Do they know right from wrong?

[Bigeye74]

I have heard several experts say that dogs don't know right from wrong.
However, thismorning, when I called my mutt downstairs she just stood at the top of the stairs looking at me with her ears back. Thats odd i thought, looked in the kitchen and found the contents of the bin spread everywhere.
Bearing in mind she has only ever been punished if her nose was actually in the bin and she didn't see me coming and never after the fact (not even seconds), I think she knew she'd 'done wrong'. Any opinions?

[wolf63]

I know that is what the expert say, but....

I used to come home from my work, open the door and be met by a dog begging for forgiveness. Like you I would wander around the house and find something eaten or the bins over the floor etc. They know when they have been bad, and it is not just as a resut of our body language after we have discovered the mess.

[doggydays]

Dogs dont know right from wrong, they do what works for them. If they get a positive outcome, like raiding the bin, they'll do it time and time again. If you booby trapped the bin to make a loud noise or put a child lock on they'd soon give up. They have no morals! You thought she knew what she had done because she has probably done it in the past and got a reaction from you such as maybe just huffing but your body language will be negative

Raid bin, eat food, slink off and wait for the negative outcome!

[winny]

Dont know what the experts say but my gsd certainly knows what he has been up to. You can gurantee if he has that sad dog look about him there will be food missing. If i dont notice him and nitice the missing food first he soon dissapears. He has never been told off for something after the event only when i catch him at it but he knows i just dont think they can stop themselvs at the time!!!!!

[Bigeye74]

Doggydays, I sort of see what you mean, she knows that if she raids the bin she gets food so tuck in but also that if she raids the bin i get upset so she slinks off. I suppose knowing right from wrong would be putting 2 n 2 together.

[Romeo]

Dogs, like other animals, act out of instinct and learned behaviour, but they can't make moral decisions. They can't think beforehand about what they are going to do, nor think about whether it is right or wrong to carry out an action. They can only obey their hungers and thirsts and appetites and then afterwards maybe feel 'Oh sh*t, Master/Mistress has thumped me when I've done this before, I'd better show submissiveness until they give signs that it's all over.

Dogs' instinct is essentially the wolf pack instinct, and they will obey a leader for survival reasons.

[ploddypop]

My little shih tzu certainly knows when he's been a scamp of a dog (cheeky little ****** he is). He'll come out and as soon as you see the " iv'e been naughty mummy" look you kn ow somethings up. When I go to check it out he's usually got a sock or found a dead ********** to eat. I deffinatley think that dogs know right from wrong, mine certainly does. :)

[Bigeye74]

Romeo, just to confirm i've never 'thumped' her (she weighs to much and her teeth are too big) and she has only been punished for 'being' in the bin NOT having 'been' in the bin. I agree with what you're saying though

[kita1]

The following link is an article about rats (but applies to all animals) showing that they can reason and make decisions based on knowledge. This is not learned behaviour.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/070308_ rats.htm

Animals can make 'moral' decisions and this article proves that they do think about things they do beforehand.

[newtron]

I've been able to train every dog I've owned that they are not allowed to get into the garbage bin, and I can leave food in the bin all day and leave my dog in the house by himself all day and he will not get into it. Dogs may not be able to make moral decisions, but they can definitely learn how to behave properly however that might be defined by the owner.

[newtron]

Interesting article kita1. It's not that surprising really. Anyone who has had pets should be able to figure out that most animals, especially dogs, don't just act out of instinct and learned behaviour. They are much more complex. I read an article in Scientific American, where they described a study that showed that ravens had the ability to think about rather complex problems before solving them. In other words, they didn't have to figure it out by trial and error. They logically worked out the puzzle in their head. If ravens could do that, I would think a dog could think about the consequences to his actions before he does something.

[derbysgal1]

I think they do know when they have done wrong, my dog Jake knows when he has, because he will hide or come to me and then run off!