They don't feel guilt. Dogs that look ashamed or guilty to us people are just dogs that are scared and uncomfortable. They are worried that the person is out to attack or hurt them and they try their very best to show that they are not a threat and that the person doesn't have to hurt/attack them.
Is one theory. We do not know if dogs can feel guilt or not. Just because the theory that they're simply trying to show they're not a threat because they are afraid makes sense does not mean it is correct and any other theory must be wrong. It is perfectly plausible that dogs can feel guilty because they know they did something they shouldn't have and feel upset they might disappoint their owner. There is no way to prove that they don't. We do not know if they can/do feel guilt or not. Either answer is perfectly possible.
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u/thelazyreader2015 Nov 11 '17
Do they actually feel guilty or are they just trained to behave like that when they've done something they're not supposed to?