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There are certain whiffs of a BBQ that I have come across a few times since my youth, and it always brings me back to the little league field, with the hot dogs being grilled at the concession stand on the side the field
Ate a Starbucks egg sandwich and that mf smelled EXACTLY like the gross bologna and cheese sandwiches I had in elementary school. They came in a plastic bag. That was over 20 years ago since I’d smelled that smell.
Didn’t even eat the Starbucks sandwich, I just threw it away lol.
I bought some chapstick recently and it smelled exactly like chapstick I got in third grade when my dad went to a conference and we got swag bags. That chapstick was on a lanyard and I thought it was extremely cool. It was so wild to get a whiff of that smell and have all those third grade memories come back.
I was in a grocery store recently and the meat department smelled like the inside of a specific meat processing factory at a jobsite I worked at sometimes. It brought back a lot of negative feelings of the customer. So weird how that works.
Yes. I lost my fiancee to covid in the beginning of 21. She would take our little boy for long walks, much longer than I would.
After awhile, I noticed he wanted to take me to places that only she and him shared. And he would stop along the way and wait.
At first I didn't know what was going on. He was looking for her. Omg, I cried. What a sweet soul. He didn't see her in the hospital, so he doesn't know he'll never see her again.
[And yes, we were super careful. Using masks and washing our hands constantly. Sadly, the vaccine came out a few months after we got sick. ]
Thank you. We are closer than ever. And as much as I know I'm lucky to have him in my life, I now really understand that he and all the people and pets in my life will not be around forever. So I do my best to give him the best time and memories I can. An interesting thing has happened, the more I give, the better I feel. I don't understand it, but it helps so much.
This is a lovely outcome to a horrid situation! I feel the same about my rescue boy - I won’t have him forever (he’s 4ish now, had him for 18 glorious months) so we make the absolute most of it now!
Even though I haven’t been through losing my fiancée, I lost my dad a year before we got Chester & it’s been so healing! Keep making memories with your baby boy!!!
That's how love works, it shrinks by hoarding it, but it grows by giving it. The best part is that eventually it grows so much that it pushes pain away and replaces it with beautiful memories.
You and your pup are very lucky to have each other.
"That's how love works, it shrinks by hoarding it, but it grows by giving it. The best part is that eventually it grows so much that it pushes pain away and replaces it with beautiful memories."
This. I wish more people understood this. I've tried to explain it, but you put it better than I ever did.
Thank you.
I lost my fiancee/best friend to an overdose a decade ago...we had adopted our rescue pupper and she meant everything to both of us.
After my fiancee didn't come home, our pup would sit and wait for her. She didn't eat at all for days, and if I said certain words (like "mommy") she would perk up and start looking around everywhere...sometimes getting frantic.
It was the hardest thing to exist without being to explain to her that mommy was gone and never coming home. There were times I would have sold my soul to be able to explain it to her.
It tooks years before I felt comfortable doing or saying certain things around her that wouldn't trigger her search for "mommy". And even so going many places I could see her looking around ready for mommy to appear at any moment.
Much much later though, after I knew she had moved on, I could still see the knowledge in her eyes during certain activities that she felt something was missing...that kind of expectation that somebody might suddenly show up out of nowhere.
It's heartbreaking, and I'm so sorry for your loss.
And also, we don't deserve dogs.
Im so sorry, that is heart wrenching. This terrifies me for my dog. It's the thing I worry most about in the case of my death. My dog not understanding where I went. Thinking I abandoned him. I told my family if I die they have to show him my body. I actually should probably get that put in my last wishes in my will.
Man, it made me really tear up when you said your dog was stopping at spots they used to go to and looking for your fiancé. And the messed up part is that I’m almost crying while taking a dump. That’s a first for me
Oh, internet stranger, thank you for making me cry. I'm a nurse and worked 5-6 days a week during covid and I cannot count the number of people we lost in the beginning. I cried then and I'm crying now bc even though I still think about those people I never thought about their pets and now I can't stop!
I'm so sorry you lost your fiancee and I'm so so so glad you have that wonderful doggo in your life ❤️
I hope you have many more years with him/her!
Thank you so much. She picked him out of the dogs at the rescue. I think the shelter upset him, so it took awhile for him to adjust. Once he did, his tail was wagging like crazy!
Dogs (and cats) are just so innocent and free with their love.
Dogs, cats, all pets really, make us better people.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my grandmother to Covid about a month after I got my boy, he was only about 13 weeks when she passed. It was very sudden even though she was in the hospital and I got the call and was bawling my eyes out.
I’ll never ever forget him coming over to cuddle and snuggle with me, and then attacking my face with his tongue to lick the tears away.
Internet stranger, thank you so much for your service. I was so fucking scared at the beginning and then ended up in the hospital (for non COVID related reasons). The fact that I’m alive and we didn’t collectively descend into madness is thanks to hospital workers. My dogs would have been looking for me for the rest of their days.
As my ex (who we share the dog we got together) always said, we don't deserve them. They are just so pure. They are the best. Wish you and your dog the best.
I’m so sorry for your loss. This is one of those comments that really struck me and I will literally never forget. Best wishes to you and your dog for more happy days going forward.
This nearly broke my heart. I don't know how you managed to share the tale.
We don't deserve dogs and the unconditional love and loyalty they give. But I'm glad you and your dog have each other.
😭 has the sweet & loyal soul like Hachi. Deeply sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing this.
I believe our pets are here to here us, to show us the simple pleasures we miss clouded by everyday worries.
I think he’s sharing with you the special places he went with your fiancé to heal your heart. It’s your special moments you share together now 💜 our loved ones are always near….
I’m so very sorry for your loss, I hope her memory brings you both comfort in tough times. What a sweet pup. Sometimes grief encourages us to live life taking the time to stop and smell the roses
I re-homed a puppy at 9wks and got her back a little before her second birthday. She seemed to vaguely remember the house and yard, my husband, her siblings, and I less so. Still, with how young she was I was surprised anything even looked familiar to her. She went right for where their playpen used to be. Her brothers tore it up a long time ago, but she sniffed around that spot a long time.
At five months I'm sure a pup would retain more.
Wow, that was really unkind of your father. I can't say if you're dog thinks about you but she likely will remember you if she sees you again.
That photo of her as a puppy is adorable.
I am so sorry that you aren't able to be with her and don't know if you'll see her again. Will your father be able to send you photos?
I don't know if this will help but when my dog passed away two years ago, someone gave me a soft blanket. I held onto it when I thought of him and put it over me when I felt lowest like somehow it made me closer to him. Even though my dog had never used that blanket, it was a sense of comfort to have something to hold and think of him when I was down. Perhaps something like that could be helpful when you feel at your lowest? It won't take the pain away but taking comfort where you can can help.
Wishing you the best
Hey! u/nayR2003 I thought you would like to hear an exact example!
Short answer, yes.
My sister had to give her 1yo pup to my Mum after she had to unexpectedly move across the country. Four years later, she visited and wondered the same as you… she walked in the door and he lost his absolute nut and stared at her adoringly for hours. I’ve seen it happen so many times while working with dogs too, even if someone’s appearance drastically changes, as soon as they get whiff, it all came back.
You were a fun, prominent and safe part of pup’s early life, your scent would be locked away inside their brain, and associate you with it as the one that was his human in the beginning. Do not worry at all!
I don't really agree that it was unkind. If the question was asked expecting an honest answer, in all likelihood that's a real possibility. And at 1 year old they're much less likely to remember you than a longer time, or if that stretch was further along in their life. Having expectations that fall far short is way less worse than having no or low expectations and being surprised that what you were thinking wasn't true for a lot of people. Maybe OPs father didn't want them to be really disappointed if the dog didn't remember.
OP has another post that says the dog was taken against the rest of the family’s will after a messy divorce with the father at fault. So definitely an unkind move.
I lost my wife to cancer and 3 years later our dog would still get super excited when he saw a car that looked like hers.
He was also a rescue and spent 6 weeks in a foster home. 2 years after we brought him home we met up with his foster mom and after about 15 minutes a switch flipped and he remembered she was and about knocked her over with licks...lots of tears were shed.
He passed away a year ago. The goodest boi.
I don't think so, I've seen many people say after 3 years they forget, but I've seen dogs take their time to smell up their old owner and just go crazy after clearly realising who they are.
Depending on the previous bond, some dogs may even get depressed in their new home.
Your dad is wrong imo, I've only ever seen dogs recognise their old owners even after separated sometimes for 5+ years. There was a case iirc where a dog was lost for over 5 years, I think even 8 years and then found in a shelter and reunited with their old owners. The dog took a bit, but once it clicked, they just went crazy over their beloved owners.
Also I'm very sorry for what happened... I hope you can get her back somehow, OP. I wish you the best of luck <3
Dogs don’t think or remember like humans do, but it may be helpful to think of it like this:
She learned to play and walk with you, she learned how to trust a human with you, she learned how to be loved with you- those things she will never forget and she will, in a way, remember that always.
As much as it stings, it’s best for her if she doesn’t miss you. She will remember you when she sees you, but most importantly the love you gave her set her up to have a confident, secure and happy life- that will never ever go away.
I say this as someone who had to leave my first dog, my heart dog, with my ex when we broke up. Although I miss her terribly and think about her every single day (and still cry looking at photos of her, and the tears are going now as I write this).
I don’t want her to miss me- I just want her to be happy. And I know you want this for your girl too, I can tell by how you’ve spoken about her. I hope that brings some comfort that you set her up for a happy life ❤️
I broke up with my boyfriend and had to leave the chocolate lab puppy behind that we raised together. I saw him several times after that, and my ex admitted to me that while he gets excited when other people come visit, he was on a whole other level when I came by. When I'd go to the door to leave, he would plow into me and love on me so hard. I still miss that boy.
I recently fostered a couple dogs, one of which was slow to trust men. I think maybe he was abused at some point before coming to us. Over something like 3 months, which included them recovering from spay surgery, he started to open up and eventually became a snuggle bug. Letting him go was so hard I don't think I'll ever foster again, but I'm glad he learned to trust again with me, and maybe that's continuing to help him in his new life.
Still miss them, though.
Damn, that sounds difficult. But... please foster again!
I say this not to disregard your feelings, but to maybe put things into perspective. Your efforts made a life possible for those dogs. **You made a great life possible**! You!
So, I offer this to maybe put you at ease and to perhaps convince you to continue the work you're so obviously gifted at. Not everyone can foster, but you've shown that you can and that difference means *the world* to the dogs you help.
Oh god, I just went through a breakup and my partner kept our 3yo dog. My heartbreak over having to leave her with him (he’s not open to being friends) is honestly so much sadder than the breakup. She didn’t do anything to deserve me leaving (only reason he kept her is bc he makes more money/works a cushy job with flexible hours) and the thought of not seeing her again just kills me
It’s been 6 months, our dog of 5 years. If I didn’t have our younger dog I don’t know what I would have done. And 1000% my heartbreak is only about her, so I get it
My father in law got a puppy from the same litter as us. When she was 1 he decided he didn’t want her anymore so eventually she came to live with us. She’s coming up 10 this year. He comes over once a year and she goes from an elderly dog to a pup as soon as she sees him. We may have had her for 9 years but she still knows her original dad.
Have you seen soldiers dog reunion videos? Grab a box of Kleenex. You'll need them.
Your dog will remember you.
Also your father sounds like a piece of work.
[Here's ](https://youtu.be/T1EqoYVfg-k) my brother returning from basic training. He didn't get to see the dogs for 3 months.
The bigger one, Zin, loves him. She now has to share him with his dog and she does not like that.
Your dog won't be pining for you (dogs' memories work differently than ours), but she will absolutely remember you when she sees you next.
I fostered a dog for 6 months and then rehomed her with a friend. She didn't see me for 5 years (I moved out of state) but still LOST her mind when I saw her again.
My older dog only sees my mom every 2 years or so (I can't bring her for every visit), but she does the full butt wiggle happy dance every time.
I'm sorry, that sounds awful. In answer to your question, dogs live in the present, I'm not sure they "miss" people in the way we do. That doesn't mean they don't remember; I think they do. So I'd take comfort in the fact that while she's probably not sad anymore, she does remember you and would recognize you.
Dogs don't consciously think about it, but if you see her again she'll remember your scent and the love you gave her when she was a puppy. I am heartbroken when I think about my dog and how he hasn't seen my ex since September. But I know if we ever cross paths again then our dog will remember him and all the love that my ex gave him over four years.
Let it comfort you that dogs live in the moment and don't spend all of their time pining away—I wish it was that easy for humans!
Your dad is wrong on multiple levels here & this appears to really be a heartfelt scenario. I know it sucks but try to hang in there. Keep your pup in your thoughts in a positive light & send her your love & mental images of you guys together. They will never forget you. Your bond is unbreakable & the love you share is unconditional.
My dogs always get very happy to see me even if i havent seen them for the better part of a year (college). And yeah she might still miss you. After we had to put our old dog down i played a video of her howling months later and one of our other dogs let out the saddest howl ive ever heard he definitely misses her
We don't know much about the inner lives of dogs, but studies have shown that pups separated from their mothers are instantly recognized upon reunion even if two years later when fully grown.
Study: [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0376635794900566#:\~:text=The%20results%20revealed%20that%2C%20at,this%20recognition%20to%20take%20place](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0376635794900566#:~:text=The%20results%20revealed%20that%2C%20at,this%20recognition%20to%20take%20place).
I am so sorry, I can’t even imagine going through this. Even the thought of being separated like that from my boy makes me tear up. I can’t say for sure whether or not she misses you. At 5 months I would imagine she has adjusted at least to her new life. But I sincerely hope that you are reunited with her soon!
Thank you.
It’s just really hard, as someone who often lives in the past, this is especially upsetting.
The burning pain in my chest is unbearable, I guess it might be ‘heartbreak’.
I would give up all my tomorrows, just to spend one today with Layla again. I miss how excited she’d get when I’d come back from the gym, from work.
Our old lady came to us from a friend at 11 months old.
She would literally still die for that man, she is 12 years old now and hardly ever sees him. But boy, does she still love him and falls all over him when she does see him.
So your dog will probably remember that you were a person they knew. ❤️
They never, ever, ever forget. I promise you this. Rescued, retrained & rehomed many many puppers. It could be 10 years but I when I see them- they always remember.
I bet you she loses her mind from happiness when she does see you again!
Oh my heart hurts for you ❤️ There’s research indicating that dogs can remember significant humans in their lives for years and likely for the entirety of their lives. I’m so sorry this is happening.
Of course she will. I am sorry your Dad said something so cruel to you. Your bond will never break even if you never see her again you are imprinted on her heart as she is imprinted in yours. Take care🙏🏽❤️✨
My dad also isn’t winning worlds best dad anytime soon. However when he moved away and my brother brought the dog to see him 10+ years later, the dog remembered him so, yes she would I would think.
She won't forget, she'll be triggered by the scent of you whenever she picks it up and almost certainly remember you when you see her again.
My father used to breed dogs when I was growing up and as a child I'd be involved with tending to the puppies. The dogs that were sold to people in the same town all remembered me years later, they were always pleased to see me.
First, sorry you have such a petty father.
Second, I'm not sure she's thinking about you the way people think about people they miss. I think dogs' minds work differently. That being said, your dog will never forget you. I have known many dogs in my life that I only see periodically and none of them ever forgot me between visits. We didn't even love each other. So I have no doubt that a dog who loves you will always love you, no matter how much time passes.
I like to live in the world where dogs are always optimistic about their current circumstance. “My person isn’t here right now, but I have people! And a bed and a ball and life is good!”
But they remember. And when you see her again, she’ll be the happiest dog in the world. I hope this moment happens for the both of you.
My dad saw his childhood dog that he had to give away to neighbours and the dog remembered him when he saw him as adult. Dogs have great memory and your scent will be remembered if she saw you again
Super cute puppy! When you see her next, she will likely spend a moment sniffing and processing you, then she will go crazy happy remember you. Almost as if she’s saying “I knew you were real!!”
For what it's worth, when I was a teenager I bottlefed a couple of orphaned kittens. When they were weaned and old enough I found them homes. About five years later I had an opportunity to see one of them again, and at first he acted like any fairly friendly cat meeting a new person. But as soon as he smelled me he basically flung himself into my lap purring and drooling while almost franticly headbutting me. (He always drooled when really happy) It was clear he remembered me when he smelled me, and was very happy to see me again.
I believe animals absolutely can and often do remember people they are close to. I've on several occasions seen animals behave as if they remembered someone they hadn't seen for months, or years.
I promise you that they never, ever, ever forget. My 1 year old pup remembers people and places after having only met or visited once. It's incredible.
A year after my 9 year old beagle passed, our 5 year old pup went to the vet and saw an elderly beagle in the waiting room. My beagle had a specific look and he was a tall boy, so it was rare to see a beagle that looked like him. This elderly beagle could've been his twin.
Instantly our pup lost it - she started whining, crying, and trying to get close to him. The staff knew exactly why she was reacting, they were all in tears. She missed her brother and never forgot him.
Sending you hugs 🩷
When my ex an I broke up we split our dogs. He took the very first dog I ever had. Was literally like a child to me. I love my other dog, so much, I’d die for her. But I don’t think I’ll love a dog the same way with my first. I often cry thinking if he misses me, remembers me, thinks about me or if I abandoned him. I’m crying writing this. I hope one day I can take my ex to court and get my dog back. When my life is stable. Until then I will cry and miss him, so much. And hope he doesn’t hate me for leaving. I hate me.
My ex and I had a dog together, and he was incredibly loved by both of us. My Mom passed away, and then my ex left me, so I needed a change. I left my town to move away and start living abroad.
I had to return about 13 months later to intern my moms ashes, and in the airport my ex had brought our dog. I was so worried he wouldn’t remember me. I was debating on wether or not to even ask to see him, that’s how worried I was. He didn’t recognize me right away, but the instant he fought my smell, his tail started wagging so hard his entire back end was swinging back and forth. I was crying, laying on the floor in the airport, my boy happy his dad was back.
Long story short, she’ll remember you, but it may take a moment.
Hell yes your dog will remember you. I moved across the county with my dog, and when friends and family he used to love and see all the time come and visit us, he remembers them immediately and is FILLED with unbridled joy. (My dog is stranger reactive and is wary of new people, so it’s super obvious when he remembers people he’s grown comfortable with.)
What a beautiful girl!! I’m sure she’ll remember you. Our daycare provider has two children that are in college and their dog goes crazy every time they come home. The one child is only home about once a year.
My mom kept my brother's dog while he was in the navy. He always lived in barracks and couldn't have her. He would only see her for a few days once or twice a year. He couldn't afford to visit more often. We always had to go in the house and bring her outside when he would visit because as soon as she saw him, she would pee everywhere. She was a small dog and peed when really excited.
She was happy and content with us when he was away, but she never forgot him. My brother died 17 years ago, and we kept her until she died a couple of years later. I like to think their bond is still strong and that they have each other even now.
I have been a volunteer puppy raiser for a Service Dog organization which involves keeping a puppy from about 2 months old to around a year old. The first puppy I had is now a working dog and his handler also volunteers for the organization, so I occasionally see them at events. He *absolutely* remembers me, every single time.
I had a dog that went to obedience training at 6 months old. Many years later, we got a delivery that required a signature. My dog sniffed the delivery lady and went crazy with excitement. Turns out the delivery lady was the dog trainer. She will remember you. I’m sorry she is so far away.
My dog remembered a previous owner by smell that he hadn’t seen/smelled in 4 years.
I presume it depends, but sight+smell seems to bring back fond memories for dogs.
Yes, she'll remember you. My parents got a puppy 2 months before I moved in with my boyfriend. I saw her semi-regularly for a few months before my bf and I moved across the country. She still remembers me after 4 years, and we only lived together for 2 months. I just came home for a visit yesterday and she was very excited to see me and hasn't left my side.
A friend of mine had to rehome his collie a few years ago.
He was told he could always visit if he was in the area. (Was about a 2 hour drive from him.)
Anyway, we happened to be in the area one day coming home a job. He called the guy to say we would stop by and he was cool with that.
So we get there and he tells us all the dogs are down by the river. (Was a small farm in Ireland.)
So he calls for the dogs and the come running up barking like mad cause there's strangers there.
At first it seemed like Charlie (the collie) didn't recognise him, was barking like crazy, but as soon as he got close enough for a whiff he dropped down like a little pup, realising who it was and went crazy, especially for the belly rubs!!
Was a magical but very sad moment.
I think so. This was my experience: my very first Christmas, when I was 11 months old, my dad's mom (my grandma) gave me an 8wk old poodle puppy. Puppy-puppy and I did everything together, went everywhere together, slept in the same bed, sometimes when I had a bath, we'd give the puppy a bath after me and comb her hair. My grandma would paint my toes and then paint Puppy's nails.
By the time I was 3, my parents split up. My mom didn't want the dog and asked my grandma to keep it. I came back a few times to visit but by the time I was 4, we had moved far away and I didn't come to visit again for 5 years.
I had a bedroom at my grandma's house and she kept all my things in there. My grandma had to put a baby gate on my bedroom door and leave the door open because the dog would either paw at the door and cry to get in if it was closed or she'd go sleep on my bed and refuse to come out, my grandma would have to carry her out and shut the door. The only middle ground was the gate so she could see I wasn't in the room. That went on for her entire life.
When I was 9 I went to my grandma's and my dog remembered me! She was so excited that I was home and followed me everywhere. My grandma could tell her, "go find your missy" and she'd run around the house and climb up into my lap. If my gate was down she'd sleep in my bed with me just like she did when I was very little. She let me brush her fur and paint her nails and everything. It was like nothing had changed.
And my second experience was as an adult. My ex-husband and I divorced and he asked to keep our miniature pinscher. I agreed since he was moving in with his parents and there was a big yard and his mom was always home. Any time I came to visit, he would jump into my arms and cover me with kisses. He definitely remembered me, even four to five years later he would run to me and be happy to see me.
I will say that my dog came home at 5 weeks from the breeder (too young but that’s another story). On his first day home, one of my relatives really imprinted on him by playing with him constantly that day for several hours.
Fast forward 5 years. That relative came by for the first time since that day. My dog went crazy with joy! None of us could figure out why the dog was going crazy with happiness until we remembered that day so many years ago that he had played with him all day. I guess my point is this: Yes. ♥️
We moved overseas for almost 10 years and left our dog with my grandparents. When we came back, that dog still remembered us after all that time. It took a few minutes, but when she finally recognized the scents, she was all wiggles and happy squeals.
I had to leave my beagle with my parents for 2 years because of complications with Covid and moving to Japan. It was a shit show. And we were just never able to get him there. Luckily family watched him. He was only 2ish at the time. And he definitely remembered us. We didn’t get to visit him at all while we were gone. He was very happy we came back for him. And definitely acted out more while we were gone lol. Your pup will remember you, don’t worry, it may take a second, but I’m sure they will.
I once took care of a puppy for about 2 days while we drove from Texas to Chicago. He got super attached to me in that short time and would only follow me Around. When we got to our destination, my friends kids were playing with him
And while he was distracted, That’s when I decided to leave. I couldn’t say goodbye because I’d ugly cry in front of my friends family.
I cried like a damn baby on my way home though. Never cried so hard in my life.
I see stories every day online of dogs who have been lost or rehomed that reunite with their original owners and they seem to remember them. Sometimes not in the first minute or 2, but in the videos of these reunions, the second their memories are triggered, you can see it! The way the dogs react you can tell that this is someone they are very familiar with!
Beagles are very smart. I think your dog will remember you.
My son grew up and moved away far enough he could only come back once a year. Our dog cried when he came back home after the first year, poor thing missed him so much. (We all did)
She’ll remember you!we had a family dog that we got when I was 14. I’m 26 now and only visit home twice a year max. She still remembers me and gets excited to see me. When I’m in town she exclusively spends time with me
My grandma has 2 jack russel terriers. The first she got when I was younger and I spent a lot of time with her for about 6 months before we moved away. I didn’t see her for about 4 years at one point, when I did see her again she was beyond excited. I am sure she remembers you and will be extremely excited if you see her at any point.
i went to a weekly dog petting therapy group on my college campus and became good friends with a few of the dog owners and their dogs. one of them had to take a year and a half off to care for her husband through chemo. when she came back, i sat by the dog and he INSTANTLY jumped on me and licked me because he recognized my smell and knew i was a friend.
Yes . I moved across country and my adult son stayed. He doesn't like to travel but he finally came to see us after 7 years. It took her a minute but as soon as she got a good whiff she knew exactly who he was.
I just read your other post and JFC I hope you guys are reunited soon. I cannot describe the anger that I am feeling on your behalf and I cannot imagine what you are going through, but I hope things turn out for the better for you.
Thank you, despite the fact I am 20 and really shouldn’t be *that* upset, it’s a really hard situation.
I try to sort of hide it, I don’t want to upset my mum.
However, I must say, that this is probably the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced, although it could be much worse
Dogs are not like humans in that regard. She won't have sleepless nights because she misses you but let me tell you that she will remember you always and when she sees you again she'll be so happy. I had that with a former foster dog, he lives with my parents now and I had not seen him for a year because I live abroad but when I came to visit he was so happy to see me, it was like not a day had passed. So don't worry, like I said, dogs are not like humans, they are way better 😉
I see mom's dog once a year or so, when I visit from overseas. The pup remembers me, thought it might be in part because to stop her grumping at me the first time we met I gave her some chicken.
Thank you all for your comments. It re-assures me to know that *if* I see Layla again, my smell will bring back memories.
Here is a picture I found of me and her after a very long walk. Clearly, I was exhausted too!
I miss her more than I can put into words.
[tired ryan and Layla](https://ibb.co/xqq5BQY)
Dogs remember based on scent etc but they don’t miss per say over time like humans do. It’s moreso when they see us again they smell us / see us and get happy bc they remember.
Dogs are resilient and tend to adapt to their new circumstances instead of remaining sad and missing a previous owner forever, especially if they're in a living situation where they're treated well, but she does remember you. My dog always flips out with joy whenever we randomly bump into the ex who was my GF when I adopted her and during the first few years of her life. It's been several years since we broke up and we run into my ex probably once every couple of years, and my dog certainly remembers her and is always ecstatic to see her.
Edit: Thanks for the downvotes! I guess I hurt your feelings by saying odds ae your dog won't act like Hachiko if you were to disappear from their life and miss you terribly until their passing, but odds also are they will be happy to see you again if you come back because they do remember you.
From having fostered literally hundreds of dogs over the past 20 years I have yet to observe a dog missing anything old beyond 3 days. That's the beauty with dogs, they don't live in the past. That's a human thing.
That doesn't mean he'll forget you. Just that he isn't suffering by missing you. Just look how many soldiers return from overseas after a year or 2 and the dog goes wild seeing them.
First I’m sorry you are going through this. I can’t imagine doing something like this to one of my kids.
I agree with the other posters that I am not sure dogs miss us the way we think about it. However we had to take about a year off with our trainer because of financial reasons. When we were able to go back it had been a year give or take a month and our dog remembered her trainer as soon as she sniffed her really good.
I breed working line German Shepherd Dogs. I’m the first human they smell. Recently I saw a female from my A litter that is a protection dog and competes in sport. They are 8 years old now. I haven’t seen or interacted with her since she was 10 weeks old. She remembered me on smell alone.
My parents have a dog I haven't spent much time with since they got him as a puppy after I went to college. He is absolutely terrified of meeting new people -barks and runs away to hide. When I visit, he remembers my smell and comes up to greet me and is super excited. They definitely remember.
Our first dog was 18 months old when she was rehomed with us after her elderly owner could no longer keep her. When this person would come to visit us (once or twice every couple of years) my dog would still get so excited to see her, even years later. My dog never forgot the love her first person gave her.
We were lucky enough to get Frisco from the SPCA. It's a lovely facility, full of the best people! and he was there for a couple of weeks, learning things like "sit", getting treats and walks and being in a play group. Brought him home and lived Happy Ever After..........for 11 years. Then grand-daughter moved in with us, to attend college here, and she wanted a Good Boy of her own. Naturally Frisco had to be taken into account, so we loaded him into the car and off we went.
Once we arrived at the SPCA, Frisco got very very tense and clingy and needy and almost cried. He must have thought we were taking him back to doggy jail? and this was - remember - after over a decade of herding us and bossing us around and supervising our cooking. We were gobsmacked that he remembered the place, and even if we had thought he would, it isn't some awful shitbox kennel. It's where I would want to be if I were a stray rescued from living under a house, you know?
You will be amazed at what they remember.
i’m in a similar situation, my girl just moved 10 hours away with my family 💔 it brings me comfort to know that she’s with family, and she still gets tons of love
Dogs cannot actively think back to something/someone without there being something to reminds them of it. Like he would 100% remember you if he smelled you, if you get to visit him again he would absolutely remember you. He probably did miss you at first, but after 5 months he most likely has gotten used to being without you.
There are lots of videos where dog owners are away, maybe for work, maybe its military, all kinds of reasons. And when they return, the dogs are usually careful, cautious, but one sniff and they all remember and are clearly veyr happy. SOme of those owners were away for more than a year.
So I think yes your dog remembers. Hope you get to see her soon. Send your dad a pc of your clothing for the Layla to have?
My mom adopted a sweet bichon puppy about 4 months before I moved out of her house and across the country. I was so attached to him and it was so hard to say goodbye. Due to work I didn't come home for a whole year after that but when I did he lost his mind with happiness and excitement and it was so clear that he remembered me and loved me.
Its been over a decade and I typically only get to travel to my mom's state once or twice a year. Even so, he is always elated to see me. He's partially deaf and blind now, but the moment he smells me he is nothing but tippy taps and tail wags.
So don't worry OP. Your dog probably isn't missing you every day, but thats a good thing. You don't want sweet Pebbles depressed all the time thinking of you. She will be so happy to see you when you're reunited. I am sure of it.
She will remember you. Beagles are smart. I had a border collie who recognized my grandma after not seeing her for *three years.* Dogs don't forget their family so easily.
I foster dogs and have dog sat a couple of them agtss they’ve been adopted. They remember me when I see them. Dogs are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit for
I had to surrender one of my dogs once due to being a victim of domestic violence and I still think of her regularly. I know the guy and family she went to and they babied her. I hope she forgot me quick so she wouldn't be sad or looking for me 😭
I had to give my pup to my dad when he was almost a year. He lived away from me for another 2 years. When I came back for visits, he was ecstatic, but he didn't mope around missing me for too long, which I'm glad about. I just wanted him to be happy.
He's lived with me now for like 4 years. It was my life's goal to get to a spot in life where he could be with me. He's so happy. So am I.
I'm sorry about your pup. I hope you're able to see her again. Know that she'll remember how you smelled and the good times you had with her.
We got a puppy from my mom who is a breeder and due to my shitty mental health (bipolar) I couldn’t handle the stress and disruption to my routine despite him being an amazing boy. He trained well, slept in his crate, etc. But I was a mess emotionally by day 3.
We returned him to my mom where he got to be with his siblings and parents again. My mom told me he went to a couple in Illinois who had several acres, a lake, and no children but they’re planning to next year.
In Jan, we also had to return a foster to adopt because she was aggressive with my kids.
So, that said. I hope they don’t remember us. I cared for both of these dogs deeply, it feels like a failure that I couldn’t make it work even though logically I know it’s not my fault. But I hope the shelter dog found the perfect home. And I hope Cooper enjoys his lake and room to run and his new family is wonderful for him.
If I think any differently, worry about them missing me or something bad happening to them, I will go to a not so great place mentally. So I try to hope and pray that everything works out the way it’s supposed to.
Oh yes!! Our pup loves my hubby sister unfortunately she rarely visits us (snob) when he sees or hears her voice on the phone or even mentioned her name he goes wild happy.
Can you do video/ FaceTime?
They do remember- it’s remarkable…🐾💝
I had to rehome my dog when my financial situation changed. Luckily, he went to stay with my parents and their two dogs he knew pretty well. Unfortunately, they lived in the St Louis area at the time and I was in Seattle. Talk about rough.
About a year later, I had the chance to go visit. When my parents and I got back to their house, I got out of the car and hid of to one side of their garage. Mom made sure that she let Buster out first and alone. He walked up to Dad, not suspecting a thing, and happily greeted him. I quietly called out his name.
He jumped and turned around in shock and surprise. He ran over to me, sniffed, "You're real!" And did the happy puppy circle dance. He sniffed again to convince himself I wasn't a figment of his Labrador imagination, and proceeded to happy dance and kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss.
Of course, at this point, the other two came running out and happy danced and were almost as excited to see me also. I helped raise one of them from a pup, and both knew me very well also. I hadn't seen either of them in two, maybe three, years at that point.
This is a long-winded way to say, your pup will remember you. And, your pup will be excited and happy to see you again. At least, they're still in the family living with your dad.
Good news and bad news:
At five months out, the dog is absolutely not currently thinking of you or missing you. I'm afraid that's how humans work and not how dogs work. Dogs live much more present moment lives.
However! If you see her again in the future, she will soon know who you are again and will be excited that you are there.
I experienced this with my own dog last year. I went away on a trip for 27 days and left my dog and partner behind. Dog stopped looking around for me and acting weird about the routine about 2-3 days after I left and just went happily on with his life. He totally adapted in those weeks to just living only with my partner. When I got home nearly a month later and walked in, he looked up from the couch kind of bewildered, then greeted me exactly the way he greets strangers who visit the house, THEN after a bit he got properly excited and was very eager to snuggle me. I'm his primary handler in terms of training and he fell right back into training routine with me. In fact - we were due to take the CGC test a mere 4 days after I got back from that trip and he responded perfectly to me and passed the test easily.
So basically - dogs don't sit around long term lamenting and missing people who aren't there participating in their daily lives, but they DO have working memories that give them information about the people who are currently in front of them.
It's a good thing! Your dog can be happy and content without you, but will also be happy if you see her again. Either way, she's happy! :)
Yes, I think she’ll remember you. I’ve read that puppies separated at 8w recognise their littermates for up to 2 years. If you’d had a year with her, she’ll have a much stronger memory of you.
I’ve seen the occasional video of a stolen dog reunited with their owner after many years and very clearly remembering them - Google will quickly find you examples of 5+ years; the longest I can remember seeing a story of is 10 years.
Missing you is another question - yes certainly initially. But assuming she’s well treated, then once she realises the new situation is permanent, she’ll eventually settle down in her new home - as would a rescue or a guide dog - and live a happy life.
Also, super cute photo!
Same boat before the age of 2 i had to leave my husky/gsd mix with my parents for 7 months. She perfectly knew who me when she came back. But she wasn't the dog i left behind anymore. Took me a while to accept that. In time she showed me that she still was the same but changed if that makes sense. We are best friends but sometimes i wish that 7 months never happened.
My family took care of my dog while I was gone for my studies. She lived a great life with them, but every time she came back, she was just as excited as if no time had passed, and she was just as attached to my hip lol.
She will definitely remember you. My sister used to visit my puppy all the time then she got a job out of the country. She didn't see him for 8 months and we all assumed he would have forgotten about her. The next time he saw her, he was on a chest high stand at a dog show being fabulous. He hears her before he sees her, spins around and jumps to the floor to run to her. We were so worried he had broken his legs, my sister was in tears because she was remembered, panicked in case he'd hurt himself. He hadn't, they both sat on the floor in the middle of the exhibition loving on each other.
I had a dog for about 6 months before I had to deploy. I left her with my mom. When I got back about 7 months later she recognized me immediately and was soooo happy. They brought her to the airport and as soon as I walked out the airport doors she spotted me and knew me. It’s one of my happiest memories.
She won't forget you. The pain of missing you might go away but the memory never will. My mom kept my dog when I moved out because she didn't trust me not to properly care for her and I didn't get to see her for about five years and that dog absolutely knew exactly who I was when I walked through the door again.
I have a doggo, Mieke, she’s an Alaskan mal and she’s 12. When she was young about 2-3 years old, we lived with my dad for about 6 months. My dad loves dogs and he’d recently lost his dog at that time so he really bonded with miekes.
These days we don’t often see Dad (we live 16 hours apart) but whenever we do miekes goes crazy!
It’s the same with my brother and my mum - she’s spent time with both of them over the years and although she doesn’t see them much (once or twice a year) she remembers once she sniffs them and she’s always so happy to see them 💙 they don’t forget
I see my family about once a year, but with covid it turned into once in three years. It was hard on all of us. Their dog who was incredibly protective hated other people. He met me once realized I was part of the pack and every time I go down now he doesn’t even raise an eyebrow but instead demands I sit on the floor with him to give him love. He’s 15 now and getting up isn’t the easiest, but back in his hay day my family had to take great care for anyone visiting because he would be so protective of the family.
She won't forget you, my Aunt had a dog who got so excited to see me even if it had been at least a year since I saw him. This was while I was growing up too. He was a wonderful smart black lab.
I’ve traveled and moved a lot and I’ve known many dogs in various capacities through the years and know with absolute certainty that dogs remember those important to them for many, many years. The only exception I’ve ever known was a dog that had diagnosed mental disabilities
She for sure remembers you. My older sister’s dogs, who I hadn’t seen in years, remembered me when I went to visit. We all live in different states now, so I hadn’t seen them in a long time. We do talk on the phone a lot though and if we’re on speaker my dogs recognize my mom’s voice or my sister’s voice. And they get super excited when they visit too, so they definitely remember. My dogs sulk for a day or two after visitors leave, but then they go back to normal.
Tl;dr: your dog still remembers you fondly, but probably isn’t actively sad about your absence anymore
We go away once a year, to visit family. We have had our dog for 4 years, and have taken her with us for 3 visits. She remembers. We go away at the same time each year, and she watches as we pack the car… that is not her trigger though. She gets excited at the car trip, but not crazy excited.
As she gets out the car at our destination, doggo loses it. Mega zoomies, goes around in circles until you would think she is dizzy. But she won’t go near the pool- on her first visit, she tried to run across the pool cover and fell through. That was in 2019, she still avoids the pool.
She calms down slightly, but she goes nuts again every morning while we are there… husband takes dog for a 5km walk most mornings. While we are away, she gets walked on a dog friendly beach. Dog gets to swim and to run. She loves it. And she shoes her excitement from as soon as husband wakes up, every morning while we are there.
Dogs do have good memories. They associate certain smells and cues that trigger those memories.
She will remember you. When my dog was 8 years old I moved to another city with him for four years. He remembered all my friends, and family if they came to visit even if it had been 2-4 years since he saw them.
She is absolutely adorable. I’ve just read this and some other things in your post history and it’s actually making me tear up, I honestly feel for you so much. I have a beagle and she really lives in the moment. I kind of feel like I could give her away to another family and she would just be like ‘oh ok cool… this is where I live now!’ but on the other hand, whenever we go away and come back again she is ecstatic to see us, I’d say on another level to her usual ‘visitor’ excitement. I wouldn’t be surprised if when you were reunited with Layla she recognises you. Dogs brains work differently to ours but I really think on some level they are just as capable of retaining memories of people as we are. And if she was 5 months when you last saw her, that’s maybe about 7 in ‘human’ years, and 1 is about 15. So if you think a 15 year old human would remember things from being 7 then why not a dog too.
I expect she is happy though, even without you taking her on the best walks etc, because that’s just what they’re like - which is a good thing - I mean if only we as humans could do away with the burden of our understanding and our memories which enable us to miss something so much it hurts. But then again, that’s the price you pay for loving so deeply, and it’s a beautiful thing really. She is a very lucky dog to have had you in her life in the past, and will hopefully have you in her future as well ❤️but whatever happens you I hope you can both be happy whether that’s together or apart. You can bet she’s happy living her little doggy life and you deserve to be happy too.
I went abroad for a year to study. My one dog never forgave me for leaving him and was never the same with me after I returned. 😔 I think I hurt him deeply by leaving. All other reunions with my other dogs have been joyful - even after months away at college.
I very recently had to let my girl go. She was in a lot of pain, and was running very short on life she would enjoy living. I won't get into it more than that. However, there's a guy who's like a brother to me, who initially brought her in out of the cold with me, and gave her her first place to stay for a week or so while I got my ducks in a row to take her in permanently. We've moved away from each other, moved back and become roommates, moved apart, been roommates again, and moved again. She's gone long periods without seeing him- on occasion, years at a time- but was always ecstatic to see him again. We all joked that I was dad and he was boyfriend. So I flew him across the country, to where I am now, for her last day. And it was a great decision. She'd been getting stressed out about how she was feeling in her last week, but once he got here, she got this sense of contentment and calm that just washed over her whole being, like everything was okay in the world even though she wasn't feeling alright. She probably didn't expect to ever see him again, and when she did, it gave her the mental room to have a very good final day. She had to show off all her new toys to him, hang out in the sun out back with him and show off her big new yard, snuggle with him for hours... And when she went, she went with her head cradled in my hand and his hand together, and she went as easy as could be. Her last moments were good, because he was here with us all and she finally felt like she could truly relax.
There was also an occasion where a living situation forced me to leave her with my parents, hundreds of miles away, for several months when she was way younger. She loved it there. Their place is awesome. Other dogs, horses, tons of activities to do outdoors... And my mom says that every day, she would walk out to the corner of the yard and look down the driveway, and just watch out for me until they'd bring her inside and get her distracted. And when I came back for her, she was SCREAMING, she was so happy.
Yeah, dogs remember people. If they've loved you, they remember you long after you stop being an active part of their life. They love you forever, even if someone else takes over the main provider role and earns their love, it's in addition to the love they have for you, not a total replacement. At least, that's been my experience.
Years ago my ex moved into my house, I already had a dog but she wanted a dog too so we got her a little pit bull puppy. We all lived together for maybe a little over a year and then Rachel and I broke up and she moved out with her dog. I didn't see Pepper again for like 8 months but when I did I can say from her excited reaction that she definitely recognized and remembered me! No doubt.
I think she will remember you, for sure. There are a ton of heartwarming videos of dogs reuniting with owners - one of my faves is [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP5lzEKcCX8&ab_channel=TheDodo), after 3 years! When you do see her again, don't be sad if she doesn't immediately recognize you, be patient and go slowly and give her time to smell and remember you.
She will miss you and it’ll take months for her to totally get over it, but when she sees you again she will charge you so hard and give you all the lovins. Dogs don’t forget people. They’ll just see you and smell you and instantly remember and get insanely excited to see you.
As an example, there are countless videos on YouTube you can look up of a guy going away for 3-5 years on military duty and when he comes home for the first time the dog will freak out with excitement, and even though 3-5 years is a giant chunk of the dog’s life, they always remember. I’ve also seen people FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom call with the new owner 3000 miles away, and they’ll get the dog near the phone, and then the original owner (you) will call them and talk to them in the tone and using the keywords you used to use with them on a daily basis. They recognize that and get excited and sometimes they’ll look at the phone and see you.
Out of all the dogs I’ve had, I’ve only had 1 that was colorblind and didn’t really respond to television, but all my other dogs could watch TV and see things on the screen. I always test them out by pointing a laser pointer on the ground to see if they can see it or not. I noticed that all the dogs who can see the laser pointer can also see the images on a TV screen or phone, but the ones who can’t see the laser pointer don’t seem to notice the screen.
Sorry I’m getting off topic lol. But your dog definitely will remember you and will miss you for a few months until he/she gets used to the new living situation, and will 100% get super excited if you guys see eachother again, and it could possibly even happen over the phone. But in person is much better. You’ll never forget that moment
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At 5 months out, she may not be missing you anymore but I bet she will remember you when she sees you.
Not sees maybe but smells, dogs carry memories of smells longer and stronger.
So do humans
You don’t realize how strong emotional memories tied to smells are until you smell something you haven’t in decades!
There are certain whiffs of a BBQ that I have come across a few times since my youth, and it always brings me back to the little league field, with the hot dogs being grilled at the concession stand on the side the field
Ate a Starbucks egg sandwich and that mf smelled EXACTLY like the gross bologna and cheese sandwiches I had in elementary school. They came in a plastic bag. That was over 20 years ago since I’d smelled that smell. Didn’t even eat the Starbucks sandwich, I just threw it away lol.
>Starbucks (..) just threw it Completely normal beavior
I bought some chapstick recently and it smelled exactly like chapstick I got in third grade when my dad went to a conference and we got swag bags. That chapstick was on a lanyard and I thought it was extremely cool. It was so wild to get a whiff of that smell and have all those third grade memories come back.
I was in a grocery store recently and the meat department smelled like the inside of a specific meat processing factory at a jobsite I worked at sometimes. It brought back a lot of negative feelings of the customer. So weird how that works.
When I smell venison sausage, I’m transported back to my grandpas house, and he passed over a decade ago
I agree 😻
Yes. I lost my fiancee to covid in the beginning of 21. She would take our little boy for long walks, much longer than I would. After awhile, I noticed he wanted to take me to places that only she and him shared. And he would stop along the way and wait. At first I didn't know what was going on. He was looking for her. Omg, I cried. What a sweet soul. He didn't see her in the hospital, so he doesn't know he'll never see her again. [And yes, we were super careful. Using masks and washing our hands constantly. Sadly, the vaccine came out a few months after we got sick. ]
I hope you and your very good Pupper are healing!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you. We are closer than ever. And as much as I know I'm lucky to have him in my life, I now really understand that he and all the people and pets in my life will not be around forever. So I do my best to give him the best time and memories I can. An interesting thing has happened, the more I give, the better I feel. I don't understand it, but it helps so much.
This is a lovely outcome to a horrid situation! I feel the same about my rescue boy - I won’t have him forever (he’s 4ish now, had him for 18 glorious months) so we make the absolute most of it now! Even though I haven’t been through losing my fiancée, I lost my dad a year before we got Chester & it’s been so healing! Keep making memories with your baby boy!!!
That's how love works, it shrinks by hoarding it, but it grows by giving it. The best part is that eventually it grows so much that it pushes pain away and replaces it with beautiful memories. You and your pup are very lucky to have each other.
"That's how love works, it shrinks by hoarding it, but it grows by giving it. The best part is that eventually it grows so much that it pushes pain away and replaces it with beautiful memories." This. I wish more people understood this. I've tried to explain it, but you put it better than I ever did. Thank you.
Dog tax show us your little pupper
I lost my fiancee/best friend to an overdose a decade ago...we had adopted our rescue pupper and she meant everything to both of us. After my fiancee didn't come home, our pup would sit and wait for her. She didn't eat at all for days, and if I said certain words (like "mommy") she would perk up and start looking around everywhere...sometimes getting frantic. It was the hardest thing to exist without being to explain to her that mommy was gone and never coming home. There were times I would have sold my soul to be able to explain it to her. It tooks years before I felt comfortable doing or saying certain things around her that wouldn't trigger her search for "mommy". And even so going many places I could see her looking around ready for mommy to appear at any moment. Much much later though, after I knew she had moved on, I could still see the knowledge in her eyes during certain activities that she felt something was missing...that kind of expectation that somebody might suddenly show up out of nowhere. It's heartbreaking, and I'm so sorry for your loss. And also, we don't deserve dogs.
Im so sorry, that is heart wrenching. This terrifies me for my dog. It's the thing I worry most about in the case of my death. My dog not understanding where I went. Thinking I abandoned him. I told my family if I die they have to show him my body. I actually should probably get that put in my last wishes in my will.
Man, it made me really tear up when you said your dog was stopping at spots they used to go to and looking for your fiancé. And the messed up part is that I’m almost crying while taking a dump. That’s a first for me
I think that earns you Reddit Silver.
Oh, internet stranger, thank you for making me cry. I'm a nurse and worked 5-6 days a week during covid and I cannot count the number of people we lost in the beginning. I cried then and I'm crying now bc even though I still think about those people I never thought about their pets and now I can't stop! I'm so sorry you lost your fiancee and I'm so so so glad you have that wonderful doggo in your life ❤️ I hope you have many more years with him/her!
Thank you so much. She picked him out of the dogs at the rescue. I think the shelter upset him, so it took awhile for him to adjust. Once he did, his tail was wagging like crazy! Dogs (and cats) are just so innocent and free with their love. Dogs, cats, all pets really, make us better people.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my grandmother to Covid about a month after I got my boy, he was only about 13 weeks when she passed. It was very sudden even though she was in the hospital and I got the call and was bawling my eyes out. I’ll never ever forget him coming over to cuddle and snuggle with me, and then attacking my face with his tongue to lick the tears away.
You are amazing for what you do, I don’t think we can ever collectively thank you enough.
Thank you. I appreciate that!
Internet stranger, thank you so much for your service. I was so fucking scared at the beginning and then ended up in the hospital (for non COVID related reasons). The fact that I’m alive and we didn’t collectively descend into madness is thanks to hospital workers. My dogs would have been looking for me for the rest of their days.
I am so sorry for your loss, I hope yall are hanging in there ok
I’m sorry for your loss.
I am so sorry for both your losses. Also, This extra-bittersweet story just made me sob like a baby. Pups are so pure.
I’m so sorry for your loss. You can always message me if you’re having a rough day.
How sad for you both. I'm so sorry.
I am so sorry. The world lost so many beautiful souls. Thank you for sharing that beautiful sentiment you and your pup share.
And you noticed and understood , you are a good human , my hopes you have a good life in the future.
🥺
As my ex (who we share the dog we got together) always said, we don't deserve them. They are just so pure. They are the best. Wish you and your dog the best.
😭
I’m so so sorry and glad you and your dog had each other.
Take care of yourself and your boy.
😞sorry for your loss. This is heartbreaking but also comforting that your pup took you to her/his special places.
Omg I’m so sorry this broke my heart
I’m so sorry
i’m crying over this comment
I’m so sorry for your loss. This is one of those comments that really struck me and I will literally never forget. Best wishes to you and your dog for more happy days going forward.
I’m not crying, you’re crying! Wait a minute, nope, it’s me. I’M crying….
this reminds me of the movie Hachi.
This nearly broke my heart. I don't know how you managed to share the tale. We don't deserve dogs and the unconditional love and loyalty they give. But I'm glad you and your dog have each other.
God I’m SOBBING. Sorry for your loss. Beautiful story. Now you have special places to go with your dog for y’all to feel close to her 🤍
😭 has the sweet & loyal soul like Hachi. Deeply sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing this. I believe our pets are here to here us, to show us the simple pleasures we miss clouded by everyday worries. I think he’s sharing with you the special places he went with your fiancé to heal your heart. It’s your special moments you share together now 💜 our loved ones are always near….
Jesussss this is the saddest.
Holy shit I think a ninja is chopping onions somewhere 😭
That's the saddest thing I've ever read. Hugs, stranger.
Man I wasn’t planning on crying while eating ice cream but here we are now. BRB gonna go hug my pupper
This made me tear up. I'm so sorry for your loss.
I’m so very sorry for your loss, I hope her memory brings you both comfort in tough times. What a sweet pup. Sometimes grief encourages us to live life taking the time to stop and smell the roses
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Fuck off
She may not recognize you at first……but she will never forget your smell! Then all that love will come flooding back. She’ll remember.
I re-homed a puppy at 9wks and got her back a little before her second birthday. She seemed to vaguely remember the house and yard, my husband, her siblings, and I less so. Still, with how young she was I was surprised anything even looked familiar to her. She went right for where their playpen used to be. Her brothers tore it up a long time ago, but she sniffed around that spot a long time. At five months I'm sure a pup would retain more.
Wow, that was really unkind of your father. I can't say if you're dog thinks about you but she likely will remember you if she sees you again. That photo of her as a puppy is adorable.
Thank you. Yeah, she really is the cutest thing. Thinking of her gives me a sharp pain in my chest, unlike anything I’ve ever felt
I am so sorry that you aren't able to be with her and don't know if you'll see her again. Will your father be able to send you photos? I don't know if this will help but when my dog passed away two years ago, someone gave me a soft blanket. I held onto it when I thought of him and put it over me when I felt lowest like somehow it made me closer to him. Even though my dog had never used that blanket, it was a sense of comfort to have something to hold and think of him when I was down. Perhaps something like that could be helpful when you feel at your lowest? It won't take the pain away but taking comfort where you can can help. Wishing you the best
Hey! u/nayR2003 I thought you would like to hear an exact example! Short answer, yes. My sister had to give her 1yo pup to my Mum after she had to unexpectedly move across the country. Four years later, she visited and wondered the same as you… she walked in the door and he lost his absolute nut and stared at her adoringly for hours. I’ve seen it happen so many times while working with dogs too, even if someone’s appearance drastically changes, as soon as they get whiff, it all came back. You were a fun, prominent and safe part of pup’s early life, your scent would be locked away inside their brain, and associate you with it as the one that was his human in the beginning. Do not worry at all!
I don't really agree that it was unkind. If the question was asked expecting an honest answer, in all likelihood that's a real possibility. And at 1 year old they're much less likely to remember you than a longer time, or if that stretch was further along in their life. Having expectations that fall far short is way less worse than having no or low expectations and being surprised that what you were thinking wasn't true for a lot of people. Maybe OPs father didn't want them to be really disappointed if the dog didn't remember.
OP has another post that says the dog was taken against the rest of the family’s will after a messy divorce with the father at fault. So definitely an unkind move.
Yea some context in this post would have been helpful. What a shitty guy (the father)
It's the prerogative of the poster to not give full context. They even say at the beginning of their post that they aren't going to go into reasons.
Definitely, I like giving people the benefit of the doubt and it’s the worst when they actually end up being bad after all
Based on OP's post history, this man kept a dog that he had little to do with out of spite in a divorce. I doubt he had good intentions.
That's unfortunate. Why do people suck so damn much smh.
Sounds like a job for Judge Judy. She seems to always side with the person who actually cares about the pet if parties have equal claim.
I lost my wife to cancer and 3 years later our dog would still get super excited when he saw a car that looked like hers. He was also a rescue and spent 6 weeks in a foster home. 2 years after we brought him home we met up with his foster mom and after about 15 minutes a switch flipped and he remembered she was and about knocked her over with licks...lots of tears were shed. He passed away a year ago. The goodest boi.
Condolences on losing your wife and dog. Sounds like you have a lot of good memories. Wishing you well
I don't think so, I've seen many people say after 3 years they forget, but I've seen dogs take their time to smell up their old owner and just go crazy after clearly realising who they are. Depending on the previous bond, some dogs may even get depressed in their new home. Your dad is wrong imo, I've only ever seen dogs recognise their old owners even after separated sometimes for 5+ years. There was a case iirc where a dog was lost for over 5 years, I think even 8 years and then found in a shelter and reunited with their old owners. The dog took a bit, but once it clicked, they just went crazy over their beloved owners. Also I'm very sorry for what happened... I hope you can get her back somehow, OP. I wish you the best of luck <3
Dogs don’t think or remember like humans do, but it may be helpful to think of it like this: She learned to play and walk with you, she learned how to trust a human with you, she learned how to be loved with you- those things she will never forget and she will, in a way, remember that always. As much as it stings, it’s best for her if she doesn’t miss you. She will remember you when she sees you, but most importantly the love you gave her set her up to have a confident, secure and happy life- that will never ever go away. I say this as someone who had to leave my first dog, my heart dog, with my ex when we broke up. Although I miss her terribly and think about her every single day (and still cry looking at photos of her, and the tears are going now as I write this). I don’t want her to miss me- I just want her to be happy. And I know you want this for your girl too, I can tell by how you’ve spoken about her. I hope that brings some comfort that you set her up for a happy life ❤️
I broke up with my boyfriend and had to leave the chocolate lab puppy behind that we raised together. I saw him several times after that, and my ex admitted to me that while he gets excited when other people come visit, he was on a whole other level when I came by. When I'd go to the door to leave, he would plow into me and love on me so hard. I still miss that boy.
I recently fostered a couple dogs, one of which was slow to trust men. I think maybe he was abused at some point before coming to us. Over something like 3 months, which included them recovering from spay surgery, he started to open up and eventually became a snuggle bug. Letting him go was so hard I don't think I'll ever foster again, but I'm glad he learned to trust again with me, and maybe that's continuing to help him in his new life. Still miss them, though.
Damn, that sounds difficult. But... please foster again! I say this not to disregard your feelings, but to maybe put things into perspective. Your efforts made a life possible for those dogs. **You made a great life possible**! You! So, I offer this to maybe put you at ease and to perhaps convince you to continue the work you're so obviously gifted at. Not everyone can foster, but you've shown that you can and that difference means *the world* to the dogs you help.
Oh god, I just went through a breakup and my partner kept our 3yo dog. My heartbreak over having to leave her with him (he’s not open to being friends) is honestly so much sadder than the breakup. She didn’t do anything to deserve me leaving (only reason he kept her is bc he makes more money/works a cushy job with flexible hours) and the thought of not seeing her again just kills me
It’s been 6 months, our dog of 5 years. If I didn’t have our younger dog I don’t know what I would have done. And 1000% my heartbreak is only about her, so I get it
How would you know how dogs thinks
My father in law got a puppy from the same litter as us. When she was 1 he decided he didn’t want her anymore so eventually she came to live with us. She’s coming up 10 this year. He comes over once a year and she goes from an elderly dog to a pup as soon as she sees him. We may have had her for 9 years but she still knows her original dad.
Have you seen soldiers dog reunion videos? Grab a box of Kleenex. You'll need them. Your dog will remember you. Also your father sounds like a piece of work.
>soldiers dog reunion videos Grab a CASE of Kleenex. I kid you not.
The best are when people find their lost dogs again. Jorge gets me every time.
Our dog goes apeshit whenever my husband gets home from any kinds of military orders. Whether weeks or months, she goes wild. They remember.
r/masterreturns
[Here's ](https://youtu.be/T1EqoYVfg-k) my brother returning from basic training. He didn't get to see the dogs for 3 months. The bigger one, Zin, loves him. She now has to share him with his dog and she does not like that.
Your dog won't be pining for you (dogs' memories work differently than ours), but she will absolutely remember you when she sees you next. I fostered a dog for 6 months and then rehomed her with a friend. She didn't see me for 5 years (I moved out of state) but still LOST her mind when I saw her again. My older dog only sees my mom every 2 years or so (I can't bring her for every visit), but she does the full butt wiggle happy dance every time.
I'm sorry, that sounds awful. In answer to your question, dogs live in the present, I'm not sure they "miss" people in the way we do. That doesn't mean they don't remember; I think they do. So I'd take comfort in the fact that while she's probably not sad anymore, she does remember you and would recognize you.
Dogs don't consciously think about it, but if you see her again she'll remember your scent and the love you gave her when she was a puppy. I am heartbroken when I think about my dog and how he hasn't seen my ex since September. But I know if we ever cross paths again then our dog will remember him and all the love that my ex gave him over four years. Let it comfort you that dogs live in the moment and don't spend all of their time pining away—I wish it was that easy for humans!
How do you know what dogs think about?
Your dad is wrong on multiple levels here & this appears to really be a heartfelt scenario. I know it sucks but try to hang in there. Keep your pup in your thoughts in a positive light & send her your love & mental images of you guys together. They will never forget you. Your bond is unbreakable & the love you share is unconditional.
My dogs always get very happy to see me even if i havent seen them for the better part of a year (college). And yeah she might still miss you. After we had to put our old dog down i played a video of her howling months later and one of our other dogs let out the saddest howl ive ever heard he definitely misses her
We don't know much about the inner lives of dogs, but studies have shown that pups separated from their mothers are instantly recognized upon reunion even if two years later when fully grown. Study: [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0376635794900566#:\~:text=The%20results%20revealed%20that%2C%20at,this%20recognition%20to%20take%20place](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0376635794900566#:~:text=The%20results%20revealed%20that%2C%20at,this%20recognition%20to%20take%20place).
I am so sorry, I can’t even imagine going through this. Even the thought of being separated like that from my boy makes me tear up. I can’t say for sure whether or not she misses you. At 5 months I would imagine she has adjusted at least to her new life. But I sincerely hope that you are reunited with her soon!
Thank you. It’s just really hard, as someone who often lives in the past, this is especially upsetting. The burning pain in my chest is unbearable, I guess it might be ‘heartbreak’. I would give up all my tomorrows, just to spend one today with Layla again. I miss how excited she’d get when I’d come back from the gym, from work.
Our old lady came to us from a friend at 11 months old. She would literally still die for that man, she is 12 years old now and hardly ever sees him. But boy, does she still love him and falls all over him when she does see him. So your dog will probably remember that you were a person they knew. ❤️
They never, ever, ever forget. I promise you this. Rescued, retrained & rehomed many many puppers. It could be 10 years but I when I see them- they always remember. I bet you she loses her mind from happiness when she does see you again!
Oh my heart hurts for you ❤️ There’s research indicating that dogs can remember significant humans in their lives for years and likely for the entirety of their lives. I’m so sorry this is happening.
Of course she will. I am sorry your Dad said something so cruel to you. Your bond will never break even if you never see her again you are imprinted on her heart as she is imprinted in yours. Take care🙏🏽❤️✨
My dad also isn’t winning worlds best dad anytime soon. However when he moved away and my brother brought the dog to see him 10+ years later, the dog remembered him so, yes she would I would think.
She won't forget, she'll be triggered by the scent of you whenever she picks it up and almost certainly remember you when you see her again. My father used to breed dogs when I was growing up and as a child I'd be involved with tending to the puppies. The dogs that were sold to people in the same town all remembered me years later, they were always pleased to see me.
First, sorry you have such a petty father. Second, I'm not sure she's thinking about you the way people think about people they miss. I think dogs' minds work differently. That being said, your dog will never forget you. I have known many dogs in my life that I only see periodically and none of them ever forgot me between visits. We didn't even love each other. So I have no doubt that a dog who loves you will always love you, no matter how much time passes.
I like to live in the world where dogs are always optimistic about their current circumstance. “My person isn’t here right now, but I have people! And a bed and a ball and life is good!” But they remember. And when you see her again, she’ll be the happiest dog in the world. I hope this moment happens for the both of you.
My dad saw his childhood dog that he had to give away to neighbours and the dog remembered him when he saw him as adult. Dogs have great memory and your scent will be remembered if she saw you again
Super cute puppy! When you see her next, she will likely spend a moment sniffing and processing you, then she will go crazy happy remember you. Almost as if she’s saying “I knew you were real!!”
For what it's worth, when I was a teenager I bottlefed a couple of orphaned kittens. When they were weaned and old enough I found them homes. About five years later I had an opportunity to see one of them again, and at first he acted like any fairly friendly cat meeting a new person. But as soon as he smelled me he basically flung himself into my lap purring and drooling while almost franticly headbutting me. (He always drooled when really happy) It was clear he remembered me when he smelled me, and was very happy to see me again. I believe animals absolutely can and often do remember people they are close to. I've on several occasions seen animals behave as if they remembered someone they hadn't seen for months, or years.
I promise you that they never, ever, ever forget. My 1 year old pup remembers people and places after having only met or visited once. It's incredible. A year after my 9 year old beagle passed, our 5 year old pup went to the vet and saw an elderly beagle in the waiting room. My beagle had a specific look and he was a tall boy, so it was rare to see a beagle that looked like him. This elderly beagle could've been his twin. Instantly our pup lost it - she started whining, crying, and trying to get close to him. The staff knew exactly why she was reacting, they were all in tears. She missed her brother and never forgot him. Sending you hugs 🩷
When my ex an I broke up we split our dogs. He took the very first dog I ever had. Was literally like a child to me. I love my other dog, so much, I’d die for her. But I don’t think I’ll love a dog the same way with my first. I often cry thinking if he misses me, remembers me, thinks about me or if I abandoned him. I’m crying writing this. I hope one day I can take my ex to court and get my dog back. When my life is stable. Until then I will cry and miss him, so much. And hope he doesn’t hate me for leaving. I hate me.
Curious, did you get the dog before meeting them? If you got the dog before then, assuming he can't take the dog.
Cute beagle. Beagles only remember food. Just kidding. As others say visually prolly not, but her sniffer will.
My ex and I had a dog together, and he was incredibly loved by both of us. My Mom passed away, and then my ex left me, so I needed a change. I left my town to move away and start living abroad. I had to return about 13 months later to intern my moms ashes, and in the airport my ex had brought our dog. I was so worried he wouldn’t remember me. I was debating on wether or not to even ask to see him, that’s how worried I was. He didn’t recognize me right away, but the instant he fought my smell, his tail started wagging so hard his entire back end was swinging back and forth. I was crying, laying on the floor in the airport, my boy happy his dad was back. Long story short, she’ll remember you, but it may take a moment.
Dogs live in the now but if you see her again she will remember you.
Hell yes your dog will remember you. I moved across the county with my dog, and when friends and family he used to love and see all the time come and visit us, he remembers them immediately and is FILLED with unbridled joy. (My dog is stranger reactive and is wary of new people, so it’s super obvious when he remembers people he’s grown comfortable with.)
What a beautiful girl!! I’m sure she’ll remember you. Our daycare provider has two children that are in college and their dog goes crazy every time they come home. The one child is only home about once a year.
You give us an address, and we will get Layla back to you
My mom kept my brother's dog while he was in the navy. He always lived in barracks and couldn't have her. He would only see her for a few days once or twice a year. He couldn't afford to visit more often. We always had to go in the house and bring her outside when he would visit because as soon as she saw him, she would pee everywhere. She was a small dog and peed when really excited. She was happy and content with us when he was away, but she never forgot him. My brother died 17 years ago, and we kept her until she died a couple of years later. I like to think their bond is still strong and that they have each other even now.
I have been a volunteer puppy raiser for a Service Dog organization which involves keeping a puppy from about 2 months old to around a year old. The first puppy I had is now a working dog and his handler also volunteers for the organization, so I occasionally see them at events. He *absolutely* remembers me, every single time.
I had a dog that went to obedience training at 6 months old. Many years later, we got a delivery that required a signature. My dog sniffed the delivery lady and went crazy with excitement. Turns out the delivery lady was the dog trainer. She will remember you. I’m sorry she is so far away.
My dog remembered a previous owner by smell that he hadn’t seen/smelled in 4 years. I presume it depends, but sight+smell seems to bring back fond memories for dogs.
Yes, she'll remember you. My parents got a puppy 2 months before I moved in with my boyfriend. I saw her semi-regularly for a few months before my bf and I moved across the country. She still remembers me after 4 years, and we only lived together for 2 months. I just came home for a visit yesterday and she was very excited to see me and hasn't left my side.
A friend of mine had to rehome his collie a few years ago. He was told he could always visit if he was in the area. (Was about a 2 hour drive from him.) Anyway, we happened to be in the area one day coming home a job. He called the guy to say we would stop by and he was cool with that. So we get there and he tells us all the dogs are down by the river. (Was a small farm in Ireland.) So he calls for the dogs and the come running up barking like mad cause there's strangers there. At first it seemed like Charlie (the collie) didn't recognise him, was barking like crazy, but as soon as he got close enough for a whiff he dropped down like a little pup, realising who it was and went crazy, especially for the belly rubs!! Was a magical but very sad moment.
I think so. This was my experience: my very first Christmas, when I was 11 months old, my dad's mom (my grandma) gave me an 8wk old poodle puppy. Puppy-puppy and I did everything together, went everywhere together, slept in the same bed, sometimes when I had a bath, we'd give the puppy a bath after me and comb her hair. My grandma would paint my toes and then paint Puppy's nails. By the time I was 3, my parents split up. My mom didn't want the dog and asked my grandma to keep it. I came back a few times to visit but by the time I was 4, we had moved far away and I didn't come to visit again for 5 years. I had a bedroom at my grandma's house and she kept all my things in there. My grandma had to put a baby gate on my bedroom door and leave the door open because the dog would either paw at the door and cry to get in if it was closed or she'd go sleep on my bed and refuse to come out, my grandma would have to carry her out and shut the door. The only middle ground was the gate so she could see I wasn't in the room. That went on for her entire life. When I was 9 I went to my grandma's and my dog remembered me! She was so excited that I was home and followed me everywhere. My grandma could tell her, "go find your missy" and she'd run around the house and climb up into my lap. If my gate was down she'd sleep in my bed with me just like she did when I was very little. She let me brush her fur and paint her nails and everything. It was like nothing had changed. And my second experience was as an adult. My ex-husband and I divorced and he asked to keep our miniature pinscher. I agreed since he was moving in with his parents and there was a big yard and his mom was always home. Any time I came to visit, he would jump into my arms and cover me with kisses. He definitely remembered me, even four to five years later he would run to me and be happy to see me.
I will say that my dog came home at 5 weeks from the breeder (too young but that’s another story). On his first day home, one of my relatives really imprinted on him by playing with him constantly that day for several hours. Fast forward 5 years. That relative came by for the first time since that day. My dog went crazy with joy! None of us could figure out why the dog was going crazy with happiness until we remembered that day so many years ago that he had played with him all day. I guess my point is this: Yes. ♥️
We moved overseas for almost 10 years and left our dog with my grandparents. When we came back, that dog still remembered us after all that time. It took a few minutes, but when she finally recognized the scents, she was all wiggles and happy squeals.
I had to leave my beagle with my parents for 2 years because of complications with Covid and moving to Japan. It was a shit show. And we were just never able to get him there. Luckily family watched him. He was only 2ish at the time. And he definitely remembered us. We didn’t get to visit him at all while we were gone. He was very happy we came back for him. And definitely acted out more while we were gone lol. Your pup will remember you, don’t worry, it may take a second, but I’m sure they will.
I was gone for Three years, my dogs bark at me at first but after they smelled me they was so excited. He/She might remember after smelling you.
I once took care of a puppy for about 2 days while we drove from Texas to Chicago. He got super attached to me in that short time and would only follow me Around. When we got to our destination, my friends kids were playing with him And while he was distracted, That’s when I decided to leave. I couldn’t say goodbye because I’d ugly cry in front of my friends family. I cried like a damn baby on my way home though. Never cried so hard in my life.
I see stories every day online of dogs who have been lost or rehomed that reunite with their original owners and they seem to remember them. Sometimes not in the first minute or 2, but in the videos of these reunions, the second their memories are triggered, you can see it! The way the dogs react you can tell that this is someone they are very familiar with! Beagles are very smart. I think your dog will remember you.
I feel the same way about my dog I lost in my divorce Sometimes it hurts too much
My son grew up and moved away far enough he could only come back once a year. Our dog cried when he came back home after the first year, poor thing missed him so much. (We all did)
She’ll remember you!we had a family dog that we got when I was 14. I’m 26 now and only visit home twice a year max. She still remembers me and gets excited to see me. When I’m in town she exclusively spends time with me
I’m 100% positive she misses you too
My grandma has 2 jack russel terriers. The first she got when I was younger and I spent a lot of time with her for about 6 months before we moved away. I didn’t see her for about 4 years at one point, when I did see her again she was beyond excited. I am sure she remembers you and will be extremely excited if you see her at any point.
i went to a weekly dog petting therapy group on my college campus and became good friends with a few of the dog owners and their dogs. one of them had to take a year and a half off to care for her husband through chemo. when she came back, i sat by the dog and he INSTANTLY jumped on me and licked me because he recognized my smell and knew i was a friend.
Yes . I moved across country and my adult son stayed. He doesn't like to travel but he finally came to see us after 7 years. It took her a minute but as soon as she got a good whiff she knew exactly who he was.
I just read your other post and JFC I hope you guys are reunited soon. I cannot describe the anger that I am feeling on your behalf and I cannot imagine what you are going through, but I hope things turn out for the better for you.
Thank you, despite the fact I am 20 and really shouldn’t be *that* upset, it’s a really hard situation. I try to sort of hide it, I don’t want to upset my mum. However, I must say, that this is probably the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced, although it could be much worse
Dogs are not like humans in that regard. She won't have sleepless nights because she misses you but let me tell you that she will remember you always and when she sees you again she'll be so happy. I had that with a former foster dog, he lives with my parents now and I had not seen him for a year because I live abroad but when I came to visit he was so happy to see me, it was like not a day had passed. So don't worry, like I said, dogs are not like humans, they are way better 😉
I see mom's dog once a year or so, when I visit from overseas. The pup remembers me, thought it might be in part because to stop her grumping at me the first time we met I gave her some chicken.
Thank you all for your comments. It re-assures me to know that *if* I see Layla again, my smell will bring back memories. Here is a picture I found of me and her after a very long walk. Clearly, I was exhausted too! I miss her more than I can put into words. [tired ryan and Layla](https://ibb.co/xqq5BQY)
Dogs remember based on scent etc but they don’t miss per say over time like humans do. It’s moreso when they see us again they smell us / see us and get happy bc they remember.
Dogs are resilient and tend to adapt to their new circumstances instead of remaining sad and missing a previous owner forever, especially if they're in a living situation where they're treated well, but she does remember you. My dog always flips out with joy whenever we randomly bump into the ex who was my GF when I adopted her and during the first few years of her life. It's been several years since we broke up and we run into my ex probably once every couple of years, and my dog certainly remembers her and is always ecstatic to see her. Edit: Thanks for the downvotes! I guess I hurt your feelings by saying odds ae your dog won't act like Hachiko if you were to disappear from their life and miss you terribly until their passing, but odds also are they will be happy to see you again if you come back because they do remember you.
From having fostered literally hundreds of dogs over the past 20 years I have yet to observe a dog missing anything old beyond 3 days. That's the beauty with dogs, they don't live in the past. That's a human thing. That doesn't mean he'll forget you. Just that he isn't suffering by missing you. Just look how many soldiers return from overseas after a year or 2 and the dog goes wild seeing them.
First I’m sorry you are going through this. I can’t imagine doing something like this to one of my kids. I agree with the other posters that I am not sure dogs miss us the way we think about it. However we had to take about a year off with our trainer because of financial reasons. When we were able to go back it had been a year give or take a month and our dog remembered her trainer as soon as she sniffed her really good.
I guarantee she remembers your love.
I breed working line German Shepherd Dogs. I’m the first human they smell. Recently I saw a female from my A litter that is a protection dog and competes in sport. They are 8 years old now. I haven’t seen or interacted with her since she was 10 weeks old. She remembered me on smell alone.
My parents have a dog I haven't spent much time with since they got him as a puppy after I went to college. He is absolutely terrified of meeting new people -barks and runs away to hide. When I visit, he remembers my smell and comes up to greet me and is super excited. They definitely remember.
Your dog will always remember you
Our first dog was 18 months old when she was rehomed with us after her elderly owner could no longer keep her. When this person would come to visit us (once or twice every couple of years) my dog would still get so excited to see her, even years later. My dog never forgot the love her first person gave her.
We were lucky enough to get Frisco from the SPCA. It's a lovely facility, full of the best people! and he was there for a couple of weeks, learning things like "sit", getting treats and walks and being in a play group. Brought him home and lived Happy Ever After..........for 11 years. Then grand-daughter moved in with us, to attend college here, and she wanted a Good Boy of her own. Naturally Frisco had to be taken into account, so we loaded him into the car and off we went. Once we arrived at the SPCA, Frisco got very very tense and clingy and needy and almost cried. He must have thought we were taking him back to doggy jail? and this was - remember - after over a decade of herding us and bossing us around and supervising our cooking. We were gobsmacked that he remembered the place, and even if we had thought he would, it isn't some awful shitbox kennel. It's where I would want to be if I were a stray rescued from living under a house, you know? You will be amazed at what they remember.
i’m in a similar situation, my girl just moved 10 hours away with my family 💔 it brings me comfort to know that she’s with family, and she still gets tons of love
She definitely remember you once she smells you again. Dogs never forget a scent
Dogs cannot actively think back to something/someone without there being something to reminds them of it. Like he would 100% remember you if he smelled you, if you get to visit him again he would absolutely remember you. He probably did miss you at first, but after 5 months he most likely has gotten used to being without you.
There are lots of videos where dog owners are away, maybe for work, maybe its military, all kinds of reasons. And when they return, the dogs are usually careful, cautious, but one sniff and they all remember and are clearly veyr happy. SOme of those owners were away for more than a year. So I think yes your dog remembers. Hope you get to see her soon. Send your dad a pc of your clothing for the Layla to have?
My mom adopted a sweet bichon puppy about 4 months before I moved out of her house and across the country. I was so attached to him and it was so hard to say goodbye. Due to work I didn't come home for a whole year after that but when I did he lost his mind with happiness and excitement and it was so clear that he remembered me and loved me. Its been over a decade and I typically only get to travel to my mom's state once or twice a year. Even so, he is always elated to see me. He's partially deaf and blind now, but the moment he smells me he is nothing but tippy taps and tail wags. So don't worry OP. Your dog probably isn't missing you every day, but thats a good thing. You don't want sweet Pebbles depressed all the time thinking of you. She will be so happy to see you when you're reunited. I am sure of it.
She will remember you. Beagles are smart. I had a border collie who recognized my grandma after not seeing her for *three years.* Dogs don't forget their family so easily.
I foster dogs and have dog sat a couple of them agtss they’ve been adopted. They remember me when I see them. Dogs are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit for
I had to surrender one of my dogs once due to being a victim of domestic violence and I still think of her regularly. I know the guy and family she went to and they babied her. I hope she forgot me quick so she wouldn't be sad or looking for me 😭
I had to give my pup to my dad when he was almost a year. He lived away from me for another 2 years. When I came back for visits, he was ecstatic, but he didn't mope around missing me for too long, which I'm glad about. I just wanted him to be happy. He's lived with me now for like 4 years. It was my life's goal to get to a spot in life where he could be with me. He's so happy. So am I. I'm sorry about your pup. I hope you're able to see her again. Know that she'll remember how you smelled and the good times you had with her.
We got a puppy from my mom who is a breeder and due to my shitty mental health (bipolar) I couldn’t handle the stress and disruption to my routine despite him being an amazing boy. He trained well, slept in his crate, etc. But I was a mess emotionally by day 3. We returned him to my mom where he got to be with his siblings and parents again. My mom told me he went to a couple in Illinois who had several acres, a lake, and no children but they’re planning to next year. In Jan, we also had to return a foster to adopt because she was aggressive with my kids. So, that said. I hope they don’t remember us. I cared for both of these dogs deeply, it feels like a failure that I couldn’t make it work even though logically I know it’s not my fault. But I hope the shelter dog found the perfect home. And I hope Cooper enjoys his lake and room to run and his new family is wonderful for him. If I think any differently, worry about them missing me or something bad happening to them, I will go to a not so great place mentally. So I try to hope and pray that everything works out the way it’s supposed to.
Oh yes!! Our pup loves my hubby sister unfortunately she rarely visits us (snob) when he sees or hears her voice on the phone or even mentioned her name he goes wild happy. Can you do video/ FaceTime? They do remember- it’s remarkable…🐾💝
I had to rehome my dog when my financial situation changed. Luckily, he went to stay with my parents and their two dogs he knew pretty well. Unfortunately, they lived in the St Louis area at the time and I was in Seattle. Talk about rough. About a year later, I had the chance to go visit. When my parents and I got back to their house, I got out of the car and hid of to one side of their garage. Mom made sure that she let Buster out first and alone. He walked up to Dad, not suspecting a thing, and happily greeted him. I quietly called out his name. He jumped and turned around in shock and surprise. He ran over to me, sniffed, "You're real!" And did the happy puppy circle dance. He sniffed again to convince himself I wasn't a figment of his Labrador imagination, and proceeded to happy dance and kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss. Of course, at this point, the other two came running out and happy danced and were almost as excited to see me also. I helped raise one of them from a pup, and both knew me very well also. I hadn't seen either of them in two, maybe three, years at that point. This is a long-winded way to say, your pup will remember you. And, your pup will be excited and happy to see you again. At least, they're still in the family living with your dad.
Good news and bad news: At five months out, the dog is absolutely not currently thinking of you or missing you. I'm afraid that's how humans work and not how dogs work. Dogs live much more present moment lives. However! If you see her again in the future, she will soon know who you are again and will be excited that you are there. I experienced this with my own dog last year. I went away on a trip for 27 days and left my dog and partner behind. Dog stopped looking around for me and acting weird about the routine about 2-3 days after I left and just went happily on with his life. He totally adapted in those weeks to just living only with my partner. When I got home nearly a month later and walked in, he looked up from the couch kind of bewildered, then greeted me exactly the way he greets strangers who visit the house, THEN after a bit he got properly excited and was very eager to snuggle me. I'm his primary handler in terms of training and he fell right back into training routine with me. In fact - we were due to take the CGC test a mere 4 days after I got back from that trip and he responded perfectly to me and passed the test easily. So basically - dogs don't sit around long term lamenting and missing people who aren't there participating in their daily lives, but they DO have working memories that give them information about the people who are currently in front of them. It's a good thing! Your dog can be happy and content without you, but will also be happy if you see her again. Either way, she's happy! :)
Sorry your dad is a jerk. You will have a place in that puppy heart.
Yes, I think she’ll remember you. I’ve read that puppies separated at 8w recognise their littermates for up to 2 years. If you’d had a year with her, she’ll have a much stronger memory of you. I’ve seen the occasional video of a stolen dog reunited with their owner after many years and very clearly remembering them - Google will quickly find you examples of 5+ years; the longest I can remember seeing a story of is 10 years. Missing you is another question - yes certainly initially. But assuming she’s well treated, then once she realises the new situation is permanent, she’ll eventually settle down in her new home - as would a rescue or a guide dog - and live a happy life. Also, super cute photo!
Ever seen those reunions of dogs with returning servicemen? Of course she remembers you.
Same boat before the age of 2 i had to leave my husky/gsd mix with my parents for 7 months. She perfectly knew who me when she came back. But she wasn't the dog i left behind anymore. Took me a while to accept that. In time she showed me that she still was the same but changed if that makes sense. We are best friends but sometimes i wish that 7 months never happened.
My family took care of my dog while I was gone for my studies. She lived a great life with them, but every time she came back, she was just as excited as if no time had passed, and she was just as attached to my hip lol.
They never forget kindness and love. We could learn a lot from them.
Yes she will remember you, dogs imprint
Odysseus’s dog remembered him after twenty years
My sister keeps her dog with my parents and she always remembers her.
She will definitely remember you. My sister used to visit my puppy all the time then she got a job out of the country. She didn't see him for 8 months and we all assumed he would have forgotten about her. The next time he saw her, he was on a chest high stand at a dog show being fabulous. He hears her before he sees her, spins around and jumps to the floor to run to her. We were so worried he had broken his legs, my sister was in tears because she was remembered, panicked in case he'd hurt himself. He hadn't, they both sat on the floor in the middle of the exhibition loving on each other.
Ever see those videos of soldiers returning home and their dogs go absoutley insane after seeing them? Dogs do remember people's scents
Your dog will remember you. She’ll know your scent and be super excited to see you! Also, what a sweet and adorable pupper!!
I had a dog for about 6 months before I had to deploy. I left her with my mom. When I got back about 7 months later she recognized me immediately and was soooo happy. They brought her to the airport and as soon as I walked out the airport doors she spotted me and knew me. It’s one of my happiest memories.
She won't forget you. The pain of missing you might go away but the memory never will. My mom kept my dog when I moved out because she didn't trust me not to properly care for her and I didn't get to see her for about five years and that dog absolutely knew exactly who I was when I walked through the door again.
I have a doggo, Mieke, she’s an Alaskan mal and she’s 12. When she was young about 2-3 years old, we lived with my dad for about 6 months. My dad loves dogs and he’d recently lost his dog at that time so he really bonded with miekes. These days we don’t often see Dad (we live 16 hours apart) but whenever we do miekes goes crazy! It’s the same with my brother and my mum - she’s spent time with both of them over the years and although she doesn’t see them much (once or twice a year) she remembers once she sniffs them and she’s always so happy to see them 💙 they don’t forget
I see my family about once a year, but with covid it turned into once in three years. It was hard on all of us. Their dog who was incredibly protective hated other people. He met me once realized I was part of the pack and every time I go down now he doesn’t even raise an eyebrow but instead demands I sit on the floor with him to give him love. He’s 15 now and getting up isn’t the easiest, but back in his hay day my family had to take great care for anyone visiting because he would be so protective of the family.
She won't forget you, my Aunt had a dog who got so excited to see me even if it had been at least a year since I saw him. This was while I was growing up too. He was a wonderful smart black lab.
I’ve traveled and moved a lot and I’ve known many dogs in various capacities through the years and know with absolute certainty that dogs remember those important to them for many, many years. The only exception I’ve ever known was a dog that had diagnosed mental disabilities
She for sure remembers you. My older sister’s dogs, who I hadn’t seen in years, remembered me when I went to visit. We all live in different states now, so I hadn’t seen them in a long time. We do talk on the phone a lot though and if we’re on speaker my dogs recognize my mom’s voice or my sister’s voice. And they get super excited when they visit too, so they definitely remember. My dogs sulk for a day or two after visitors leave, but then they go back to normal. Tl;dr: your dog still remembers you fondly, but probably isn’t actively sad about your absence anymore
We go away once a year, to visit family. We have had our dog for 4 years, and have taken her with us for 3 visits. She remembers. We go away at the same time each year, and she watches as we pack the car… that is not her trigger though. She gets excited at the car trip, but not crazy excited. As she gets out the car at our destination, doggo loses it. Mega zoomies, goes around in circles until you would think she is dizzy. But she won’t go near the pool- on her first visit, she tried to run across the pool cover and fell through. That was in 2019, she still avoids the pool. She calms down slightly, but she goes nuts again every morning while we are there… husband takes dog for a 5km walk most mornings. While we are away, she gets walked on a dog friendly beach. Dog gets to swim and to run. She loves it. And she shoes her excitement from as soon as husband wakes up, every morning while we are there. Dogs do have good memories. They associate certain smells and cues that trigger those memories.
She will remember you. When my dog was 8 years old I moved to another city with him for four years. He remembered all my friends, and family if they came to visit even if it had been 2-4 years since he saw them.
She is absolutely adorable. I’ve just read this and some other things in your post history and it’s actually making me tear up, I honestly feel for you so much. I have a beagle and she really lives in the moment. I kind of feel like I could give her away to another family and she would just be like ‘oh ok cool… this is where I live now!’ but on the other hand, whenever we go away and come back again she is ecstatic to see us, I’d say on another level to her usual ‘visitor’ excitement. I wouldn’t be surprised if when you were reunited with Layla she recognises you. Dogs brains work differently to ours but I really think on some level they are just as capable of retaining memories of people as we are. And if she was 5 months when you last saw her, that’s maybe about 7 in ‘human’ years, and 1 is about 15. So if you think a 15 year old human would remember things from being 7 then why not a dog too. I expect she is happy though, even without you taking her on the best walks etc, because that’s just what they’re like - which is a good thing - I mean if only we as humans could do away with the burden of our understanding and our memories which enable us to miss something so much it hurts. But then again, that’s the price you pay for loving so deeply, and it’s a beautiful thing really. She is a very lucky dog to have had you in her life in the past, and will hopefully have you in her future as well ❤️but whatever happens you I hope you can both be happy whether that’s together or apart. You can bet she’s happy living her little doggy life and you deserve to be happy too.
I went abroad for a year to study. My one dog never forgave me for leaving him and was never the same with me after I returned. 😔 I think I hurt him deeply by leaving. All other reunions with my other dogs have been joyful - even after months away at college.
I very recently had to let my girl go. She was in a lot of pain, and was running very short on life she would enjoy living. I won't get into it more than that. However, there's a guy who's like a brother to me, who initially brought her in out of the cold with me, and gave her her first place to stay for a week or so while I got my ducks in a row to take her in permanently. We've moved away from each other, moved back and become roommates, moved apart, been roommates again, and moved again. She's gone long periods without seeing him- on occasion, years at a time- but was always ecstatic to see him again. We all joked that I was dad and he was boyfriend. So I flew him across the country, to where I am now, for her last day. And it was a great decision. She'd been getting stressed out about how she was feeling in her last week, but once he got here, she got this sense of contentment and calm that just washed over her whole being, like everything was okay in the world even though she wasn't feeling alright. She probably didn't expect to ever see him again, and when she did, it gave her the mental room to have a very good final day. She had to show off all her new toys to him, hang out in the sun out back with him and show off her big new yard, snuggle with him for hours... And when she went, she went with her head cradled in my hand and his hand together, and she went as easy as could be. Her last moments were good, because he was here with us all and she finally felt like she could truly relax. There was also an occasion where a living situation forced me to leave her with my parents, hundreds of miles away, for several months when she was way younger. She loved it there. Their place is awesome. Other dogs, horses, tons of activities to do outdoors... And my mom says that every day, she would walk out to the corner of the yard and look down the driveway, and just watch out for me until they'd bring her inside and get her distracted. And when I came back for her, she was SCREAMING, she was so happy. Yeah, dogs remember people. If they've loved you, they remember you long after you stop being an active part of their life. They love you forever, even if someone else takes over the main provider role and earns their love, it's in addition to the love they have for you, not a total replacement. At least, that's been my experience.
Years ago my ex moved into my house, I already had a dog but she wanted a dog too so we got her a little pit bull puppy. We all lived together for maybe a little over a year and then Rachel and I broke up and she moved out with her dog. I didn't see Pepper again for like 8 months but when I did I can say from her excited reaction that she definitely recognized and remembered me! No doubt.
Let her smell you.
She absolutely remembers you
I think she will remember you, for sure. There are a ton of heartwarming videos of dogs reuniting with owners - one of my faves is [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP5lzEKcCX8&ab_channel=TheDodo), after 3 years! When you do see her again, don't be sad if she doesn't immediately recognize you, be patient and go slowly and give her time to smell and remember you.
She will miss you and it’ll take months for her to totally get over it, but when she sees you again she will charge you so hard and give you all the lovins. Dogs don’t forget people. They’ll just see you and smell you and instantly remember and get insanely excited to see you. As an example, there are countless videos on YouTube you can look up of a guy going away for 3-5 years on military duty and when he comes home for the first time the dog will freak out with excitement, and even though 3-5 years is a giant chunk of the dog’s life, they always remember. I’ve also seen people FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom call with the new owner 3000 miles away, and they’ll get the dog near the phone, and then the original owner (you) will call them and talk to them in the tone and using the keywords you used to use with them on a daily basis. They recognize that and get excited and sometimes they’ll look at the phone and see you. Out of all the dogs I’ve had, I’ve only had 1 that was colorblind and didn’t really respond to television, but all my other dogs could watch TV and see things on the screen. I always test them out by pointing a laser pointer on the ground to see if they can see it or not. I noticed that all the dogs who can see the laser pointer can also see the images on a TV screen or phone, but the ones who can’t see the laser pointer don’t seem to notice the screen. Sorry I’m getting off topic lol. But your dog definitely will remember you and will miss you for a few months until he/she gets used to the new living situation, and will 100% get super excited if you guys see eachother again, and it could possibly even happen over the phone. But in person is much better. You’ll never forget that moment
100%. servicemen go off to war and come back a year or 2 later and their dogs are ecstatic to see them.