Do dogs remember their siblings?

New Topic

Posted : 1/25/2007 12:22:26 AM

G sees her littermate sisters and a brother every once in a while and likes them both - whether she "recognizes" them from puppyhood, or their first group play date at about 6 mos old, I don't know. (Plus she went to puppy obedience w/one sister.) She saw her father again back in Sept and likes him, but I have no idea what sort of interaction they had when she was a puppy - probably none. Recognizing doesn't nec mean liking, too - as Ed points out.

I do recall that the evaluator who did the temperament test on the litter very deliberately avoided meeting the puppies when they were younger, because he didn't want them to have any "memory" - scent/experiential/whatnot- for when he did the actual test. He needed to be a complete stranger to them.

gayle

Posted : 1/25/2007 1:45:27 AM

we had the displeasure of meeting one of b's siblings from a former litter and it was the first time i had ever seen my dog weary of another dog, he would not go near him. the other dog was a very nice dog too so i didnt understand why b was so freaked, he is the kind of dog that wants to play with every single animal he see's. perhaps the way he smelled had a negative association since the first few weeks of my pups life were pure hell. so im not sure if they would recognize each other, but it appears they may sense something.