Have you ever felt dejected? Perhaps at school, you were always chosen last for the sports team or didn’t get a promotion at work that you expected. Dejection is a complex emotion that combines sadness, depression, down-heartedness, and lack of motivation. Dogs can also experience negative emotions like depression and sadness, which can manifest as a sense of resignation or dejection.
Signs a Dog is Feeling Dejected
A dejected dog appears sad and defeated, with a cowed demeanor. They may keep their head low and show signs of fear or anxiety, such as a tucked tail. Dejected dogs try to avoid attention and spend a lot of time sleeping. They may turn their head away when spoken to and hold their ears low against their head. Their gait is miserable, lacking any bounce. When approached, a dejected dog may not respond or even growl, due to their previous experiences of rejection or abuse.
Body Language
The body language of a dejected dog is heartbreaking to observe. Look for signs such as a low tail carriage, lack of focus, dropped ears, sleepiness, slouched body posture, lack of interest in food or play, turning away when approached, avoiding eye contact, and a head held low.
A History of Canine Emotions
In the past, it was believed that dogs did not have emotions like humans. However, in the 20th century, dog behavior started to be studied with an open mind, revealing that dogs experience emotions similar to a 2-1/2-year-old child. Dogs possess primary emotions geared towards survival, such as fear and anxiety, as well as more positive emotions like joy and happiness. Dogs can also feel love, which helps them bond with their caregiver.
The Science of Dog Emotions
Dogs experience a range of emotions similar to a 2-1/2-year-old child but do not progress beyond this stage. This is beneficial for pet owners, as the later developing emotions can be divisive. Dogs experience primary emotions that aid in survival, and positive emotions help them learn from pleasurable experiences. Dogs can feel love, which strengthens their bond with their caregiver.
Training a Dog to Look Dejected
It is unethical to make a dog feel dejected, but you can train them to appear dejected as a trick. Start by identifying the actions that make a dog look dejected, such as lowering their head. Lure the dog into lowering their head using a treat, praise them, and label the action with a cue word. Repeat this process, associating the word “Sad” with the head-lowering action. Eventually, the dog will perform the action spontaneously when prompted with the cue word. You can further enhance this trick by making the dog wait with their head lowered before giving them the reward.
In the worst cases, the dog may even have been abused, leading to a fear or anxiety around people which makes them react with aggression.
Tips & Things to Know
1️⃣ Understand the signs of a dejected dog: Look for low tail carriage, lack of focus, dropped ears, sleepiness, slouched body posture, lack of interest in food or play, turning away when approached, avoiding eye contact, and a head held low. These signs indicate that a dog is feeling dejected and resigned to their circumstances.
2️⃣ Dogs experience emotions similar to a 2-1/2-year-old child: Dogs have a range of emotions that include fear, anxiety, joy, happiness, and even love. Understanding a dog’s emotional development can help pet owners bond with their dogs and provide the necessary care and attention.
3️⃣ Training a dog to look dejected: While it is unethical to purposely make a dog feel dejected, you can train a dog to mimic the appearance of being dejected as a trick. By luring the dog with a treat and gradually associating the action with a cue word like “Sad,” you can teach the dog to lower their head on command. Reward and praise the dog when they perform the action correctly, and gradually increase the duration of time they have to wait before receiving the reward.
Frequently Asked Questions, Answered ✅
1. What are the signs that a dog is feeling dejected?
– A dejected dog may have a cowed, defeated air about them, hold their head low, and suppress fear and anxiety.
– They may spend a lot of time sleeping and avoid drawing attention to themselves.
– Their gait is miserable and lacking in bounce.
– When approached, they may not respond, turn away, or even growl to reject attention.
2. How can you identify a dejected dog through their body language?
– Look for a low tail carriage, lack of focus, dropped ears, sleepiness, slouched body posture, and head held low.
– Other signs include a lack of interest in food or play, turning away when approached, and avoiding eye contact.
3. How has our understanding of dog emotions changed over time?
– In previous centuries, it was believed that dogs were emotionless and reacted to situations as automatons or machines.
– In the 20th century, dog behavior started to be studied with an open mind, leading to the recognition that dogs have emotions similar to humans.
– It is now known that a dog’s emotional development is equivalent to that of a 2-1/2-year-old child.
4. What range of emotions do dogs experience?
– Dogs experience primary emotions geared towards survival, such as fear and anxiety.
– They also experience more positive emotions like joy and happiness, which help them learn and repeat pleasurable experiences.
– Dogs are capable of feeling love, which helps them bond with their caregiver or owner.
5. Is it possible to train a dog to look dejected?
– While it is immoral to make a dog genuinely dejected, it is possible to train them to look dejected as a trick.
– The training involves luring the dog to lower their head, rewarding them for the action, and labeling it with a cue word like “Sad.”
– Through repetition and reinforcement, the dog can learn to associate the cue word with lowering their head and offer the action spontaneously.
