Dog Shaming, Pascale Lemire

[Slashndoggy]

With the Holidays coming around, this is a great book for any dog lover! Full of all breeds (but Boxers seem to be abundant, hmmmm) it's a series of photos in which the dog is forced to pose for a picture, with his/her crime and shame detailed for all to see!

Hysterical book!

ISBN-10: 0385349343
ISBN-13: 978-0385349345

PS - They also have a website, were you can post your own photos (and view others) that could end up in their next release!

 

[Gatorblu]

I have seen the website. It is funny and makes me thankful that, relatively speaking, I have had well behaved dogs. Though when mine were puppies they could have made it. Like when Arabella was little she would steal my paperbacks, climb under my bed and shred them. I think the only reason she actually stopped is she could no fit under them bed.

 

[TwoDogs]

I'm thinking I probably wouldn't like it considering it perpetuates the fallacy that dogs can feel shame and guilt. But that's just me.

 

[LILYLARUE]

I'm thinking I probably wouldn't like it considering it perpetuates the fallacy that dogs can feel shame and guilt. But that's just me.

I read an article recently describing the behaviors that these types of photos instill in dogs. Yes, they do not feel shame or guilt but it's the owner's influences of these types of "shaming" that gives the dogs a nervous/anxious energy from their humans.

 

[TwoDogs]

Many of the behaviors/body language that humans think of as the dog showing guilt or showing shame are in fact appeasement and/or conflict resolution behaviors in dogs. The averted eyes, avoidance/slinking away, lowered head, ears back, paw lifted, lowered body, etc. are all appeasement behaviors.

What happens is that the dog instinctively performs these behaviors in response to what it perceives as conflict from the human--our raised or deep voice, an upright intimidating stance, raised arm w/wagging finger--and rightly so in those cases where their people are dragging them over to the "scene of the crime" or rubbing their noses in the messes. The human sees the dog perform the behaviors and, in our human way of thinking, we feel the dog is feeling "sufficiently guilty" so we stop our scolding. The dog learns over time that actively displaying these behaviors works to "turn off" the angry human, thereby resolving the conflict. It is why you can walk into a room where a dog with a history of being scolded has done no wrong but if you start scolding the dog they will begin to act in a "guilty" manner.

 

[bxrbgood]

Nice explanation.
They are still funny photos though.

 

[Gunther]

Well the argument that doggies "feel" guilt but they are going off our body language or raised voices presupposes that you have actually raised your voice!

My experience is that Boxers "know" when they have done something wrong! They have a wide range off "facial expressions" and "guilt" or "shame" is one of them.

Struddel and Stewie had that look (Boxer and Boxer mix) Gunther Bull Mastiff/mix to a lesser degree. And Rocky (GSD) not at all!

That's just my "perception on what I see.

 

[bxrbgood]

Gunther, I said nice explanation.
I did not say I agreed with it.
I think guilt is a feeling like happiness, sadness, anger etc. It's obvious dogs have those feelings. And like humans some dogs tend to have more of certain types of feelings than others. It's what makes them individuals.
I have seen our long haired dogs get very embarrassed after being shaved for the hot summer when no ridicule was directed at them.
Yes I think dogs experience more human like feelings than some people attribute to them.

 

[Alliecatter]

In my old house, when entering the main door, you had to go around the corner to see anything in the kitchen. Some days, I was greeted by a happy kidney bean at the door...some days as soon as I opened the door to enter, Allie would walk right past me-head down, no eye contact-right out the door. The walk of shame ONLY happened on days I would soon find a mess in the kitchen.
One day my sister went to go let allie out, called me and said "there's something wrong with Allie. She wasn't herself. She wouldn't even look at me and walked right outside"...I told her to go in the kitchen...sure enough....

 

[gulfcoastguy]

I actually bought this book yesterday.