But the jury is still out on whether dogs actually understand when they do something wrong and feel guilty. A better description of the so-called guilty look is that it is a response to owner cues, rather than that it shows an appreciation of a misdeed. Guilt or Fear, When we say a dog looks guilty, we usually mean they display some or all of the following behaviors or signs: Tucked tail Visible whites of the eyes Cowering, hunched posture Yawning Licking Flattened ears Avoiding eye contact. These are all expressions of fear and stress in dogs. Guilt is a complex concept, it requires an understanding of cause and effect in relation to time, which is difficult to prove. Although some experts have used her study to conclude that dogs don’t really experience guilt, Dr. Horowitz advises that we really can’t know for sure. My study was decidedly not about whether dogs ‘feel guilt’ or not. I would feel dreadful if people then thought the case was closed on dogs (not) feeling guilt, which is definitely not the case. The question of whether dogs — or your dog — experience guilt remains unanswered.