Do Dogs Forget?

Georgia does not live with me but sometimes I can't go to see her for almost two months or longer. Somehow she still runs up to me when I drive up to the house like she never forgot me. She still listens to my commands like sit and the such. Her caretakers say they never tell her to "sit" and just mostly let her run free in the yard. I don't think dogs ever forget who loves them.

It depends on the dog.

Sofia's sister, Athena, didn't see me for over three years, and when I recently visited her, she took about ten minutes to figure out I was her MOM and then oh boy, she just stayed near me for the rest of my visit! She really, really missed me. I miss her now, I wish I could have brought her back with me.

I don't think they do. Eddie  had been abussed by his former owners so he didn't trust most people until he got to know them. We moved to Germany  and lived there for 4  years.  When we moved back and Eddie saw my sister for the first time since we had moved he knew exactly who she was and ran to see her. 

my boyz remember their breeder, even if we don't see her for a year or more.

I think if you've got a strong bond with a dog, it will remember you for a very long time, so I wouldn't worry about being forgotten.  I hope you are going someplace fun!!!

I think they remember.  Lucy doesnt get to come here much lately.  Last time it was about 5 months since she had been here.  She runs in straight to me, shoves her head under my arm and sits there looking at me wagging her tail all leaning on me and licking me.  Still listens to any commands I give her perfectly.  She wary of people she doesnt know.  I think she would remember even if it were years.

I got my min pin from a co-worker when she was 4 months old- they had her for about only about 2 months. She has seen her first owner a few times and never acts interested in him. She acts the same as she does with any stranger that comes over or she sees. They sold her to me because they did not have time for her and kept her in the crate a lot. I believe that they didn't establish a good enough bond for her to care about him. Now we do have a friend that comes up ever fews months to visit and she remembers him. So I think it's who they choose to remember..  

I dont think dogs forget. When I had my Shih Tzu I was a real ping pong kid, i#%92d be with my mom a year, with my father for 6 months, then back with my mom and so on. I always took Sasha with me and she could be out of my moms house for months and when she came back she would jump on my mom with her tail wagging so fast you#%92d think she#%92d fly away J Also, she had this duffel bag she#%92d go in so we could take her in and out of my moms apartment and while at my fathers house she never used it.
 
          One day while I was getting my stuff back together to go to my moms house again I found the duffel bag and Sasha went absolutely crazy and jumped right in! The poor girl was sitting on top of that bag for about an hour, and no amount of treats or ‘come#%92 could get her off that bag. It was like she was making up for all the months she hadn#%92t been able to get into it and she just wanted to go!

I don't think that they forget.  I know that my dog remembers almost everyone he's met from an early age, if he met them under good circumstances.  He fell asleep on one of my friends feet as an 8 week old then a few months passed before he saw that friend again-he did the "happy pharaoh dance" then next time he saw him. And this is a dog that doesn't like strangers to touch him (only to the point of avoidance, and a little bit of slinking away.)

We adopted a dog from a friend who was fostering him. She had him for a little less than a year.  We recently saw her again for the first time since then. It has been about 16 months.  Roscoe absolutely remembered her. He flew at her and leaped into her lap to give her wiggles and kisses.  So it is possible for them to remember people they love.[]

hmm. i dont think so ^^ my poms puppies, her first litter my whole family has. =) Lunita and Carino. I cared for them for a while, once they were old enough they went off to my family. I visited when they were just one year old, but then 2 years passed and we were not able to visit the family. This July we all went and Lunita took a while, but soon she got really really hyper. Same goes for Carino. So after 2 years I suppose they still remember, ^^ dont worry...I believe if your dog has a strong bond with you they will never ever forget.

Marley sees my parents about every other month...and when he sees them his tail gets going and he is soooo excited! I think he remembers![]

Echoing everyone else, I don't think they do.   My grandfather has only visited my parents twice in the past ten years or so and my parents' dogs still remember him.    You can tell because they are very apprehensive about people they don't know, but they're so excited to see him.   I only visit my parents once a year and the dogs remember me too - when my mom tells them I'm coming, they know my name.

Thanks for making me feel better, guys!  I can't imagine not having her by my side for three whole months ...  Regardless, I feel so much better, having read all of that!  I think I'm going to leave a bunch of shirts/stuffed animals I've slept with when I go.  ... just as insurance.  )