Dogs can tell between accidental and deliberate. They also understand appeasement, which they do amongst themselves.

A casual or accidental knock isn't presaged by any signal of intent.

A deliberate attack or injury is always preceeded by the angry or aggressive body language of the perpetrator - canine or human - and dogs can most cvertainly read that.

An accidental injury can be mollified with fuss and affection. Very physical young dogs soon learn that knocking a human off their feet is not a good idea... Not because the human gets angry (would be normal,lol) but no reinforcement for that and indeed, even puppies who knock over their owner become worried to see a human on the ground - not normal!

yeah poppy goes crazy when i fall. she starts running around the house barking! it's quite useful when theirs someone around to hear so they can come & help me but if theirs no one around & she's racing around barking it doesn't really help

All the time about everything. In the house in the garden and on our walks. If I step back on him which is frequent he is never far form my feet I always say sorry.

He understands my happy you are a good boy voice and he now knows my you are not being a good boy voice.

I spoke to my other dogs too.

I natter away to my dogs constantly so of course I apologise profusely if i accidently hurt them.

I always say sorry if I bump in to Kestral.

I say thankyou too.

I ask her how her day was when she gets home! And she gives me a human hug (what we call her jumping and putting her paws round my shoulders )

She 'apologises' when I say ouch, she goes all worried and starts wiggling her bum and trying to give me a human hug and lick at my mouth.

I apologise to my dogs and my cat and say "please" and "thank you" to them, which my granddaughter thinks is very odd and proof that Gran's going off her rocker!

As I tell her the time she should really start worrying is when I start talking to myself, which I don't, but I do have long conversations with my "four leggeds". (At least they don't argue with me like she sometimes does)!

I say sorry to my dogs if I knock them etc. I did send K flying as a pup by accident once I did say sorry.

I have also thanked cash machines before

I talk to my dogs all the time, and do apologise when I've trod, kicked or caught them - all accidentally, of course.

Jake in particular has a tendency to creep up behind me or lie behind my feet when I'm sat on the sofa, so he gets caught. I always pick him up, apologise and give him a rub where I've caught him.

I do that too. Gorden always says to me did you just say thank you.

Oh yes, I apologize all the time. If I'm late coming home, if I smell like other dogs (he hates that lol) if I didn't bring him home something after shopping. It's kinda pathetic I suppose, I don't even do that with humans!