If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

If I could make my dogs understand one thing, it would be that I am extremely sorry whenever I accidentally step on them. I have two dogs. They carry pieces of my heart outside of my chest. I’ve often asked myself, do they understand what I am doing when I provide them comfort after accidentally hurting them? I go out of my way to rub their paw, tail, or whichever body part I may have inflicted pain upon. I change my voice to a soft and gentle tone. You might laugh at me for this, but sometimes I will bow my head to them in an attempt to show my remorse. I do this to show how sorry I am. But since they do not speak our language, there is no way to know with certainty that they understand.

Therefore, in an effort to gain some clarity, I did what I do best: scour the internet for some answers. Nell Greenfieldboyce from NPR wrote an article titled “Your Dog May Know if You’ve Done Something on Purpose, or Just Screwed Up” back in 2021. I spent the necessary time reading it. Though insightful, it did not provide the answer I had hoped for. All over Quora and Reddit, strangers debated this topic. Some made valid points, while others led me to think they should not be pet owners. Here is a response from Cburnard on Reddit: “Not only do I think they understand it was an accident if you bonk them and then comfort them, but I also believe they understand when they accidentally bonk you and you react in pain! At least my dog does. My girl has given me a black eye and a fat lip (separate incidents) during episodes of excited play, and when it happened, she immediately stopped playing, then started licking my face apologetically. Dogs are too good for this world.”

I wholeheartedly agree with Cburnard—dogs are too good for this world. Meanwhile, user Blankbusinesscard stated, “Dogs don’t have a lot of nerve endings in their heads; it probably hurt you more than it hurt them.” Perhaps this user may have a point, but it’s long been observed that dogs are sentient beings. But let me stick to the positive aspect of my little research.

Dogs have this incredible ability to bond with humans. They are very observant creatures. I believe dogs understand our honest intentions. Whether that is due to their emotional intelligence or perhaps humans give off a chemical scent with each emotion that is invoked, I feel almost certain that dogs understand us. The amount of time I spent reading about this topic offered me some reassurance, but of course, not a definitive answer. Only a dog can provide that.

I spend a lot of money on Chewy.com for my two dogs. I will never hold that over their heads, but I will continue to badger them until one of them speaks. When that day comes, I will make sure they understand that all those times I accidentally stepped on them, I was extremely remorseful. Then you all will be the first to hear about it. Though, I believe Huskies will be the first to talk. So, for any Husky owners out there, keep me and my question in mind for when the time comes.