feel embarrassed when they poop.
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When They Throw Up
Dogs feed on human emotions, they don’t feel embarrassed by the act of throwing up, but they feed on our reaction to their actions. It is entirely normal to be angry at a dog for throwing up on the carpet or furniture.
When a pup notices you’re angry, he would likely feel remorseful about his actions. If you are indifferent to the act of throwing up by your dog, your pup will also likely not express any emotions.
The best way to guard against this is to properly train your dog not to throw up in certain parts of the house.
How To Tell If Your Dog Is Embarrassed
There are quite a few signs to watch out for to tell if your dog is embarrassed or not. Some signs are obvious to see, while some signs require keen attention.
The level of embarrassment a dog might feel at a given point in time ranges from low to high, depending on the situation. The table below provides further information about the range of embarrassment a dog feels in different situations.
| Dog Activity | Level of Embarrassment | Description |
| Getting Shaved | High | Getting shaved causes a high level of embarrassment for dogs. |
| Laughing at dogs | High | Dogs can know if you’re laughing at them. They get highly embarrassed by it. They can differentiate between a light-hearted laugh and a mocking one. |
| Pooping | Low | Dogs rarely get embarrassed when they poop. They only feel vulnerable in this state. |
| Throwing up | Moderate | The level of embarrassment your dog feels, in this case, depends on your reaction to what he did. |
| Farting | Low | Dogs feel little to no embarrassment when they fart. They consider it part of normal body function. |
Training Your Dog Not To Be Embarrassed
Embarrassment is more pronounced in dogs who are timid and shy. When a dog is confident, it strengthens the relationship between the dog and the pet owner. There are proven ways to help your pup stay confident and not unnecessarily embarrassed.
Obedience training is an excellent strategy to assist your dog in not feeling embarrassed. Teaching your dog to understand commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “come” would go a long way in assisting him to be more confident.
Another way you can help your dog not feel embarrassed to avoid laughing at him when he falls.
Other Considerations
There seems to be a little kind of confusion about whether dogs are capable of feeling embarrassed. Scientists and researchers think embarrassment is too complex for dogs to experience.
But most dog owners think otherwise. They feel dogs are capable of getting embarrassed. It would have been a lot easier if dogs can tell us exactly how they feel.
When your dog is embarrassed, you might consider doing the following; give your dog the needed attention, comfort your embarrassed dog, if your dog wants to hide, allow him to go to his safe crate to get over the embarrassment.
Also, when shaving your dog, avoid completely shaving off the hairs; shaving everything off makes them feel highly embarrassed. Trimming dog hair has always been the best option.
As humans, we understand the effects embarrassment can have on every part of our lives if not put in check. Dogs also share similar emotions with us; it is essential to train your dog not to be timid or extremely shy.
Dogs tend to become violent and isolated when such emotions are not quickly corrected. You can employ the services of a professional dog trainer to help you with your timid dog.
Historically, scientists around the globe have not always shared the same view about dogs getting embarrassed. Some held the view that dogs can get embarrassed even to the extent of being humiliated.
While some scientists think humans can only feel embarrassment, they believe it’s too complex for dogs. Those who hold a contrary view believe dogs are only instant-reaction animals. Everyone has an opinion; we can only wait for more solid evidence to put the controversy to bed!
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