Dog Owner Scolds Guilty Pooch But Has To Smile At Dog’s Abrupt Apology Caught On Camera

Oct 05, 2021

Every dog owner is familiar with the cute big, puppy eyes that dogs can give when they feel guilty and know that they have done something wrong. The expression on a dog's face is something that can melt any heart. After all, there is a reason "puppy-dog eyes" is such an accurate saying. Puppies and dogs have the sweetest dispositions in this way; they have the ability to feel guilty about doing something wrong unlike cats, who do not show much emotion when they act mischievously. 

Unfortunately, we do not yet have a shared spoken language between humans and animals, but one of the best ways we can understand that a dog is feeling guilty is through body language. There are the usual "guilty" looks dogs possess, but some dogs go even further by hanging their heads, dragging their feet on the floor and even trying to hug the owner to get on their good side.

One dog in Italy did everything possible to convince his owner that he was still a good boy despite being naughty earlier. It isn't clear what the dog, who is named Ettore, did, but his owner Antonio Granai from Tuscany, Italy, is not amused by Ettore's antics. This video from Sept. 2015 shows how a dog's "puppy-dog-eyes" manner can melt even the hardest of hearts. For quite a while, Granai was not convinced that Ettore should be forgiven, but we see that eventually, he is convinced because he can see how bad Ettore felt. If you are a person who loves dogs, this video is sure to make your day. 

Granai is an Italian man, and the video below is entirely in Italian as well. Even though a person may not understand Italian, the body language clearly shows that Granai is chastizing Ettore for doing something wrong. It is not clear in the video what the dog has done, but the guilty expression on his face is enough to prove that there was indeed something that went awry. 

Metro provided a translation for what is happening in the video and reports that Granai said this as the video begins, "Are you asking me to forgive you? Are you asking me to forgive you? I don’t understand. I really don’t understand. What do you want? What?" Based on his words and tone, it seems like Granai might be quite angry at what Ettore did. 

As Ettore is scolded, the dog buries his face in Antonio's chest. While Granai continues to scold, the dog crawls on his lap, looks him in the eyes and pushes further into his chest. He truly feels guilty for everything he has done, and despite Ettore's pleading looks, Granai is not giving in. He is still displeased, and he continues to show Ettore that his looks aren't going to get him out of the mess he has made. 

The video was filmed by Granai's girlfriend, Federica Riccardo, as per the Italian news outlet La Repubblica. The translation for the story was also provided by Animal Channel, which reported that while Ettore is doing OK after this exchange with Granai, he is also a very good actor.

As the video continues, it is also clear that Granai is not buying Ettore's acting skills; he is a tough one to melt and keeps on asking Ettore if he understands what he has done wrong. Granai says, "What do you want? No, it doesn’t work like that. It really doesn’t work like that. It doesn’t work like that. No. No. You are wrong. You are wrong. You are really wrong," as per Metro. 

However, Ettore is not giving up no matter how much he is being scolded. He doubles down on his remorse, climbing into Granai's lap and begging him for a hug. He attempts to thrust himself onto Granai for any sign of reconciliation, but Granai is having none of it as he still hasn't cooled down. The video is only a minute and a half long, but for Ettore it might have seemed like forever trying to get on Granai's good side again. 

Granai asks Ettore, "Do you understand where you made the mistake? Do you understand? Do you understand? Do you understand where you made the mistake? I don’t think you understood." This might be the reason that Granai is unwilling to forgive and move on, as he wants Ettore to realize his mistake first. 

Although Granai is very strict, in the end he is able to forgive his dog, as he finally says, "Ok. We make peace. We make peace. Peace, all right? We made peace." By this time, Ettore had attempted to embrace Granai multiple times but was constantly pushed away. Granai might have come to understand that Ettore was truly sorry and might not have wanted to make Ettore feel bad any longer. Ettore's reaction is truly adorable.

Dogs are very cute when they seek forgiveness, but it makes one wonder, do dogs really feel remorse when they have done something wrong, or is it just us who want to attribute human-like qualities to them? Cesar Millan, a famous dog expert, shares that there is evidence that animals experience the basic and secondary emotions such as pride, guilt and jealousy. However, these emotions seem to require greater mental capacity than most creatures possess. 

According to him, when an animal looks guilty and makes doggy expressions it is just a form of submissiveness. Although the dog does not understand what he or she has done wrong, they have the ability to know that their human is angry at them. The dog knows that if they look meek and submissive, the owner will feel like they understand that they are in charge and the dog would do anything to obey. The video below shows a dog who clearly knows when he has done something wrong. Ettore truly shows us that showing submission can work to encourage a human to forgive him. 

Granai and Riccardo explained to La Repubblica that Ettore does this submissive apology often because he also has many misdeeds he needs to be forgiven for. Many couch pillows, shoes (especially high heels) and glasses, among other goods, have fallen victim to Ettore's antics, and each time he gets told off by his owners. However, Ettore is loved deeply and is always the center of attention at their home. It looks like he has his apologizing skills honed and perfected for any other misdeeds that might happen in the future!

Do you have a pet who asked for forgiveness in a similar manner? What do you think of Ettore's remorse? Let us know and pass this article along to your friends and family members to give them something to laugh about.