After a while, it becomes the basis for many acts of altruism. Or, I give to charity because if I don't, my mother will find out about it and cry. But if one is not careful, time can temper these pangs of guilt. That is where dogs come in handy. Next to Jewish mothers, they are perhaps the most accomplished purveyors of guilt on this planet.
Dogs can manipulate their expression and body posture to rival any chicken soup-toting yenta.
Take our Golden Retriever, Sunshine . Much of the time, his holdouts pay off. I had always thought that animals were loath to look people straight in the eye. But not my dogs. Indeed, it could mean the end of guilt as we know it.