So people say we're sentimental fools to imagine our dogs feel guilty when we catch them in some shenanigan and growl "baaaaad daaawg." These authorities claim that dogs cannot feel guilt, because, according the theory, dogs live in the moment and so don't connect what's happening now with what happened ten minutes ago or what may happen ten minutes hence. This implies that the dog brain is utterly devoid of anything resembling ethics, in the sense that humans understand that term.

Phbtttphbttt to that, I say!

If dogs had no sense of guilt, they could be trained to DO things, but they could not be trained NOT to do things.

As evidence, I offer up Ruby the Carrot Thief.

Occasionally I'll slice a carrot lengthwise and give half to Cassie and half to Ruby. Makes a nice little chew stick.

This morning I hand these treats to each dog. Ruby trots off to her dog throne down the hall with hers. Cassie remains in the kitchen, where she finds it more convenient to keep an eye on the Human's shenanigans. These shenanigans occasionally entail food dropped on the floor, which we would not like to overlook. Additionally, Cassie regards herding the Human to be her primary job.

The Human goes into the garage to retrieve a plastic trash bag, causing a distraction. Cassie drops the carrot.

Ruby, hearing said distraction, enters.

Cassie enhances the distraction by barking conversationally at the human. She now is paying no attention to the neglected carrot.

Ruby looks at the carrot. Ruby looks at Cassie, who's arfing down the Human for having wandered into the garage.

Ruby looks again at the carrot and again at the fully distracted Cassie. Ruby grabs the carrot and trots out of the kitchen. Several times, she glances back over her shoulder as she slinks down the hall.

It's hilariously obvious that she KNOWS she's not supposed to steal Cassie's carrot, and that consequences will follow if she gets caught.

Consequences have indeed followed the theft of more treasured prizes. But fortunately for the Funny Farm's peace, Cassie is not all that fond of carrots.

Yea verily, call me a sentimental fool, but I do believe dogs have a rudimentary sense of ethics (or...one might say, of what's good for you and what's not so good for you). And they make judgment calls that drive their behavior.

There's no question in my mind that Ruby knew a) the carrot stick was meant to be Cassie's; b) Cassie regarded the carrot stick as hers; c) she was not allowed to steal the carrot stick; d) a consequence, in the form of intense older-dog annoyance, was likely to be forthcoming; and e) grabbing the thing was worth taking a chance. Hence: GRAB!

The guilty-brat look was unmistakable.