How Dogs Say Sorry
4 cards · about a minute
They repair, not apologise
A dog has no apology but does have repair: the slow approach with a lowered head and a soft eye is an attempt to put the relationship back.
What it looks like
Ears back, body low, tail sweeping wide, a lick aimed towards your face. This is a dog saying let us not fall out, not one admitting fault.
Your face is the weather
They are reading your expression to find out whether the trouble is over, so a long silent sulk holds a dog in a state they cannot resolve.
Answer it and move on
Acknowledge the approach calmly and return to normal; the quickest way to close an incident is to stop performing it.