Hey, guys. I love this time of the week when I am able to spend a bit of time with my own community, share stories, and share information I have learned with you. I absolutely love all the corporations I write for, but being able to have a conversation with you through my writing just as I am speaking right next to you is incredible. I want to send out a major thank-you for all of you reading my columns each week. I wouldn’t be where I am today in my career without supporters like all of you.

Today, I am going to share a story, then talk about why that story is important. Ok, let’s go.

I’m not sure how graceful your dog is, but my dog is absolutely not graceful by any means. He is clumsy. He hits his head off the wall when he gets excited about something because he doesn’t always pay attention to where he’s going. He trips over literally nothing when he is running. And, this week, he was ‘showing off’ and playing with our cat in front of a friend and became overly confident. As he was showing off and excitedly running, he ‘attempted’ to jump up the stairs on the front porch.

Needless to say, he didn’t make it. He clumsily tripped, fell off the stairs, and then went along his day looking around as if nothing happened. Just like that. He didn’t look our way, he didn’t continue to show off, he just walked away like ‘you didn’t see that.’

I’m not sure about you, but I would get up and laugh, and still feel a bit embarrassed with how confident I was being only to clumsily crash.

Here’s the question that goes along with this story. Can dogs get embarrassed?

Secondary Emotions

The truth to this question is we don’t know. As scientists, we are still trying to determine if dogs can feel these types of emotions.

There was one point scientists had no idea dogs had the cognitive (brain-level) ability to experience any type of emotion other than happiness and sadness. We have now discovered dogs can feel anger, sadness, happiness, fear, and empathy.

There are some scientists who absolutely insist dogs can feel embarrassed whereas others are firm in their beliefs they are not mentally capable of feeling such an emotion.

Happiness and sadness are essentially known as ‘natural reactions.’ These are reactions essentially every mammal can experience, especially those with high cognitive ability.

Embarrassment is known as a secondary emotion since it requires self-evaluation and self-reflection. But, empathy is a secondary emotion as well. Empathy is complex. And, it wasn’t until recently scientists discovered dogs are able to empathize with people and other dogs.

We have discovered that dogs do have an ‘awareness of self.’ Dogs failed the mirror test meaning they didn’t appear to realize they were looking at themselves as they were glaring into a mirror. The realization that dogs are self-aware came when scientists discovered their ability to gather information about the world surrounding them.

Scientists are now beginning to believe, perhaps dogs are capable of essentially all the emotions we are capable of. We, as scientists, may simply be using the wrong type of testing system. Remember, the way we talk and synthesize information may not be the same way our dog does. That doesn’t mean our dogs don’t have a wide range of emotions as we do.

Their cognitive (brain/thinking) abilities may be significantly higher than what we had originally thought.

The best part is the research is on-going. We are always trying to learn more about our dogs. And, honestly, quite a bit of the research is ‘pushed along’ by dog lovers just like you.

After this article, I would love for you to visit my professional Facebook page facebook.com/specialistamberdrake and take the poll: Do You Believe Dogs Can Feel Embarrassed? The poll will be available for you to answer (and make your comments). Feel free to tell me why you think your dog can (or can’t) feel this emotion. Tell me your stories. Share your voice.

That’s all I have for you today. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Until next time.