Do Dogs Feel Revenge? Understanding the Truth Behind a Common Myth
- Maria Cecilia Martinez
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
A Question I’ve Heard for Over 50 Years
We humans have a complicated relationship with emotions like anger, resentment, and even revenge.
I was listening to a podcast recently explaining how the human brain processes revenge, how it gives a momentary sense of satisfaction—but also how that satisfaction quickly fades, leaving the person right back where they started emotionally.
That got me thinking about a question I’ve been asked for decades:
“Do dogs do things out of revenge?”
People often say:
“He peed on my bed because he was mad.”
“She chewed my shoe because I left her alone.”
“He didn’t come when called because he’s getting back at me.”
After working with thousands of dogs across five decades, I can say this with confidence:
No, dogs do not feel revenge the way humans do.
They do not plot, punish, or get satisfaction from seeing us upset.
What they do experience is something much simpler, much purer—and far more connected to their survival instincts and emotional wiring.
The Difference: Human “Revenge” vs. Dog “Reaction”
Humans and Revenge: A Cognitive Experience
Do dogs feel revenge? Humans have a complex brain structure, especially in the prefrontal cortex. This allows us to:
Hold long-term grudges
Rehearse painful memories
Create stories around those memories
Imagine future scenarios
Seek emotional “closure” by wanting the other person to suffer
Revenge in humans comes from a mix of hurt, pride, ego, and the need for emotional restoration.
This emotional sophistication simply does not exist in dogs.
What Dogs Actually Experience:
Reaction, Not Revenge
Dogs live in the present moment
Dogs cannot:
Keep a long-term emotional score
Plan an intentional act to “teach us a lesson”
Understand human guilt or shame
Recreate the emotional narrative that revenge requires
Dogs operate based on associations, stress, instinct, and learned patterns.
When a dog “acts out,” it’s not:
A punishment
Payback
A personal attack
It’s communication.
Common Behaviors Mistaken for “Revenge”
1. Chewing Your Shoes
Not revenge—it's:
Anxiety
Frustration
A self-soothing behavior
The scent of their favorite person
2. Peeing in the house
Not revenge—it's:
Stress
A break in routine
Medical issues
Insecurity
Not fully house-trained
3. Ignoring you when called
Not revenge—it's:
Conflict of motivation
Overstimulation
Distraction
Lack of training follow-through
4. Destroying furniture when left alone
This is not spite.
This is separation anxiety, one of the most misunderstood emotional struggles in dogs.
Dogs React—They Don’t Retaliate
In all my years breeding, training, testing temperaments, and working with working dogs, police dogs, service dogs, and family dogs…I have never seen a dog plan an action for the purpose of making someone “pay.”
Dogs react based on:
Their emotional state
The energy they pick up
Their instinctive drive
Their environment
The pressures they feel
And here’s where I always bring my Southernwind philosophy:
A dog’s behavior is a reflection of the emotional world we create for them.
The Emotional Truth: Dogs Feel Hurt, Confusion, Stress—But Not Revenge
Dogs can feel:
Fear
Insecurity
Frustration
Jealousy
Competition
Disappointment
Stress
These feelings can lead to behaviors that look like revenge, but they are truly reactive emotional expressions, not calculated acts.
Dogs seek:
Balance
Safety
Leadership
Clarity
Connection
Not revenge.
Their emotional system is wired toward survival and attachment, not punishment.
The Southernwind Understanding: Dogs Speak in Behavior, Not in Grudges
With over 50 years immersed in canine behavior, one thing has always been crystal clear to me:
Dogs mirror, they don’t plot.
They respond to:
Our energy
Our inconsistencies
Our routines
Our absence
Our presence
The clarity (or confusion) of our leadership
If something goes wrong, the question isn’t:
“Why is he doing this to me?”
It’s: “What is he trying to tell me?”
This shift changes everything.
How to Help Dogs Who Show “Revenge-Like” Behaviors
1. Strengthen structure
Clear routines = calm behaviors.
Dogs thrive with predictability.
2. Fulfill needs
Mental stimulation, movement, and engagement reduce frustration.
3. Lower stress levels
A stressed dog behaves irrationally—not vengefully.
4. Communicate clearly
Mixed signals lead to reactive behaviors.
5. Create emotional safety
A dog acting out is a dog asking for help.
Conclusion: The Beauty of the Canine Heart
One of the reasons I have loved and bred German Shepherds all my life is because their hearts are pure. They don't hold onto emotional darkness the way we humans do.
A dog doesn’t plot revenge
.A dog doesn’t wish for us to suffer.
A dog doesn’t replay a moment over and over to justify retaliation.
A dog feels what is happening now. And what they seek is connection, balance, and understanding.
If we learn to see behavior through their emotional world, instead of our human lens, everything changes—our patience, our training, our relationship, and our ability to help them succeed.