Professor Nathan Lents said dogs are aware when they have done something wrong and the guilty look afterwards is an 'apology bow' (stock image)
The tail-between-the-legs look is the epitome of guilt - and recognisable to any dog owner.
And now researchers believe they have unlocked the psychological reason behind the stance.
A leading animal behaviour expert said dogs are aware when they have done something wrong and the guilty look afterwards is an 'apology bow'.
They hang their heads and put their tails between their legs to make themselves look submissive to owners, and show they are less powerful, Professor Nathan Lents revealed.
And he said dogs inherited this type of behaviour from wolves , who would punish an animal by shunning them if they stepped out of line.
This form of discipline hurts dogs - and wolves - because they hate to be ignored and 'crave harmonious integration'.
Professor Lents wrote: 'Dogs have inherited this behaviour and they will use it after any kind of infraction that results in being punished'
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ShareHe said neglect or isolation is painful for them.
The professor, who teaches molecular biology at John Jay College in New York, wrote about the concept in a blog post on online magazine Psychology Today.
He said that it is a 'very interesting phenomenon that goes far beyond the dog-human relationship and actually reveals quite about the nature of communication itself'.
The expert said it is actually more complex than you might think.
Professor Lents wrote: 'Dogs have inherited this behaviour and they will use it after any kind of infraction that results in being punished.
'As social animals, they crave harmonious integration in the group and neglect or isolation is painful for them'.
Professor Lents said that young wolves first display the apology bow when they begin to learn social integration with other wolves.
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