Can Dogs Feel Embarrassed When Dressed in Costumes?

Meet Charlotte, a three-month-old rescue pup dressed in a vibrant pink floral gown. Having just arrived from Tennessee a week prior, she looked as though she was prepped to strut on the New York Fashion Week runway.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, as my partner Karen cradled her with pride. "Isn’t she absolutely adorable?"

"She sure is," I replied, attempting to keep my eyes from rolling back in exasperation.

Loretta, her elder sibling, appeared equally thrilled, or possibly, bewildered. She gazed curiously at the tiny bundle of paws wriggling in Karen’s arms, a $9 dress swaying gently in the warm June wind. I reassured Loretta, "Don’t fret, darling. You won’t have to wear a dress unless you want to."

Charlotte outgrew the dress within a couple of weeks. She now owns a new winter coat, though she hasn’t had the chance to wear it yet. As for the dresses, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Karen doesn’t splurge on some absurd festive attire.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you adore dogs. And perhaps, like many, you enjoy dressing them up in all sorts of fancy outfits and quirky costumes. Think Halloween ensembles! Festive wear! Birthday gowns! Boots! Scarves! Wigs! Even painted nails! Items you wouldn’t dream of wearing yourself. This brings us to today’s burning question: Do dogs feel embarrassed when we dress them in silly outfits?

"I believe they don’t feel embarrassed, but they certainly get irritated," chuckled my friend Dawn McKersie, a dog trainer and occasional puppy sitter. To illustrate her point, she shared a photo of one of her clients—a dog sporting a lion’s mane wig around its small head. The poor pup looked utterly miserable, as if it wished to vanish into the mouth of an actual lion.

"What’s your take?" I inquired. "Just look at that poor dog’s face."

"He looks absolutely miserable," she replied.

Human Emotions

Embarrassment is one of many emotions, akin to love, guilt, sadness, fear, and happiness. We feel grief when someone we know passes away, humiliation when mocked, and joy when something positive occurs.

According to W. Gerrod Parrott, a psychology professor at Georgetown University, humans experience six core emotions: love, joy, surprise, anger, sadness, and fear. These primary emotions give rise to secondary ones like pride, relief, and optimism, while tertiary emotions include excitement, loneliness, and embarrassment.

However, emotions are transient, lasting only for a short period. We don’t remain embarrassed indefinitely—or at least, we shouldn’t. In humans, embarrassment is categorized as a "self-conscious" emotion, similar to guilt. It arises when we stumble, burp during a meal, or spill coffee on a pristine white shirt in front of an audience.

What Emotions Do Dogs Feel?

Do dogs experience the same emotions as humans? This is a compelling question that researchers have pondered for years. For dog owners, it’s undeniable that dogs exhibit emotions. They wag their tails when joyful and appear guilty—ears drooping, head lowered—when they soil the carpet or destroy a book. They can also display jealousy toward a new baby, another dog, or even the cat that claims a spot on their owner’s lap.

Nevertheless, many scientists remain skeptical about dogs experiencing emotions akin to humans. While some believe dogs feel a spectrum of emotions, guilt might not be among them. Instead, dogs may simply be responding to their owner’s cues. Some experts argue that dogs only experience "instant-reaction" emotions, such as fear, joy, sadness, and anger.

This leads us back to the question of whether dogs feel embarrassment. It’s challenging to imagine, especially when they engage in behaviors like licking themselves in awkward places or sticking their snouts where they shouldn’t—you can fill in the rest.

"To my knowledge, no comprehensive studies have explored whether dogs feel embarrassment, but I suspect they might," Dr. Jessica Pierce, a bioethicist and author of numerous works on dog and cat psychology, shared via email. "That said, when we dress them as lobsters or Donald Trump for Halloween and they pin their ears back or lower their tails, it might not be embarrassment they’re feeling—it could simply be discomfort or confusion from the unfamiliar attire. They might also be reacting to the laughter and excitement of the people around them."

If she had to speculate, Pierce believes dogs likely experience the same fundamental emotions as humans. "Dogs undoubtedly feel primary emotions like anger, fear, sadness, and joy," she explains. "They probably also experience a range of secondary emotions, including empathy, guilt, and embarrassment. As for what emotions dogs lack, I wouldn’t confidently exclude any. I suspect that as scientists delve deeper into canine emotional experiences, they’ll uncover even more."

Should You Dress Your Dog?

So, is it a good idea to dress up your dog? Simply put, if you’d feel mortified dressed as a lobster or Donald Trump, your dog probably would too.

"When people ask me if it’s cruel to dress dogs in costumes or fancy sweaters, I tell them to 'ask your dog'," Pierce advises. "If your dog appears uneasy, remove the outfit (after snapping that adorable photo for social media). If your dog seems indifferent or even enjoys the attention, then it’s perfectly fine."