Most of us dog owners have had to leave our pets at some point. Other than during the height of the pandemic I’m pretty sure most of us don’t spend 24/7 365 days a year with our best friends, so what happens when we have to spend some time apart? Do dogs forget about us? And how long would it take a dog to forget about their owner?
We are very good at anthropomorphising our pets, and I’m a little wary of believing they are small humans. However in my experience as a vet, dogs and cats are often very emotionally attached to their owners and time apart can lead to increased stress for these animals, sometimes to the point of causing illness.
Every dog is different, some form attachments with one person, others to a group of people and some don’t seem too fussed when left alone! We see a whole spectrum of behaviours and characteristics like we would in people and how they behave when left behind can really vary.
Separation Anxiety in dogs has always been a problem that we have seen, but it has become much more common in the last few years. This coincided with the pandemic puppy boom that happened and, whilst I make no claim to be a behaviourist, I suspect many of these dogs spent a lot of time with their owners when young and are now spending more time apart which might well contribute.
We also see some breed related predispositions to these issues and some of the more recently popular breeds such as Cockapoos do seem more inclined to get stressed when left alone.
The animals that suffer with this condition certainly do not seem to forget about their owners and can display vocalisation and destructive behaviour for the whole period they are left alone! Luckily there are lots of behavioural techniques and even some medications that can really help with this problem, speak to your vet if you are having problems and they will be able to help you.
We want to set our puppies up for success from a young age. Start with small amounts of time at home on their own, confined to either a crate or a puppy pen so they can’t get in too much trouble! Allow them access to the crate or pen throughout the day and this will become their own safe space.
Unfortunately we also sometimes see other conditions after periods of kennelling or separation that could be caused by chronically raised stress hormones such as cortisol. Gastrointestinal problems can sometimes be linked to stress and some stress behaviours such as overgrooming can lead to infections and sores.
Having said that plenty of dogs love going in kennels and interacting with other dogs and whilst they might not forget about their owner they might enjoy the holiday period as well! My own Cocker Spaniel loves me very much I am sure, but she would happily wander off with a complete stranger if they had a tasty snack for her and she has never seemed phased by periods away from me.
Looking at longer term memory in animals is challenging and not an area that has been well studied, however anecdotally there is plenty of evidence that they can maintain long memories of strong bonds with people.
The story of Hachikō is one example that has been made into several films over the years. The Akita met his owner at the train station after work and when his owner unfortunately died at work Hachikō continued to commonly wait at the train station until his own death 10 years later.
Closer to home Greyfriars Bobby supposedly guarded his owners’ grave for 14 years after his death, however how much of this story's myth is up for debate. The tourists in Edinburgh love it though!
My own Cocker Spaniel, Clova, is not a big fan of other dogs, she tolerates most but is usually not fussed about playing with them. Over the years we occasionally bumped into Clova’s breeder walking Clova’s mum, and even last year at 9 years old Clova would still turn into a giddy puppy and role over and play with her mum. She certainly remembers something!
Unfortunately memory can be a funny thing and dogs can be affected by Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. This age related condition shares a lot of similarities with Alzheimer’s Disease in people and can be just as challenging to deal with for owners. Seeing your beloved pet losing recognition and struggling with everyday things is heartbreaking and whilst there are some medications that can help a bit hopefully in the future a breakthrough treatment will come for the canine and the human condition.
None of us want to be forgotten by those that we love, and it is reassuring to know that our furry friends won’t forget us whilst we take a trip in the sun, however if your pet gets a bit too distressed about you going away speak to a vet as we can help or point you in the direction of a good behaviourist to minimise that distress.
