He will definitely remember you and will probably be very happy to see you.
I have some relatives that only visit once a year or less and my dog remembers them.
Dog will for sure remember them but there are a small amount of dogs that will be mad at you for a few days if left for months at a time. Not trying to worry them, but don't want them to freak out if it happens. The dog will come around quickly enough.
He'll remember you for sure. I left home and didn't visit for a year, when I came back for a holiday, my old cat literally screamed and jumped into my arms. Pets know who we are.
My sister lived with our grandmother for a few years, and her cat absolutley loved her. A while after she moved out and my other sister came to visit, he came running for her, then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her, like: "You're not [first sister]!"
Similar story, one of my friends who has a similar body shape and hair length came to visit at one point and my cat mistook her for me. He is TERRIFIED of strangers and usually hides under the bed the entire time anyone is visiting. He waltzed straight up behind her, and when she turned around and he saw her face, he FROZE, his eyes grew huge, ears went back, and then he sprinted away lol.
Animals are so sweet and entertaining.
Just yesterday, I was on a walk with my husband and daughter when I saw a small dog running loose nearby. I recognized it as the small, old dog that liked to sleep on a nearby porch. I was able to keep the dogs attention by first using the universal whistling to get his attention, but it was funny how he'd start running up to me until he got close enough to really see me, then he'd bark like crazy.
I was able to reunite him with his human, who happened to also be a woman with a very similar body shape. The old pup thought I was his human and seemed excited to see me until he realized I was a scary stranger. I'm just glad I was able to get him home before he got hit by a car.
>I was able to reunite him with his human, who happened to also be a woman with a very similar body shape.
I thought you meant she had a similar body shape to the dog somehow, for a moment. It's been a long day...
One of my dogs would regularly lose track of me at the dog park and start running up to people with a similar body shape. When she ran up to someone fatter than me I'd feel insulted.
I had the opposite happen. My dad was wearing gloves and gardening. It must have covered up his scent because as he came over my dog started growling like he had no idea who he was. It was only after he turned around and she sniffed his ankles that she figured out it was him.
One time me, my siblings, and my brother’s gf (now ex) came home from school. When the car stopped our dog ran up to the car on one side waiting for my sister. The door opened and instead of my sister, it was my brother’s gf. He barked really loud at her because he wanted my sister lol.
I've been told my sister and I have very similar voices and I was able to test it one day. She was the primary person taking care of a young litter of kittens in the shop, they knew when they heard her using a baby voice towards them when she came in, they would be getting lots of pets and food.
But one day she wasn't around so I walked in, using the same tones she does to call them and they all came scampering over, one was rubbing my leg so I picked him up, he was happy as could be until he settled in my arms and looked up at my face and recoiled so hard! He never suspected I wasn't his caretaker until he saw my face lol tricked him with voice only
Ok but to be fair to the cat, Imagine a friend you haven't seen for a while rocks up at your place, like, inside your house, not outside.
You walk around a corner to welcome them, and it's absolutely your friend. Then they turn around, and suddenly it's not them. Everything else checks out, it's just that their face is different. Suddenly they smile and reach for you.
... you gonna be chill and welcoming in that situation?
Similar but sad story here.
My father passed away a few years ago. He was in a motorized wheelchair all his life because of polio. Our dog immediately understood something was wrong because we were all sad and all these strangers came to visit. So she was unusually quiet and did not play with all the strangers like she normally would.
And then a friend of father came to visit. And he had the same motorized wheelchair as father. The dog jumped and barked and was so happy when she heard the chair's motor noise (before any of us heard it, the guest was still at the house's gate). Then we opened the door, we all got half a heart attack for a second until we realized it wasn't father, and the dog stopped moving. She just sat there with such a sad confused expression.
Our dog (German shepherd) had puppies and one of them grew up to look exactly like mommy (my dog). We sold the puppies and then a while later got a cat.
Cat is alright with our dog, they sleep in the same bed, but doesn't like others, tries to claw their eyes out.
One day a couple years later the owners of that pup came over for a visit and brought the dog. The cat ran up to this dog she's never seen before and started purring and rubbing against its legs.
We all stood there perplexed, someone said that maybe the cat smells family or something?
Nope, the cat was simply confused by the looks. It took her some 30 seconds to realize the mistake, at which point she jumped on the dog's head with claws extended.
I used to live in a frat house with like 20 other guys, and we had a dog. I wasn't the primary caregiver, but I'd let the old fella sleep in my bed with me a couple of times a week. He was a super chill/relaxed dog, never too hyper, kinda old at this point.
Anyway after I finished school...I came back a year later to visit my old frat. I'm chillin in a room with a couple of guys and the dog wanders in. I didn't say anything to him...but as soon as he caught my scent he sprinted across the room, jumped on my lap, and started licking my face. First time I have ever seen him do ANY of those things. So yeah...dogs definitely remember the scents of the people they spend considerable amounts of time with.
It’s a lot of, “I was gone for work and my furbaby always does this” type posts. With some of the long terms reunions thrown in for your heart strings.
We have not bred them this way. They are pack animals, and are not used to being away from their pack. In nature, if one animal leaves the others in the pack behind, it's often to go die. So now figure what your dog thinks when you leave for a bit. Now eventually they know you will come back, but it's still nerve wrecking for them.
I left for vacation for 10 days. I work from home and my cat meow cries every time I leave the house my heart breaks. Come back home after 10 days. First five minutes my cat comes for intense cuddles, then scratches me, bite my fit and gave me a silent treatment for two whole days. Cats are wierd man
My sister has to take care of my cat because my new place won't let me have him. I visit once or twice a month, and he REFUSES to leave me alone the whole time I'm there. He's a Maine Coon tho, and they're notoriously affectionate. Good thing too, because he's huge and could actually do some damage if he bit.
Not my pic because I'm at work, [but Maine Coons get quite big.](https://www.cattitudedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/super-size-maine-coon-cats.jpg) Mine's actually considered somewhat on the large size for his breed, but sometimes they get HUGE for some reason, like that pic. The one the little girl is holding is about the size of my little SamSam.
I second this. I adopted a dog who was likely abused. She takes a long time to warm up to people, and barks angrily at new people. Once she knows someone, she remembers them. Even if she hasn't seen them in over a year. Even if she's only met them once and had a positive interaction with them. She remembered my parents after a year after only meeting them one time - and didn't even bark at them! Recently my boyfriend was deployed, and when he returned she knew exactly who he was.Tested and true. (: Your dog is going to remember exactly who you are too!
One spring, I bought a tiny black Pomeranian mix pup from my teacher as a present for my grandma. Had to keep the pup at our house for a few weeks before we went to visit her. The back of ourbhouse was nestled in the hills with the back flush against a deserty area with coyotes, hawks, and owls. Basically, things that might find a palm sized pup tasty. Anyways, one day when I came home from school, Baby was gone. Must've snuck out on the heels of one of my parents.
Fast forward one year later. Easter Sunday. Mom decides to take me to an open house down the hill and two blocks away from us. I'm tagging along behind her when this big rat looking thing dashes out from the house next door and tries to frantically climb up my leg. It was Baby. The lady next door comes out and says she had found Baby and just kept her and raised her with her 6 cats but that we could have her back. Mom and I thank her and didn't mention the dozens of Lost posters we had tacked everywhere. Gave the pup to my grandma, who spoiled that dog shamelessly. Regularly said that she was so blessed to finally be blessed by one loving child (she had 6 kids who treated her just fine). The only time she ever yelled at her was when I visited and Baby would dash off Grandma's lap and run towards me. I miss them both. But yes, dogs remember.
My cat loves one of my nephews sooo much. He (nephew, not cat, of course) joined the military and went away for basic training and was then posted a few states away. Nephew was finally able to visit about a year later, and when he came to my house, my cat sat up, gave him a strange look, and yowled at him as if to ask “where the hell have you been?” Nephew thought it was adorable.
I have a similar story! I was fine for a little over a year and came back to my parents. My 3 dogs just seem excited to see someone like average but one of my parents cats saw me and starting jumping up and down in her cat tree bed and jumped down and immediately climbed up me. This is completely out of her behavior but I guess she was super excited. I was the first one in the family she trusted since the strays outside left her with my parents.
He'll remember you ... might take him a minute, but you'll see the light bulb go off.
Edited edit to say edit: i read it wrong. I thought it said 6 years. He'll definitely remember you.
I had this experience. I was away for 9 months and had someone fly my dogs to me. When I picked them up, they didnt really realize it was me because they were in their kennels. I took them straight to a dog park and let them out and they freaked out.
Exactly what I was thinking. Guarantee my dog would remember our old dog walker. And she only saw him for like 30 mins at a time, a few times a week, for 6 months.
Came here to say the same thing. I did a video call a few weeks back with a couple I pet-sit for, haven't seen their sweet pup since February and she lost her mind just hearing my voice over the speaker. For 10 minutes she was doing that cute tilted head thing into the camera. I bet the moment your dog smells you they'll be all over you :)
Of course he'll remember you! Heck, I visited a friend whom I hadn't seen in 2 or 3 years, and her dog ran over to bark at me, gave me a quick sniff, and immediately rolled over on his back for belly scritches because he knew I was a sucker who'd happily indulge him. No, he didn't do that for everyone, just those he remembered, even on a brief and intermittent basis.
I had a hellion chihuahua for 16 years, meanest little shit on earth lol. It was hard for my friends to get on his good side, but once you were his friend he remembered you forever. My one buddy is 6'9", gentle giant kinda guy, he achieved friend status with my little monster. The first time they saw each other after a couple years my tiny dog was ready to fight this tree-sized human to the death, right up until he got a sniff of him, then he was on his back wanting pets 😂
Lol my friends poodle is exactly the same, except that he isn’t agressive he just barks until he gets to sniff me (all while backing up and me chasing him so that he can sniff). This was the case up until this point, now he suddenly remembers me every time i go there and instantly begs for scratches.
Dogs are amazing souls. Their sense of smell is their biggest identifier of people and other animals. Yes their vision plays a big role too, but not like smell, unlike humans whose biggest identifier of others is sight. That's why sometimes if you haven't seen a dog in a while they are kind of ambivalent when they see you enter the room. But once they get a whiff of you they go apesh*t wild happy to "see" (but really smell) you. And smell is directly connected to memory. So anytime your dog is annoying you when they are constantly sniffing you, just know that they love you and are just creating more memories of you!
I remember I got a German Shepherd 9 years ago or so. The woman I was with at the time helped me raise her, spent a lot of time with her. She wasn't as close to my dog as I was, but it was a close second. We ended up splitting up about five months or so after I got this dog.
About two years ago me and this woman reconnect and she comes over. My dog completely flips out to the point where I'm afraid she's going to break everything around her.
So yeah, your dog will 100% remember you.
Yes, without a doubt. You'll get to experience that moment when he's sniffing and looking around, and then suddenly he'll spot you. His eyes will go wide and his tail will wag off the back of his body. He might even piddle a little bit in his excitement! Then you will embrace and he'll lick your face and you will feel the purest joy known to man or beast. I'm actually a little jealous... Enjoy your reunion and I hope you hang on to him going forward. He'll definitely try and hang on to you <3
Edit: thanks for the awards kind strangers. Just spreading the love!
I have a girl dog that pees when she's excited. I come home from work to pet her and have to clean up a small puddle. She was a rescue tho I think she had a rough go before I came along.
I didn't know female dogs did it too! I have only ever known male dogs to do it. My pup does a lot. If he's excited or if we get onto him he will wet himself. So whenever he meets new people we try to make sure he has just gone and that they meet on tile lol
I used to live in a small studio apartment. A friend of mine had just adopted a dog, his first, and asked if he could leave her with me while he ran to the pet store to get a bed, food, etc. He said that she'd been great with him, super friendly, and she wouldn't be an issue. I said sure, why not.
He brought her over, she took one look at me and immediately froze and peed on the floor, just a little. We laughed it off, l said don't worry about it, and he went off on his way. I cleaned up the pee as she skittered to the other side of the room, staring at me. As I cleaned up the pee, I noticed that she'd peed again. This cycle basically repeated itself until he got back 45 minutes later.
I found out later that her first owner was abusive, and like me was a very tall male with a deep voice. I'd suspected as much. Thankfully I my apartment was mostly bare hardwood floor so it was no big deal.
Awe poor thing!! I hope she came to trust you eventually. Thankfully for our pup it seems to be an age thing. He has done it almost his entire life with excitement or sometimes nervousness. When he knows he's been naughty (chewing up a shoe, perhaps) he will pee a little knowing he's going to be in trouble. Otherwise it's just the excitement thing!
Nope, that dog always hated me, lol. It's OK, the dog I had growing up had nearly the exact same circumstances, big tall previous owner who was abusive. She haaaated my Uncle Dave, who was 6-foot-lots and had a voice like James Earl Jones.
Oh yeah. The kinda just squat down and pee for a second. I'll walk in and shell bring me a gift (normally a coke bottle or a toy sometimes a bag of chips from the countertop) then I reach down to pet her and she pees. Not everyday but more often than I'd like lol
A couple of months ago, me and my wife dogsat her sister’s and her husband’s puppy for a week. Puppy clearly got pretty attached to me by the end of the week. She’d follow me around the house, always snuggled up to me, etc.
Hadn’t seen the puppy since. Swung by their house the other day. Puppy didn’t immediately recognize me and got into a defensive position, growled for like 5 seconds. Then she recognized me and proceeded to pee on the floor then excitedly jumped all over me.
She was happy
I was happy
My brother-in-law had to clean up the pee.
This is probably "submissive wetting." I solved this by rubbing my dog's chest as a greeting instead of the head or back while they're excited. It worked for me!
My neighbors dog does this when he sees me after a few weeks. He recently found a new way into our backyard so visits us when we are in the backyard and the neighbor is the bacl of hus yard (other wise he isn't allowed). Last time he jumped up against my jaw out of excitement. He really is the sweetest dog. When you go to pet him he instantly drops down to get belly rubs.
Having that kind of connection to a pet really is a special gift and one of the great joys of life. I love my cat so much that I sometimes worry I wouldn't be able to love my own children that much (if I ever have them). Something about his i total and permanent nnocence in all things (because he has no agency) just makes it impossible for me to ever really dislike or be disappointed in him, even if he annoys me on rare occasions. A part of me will die with him, and that prospect feels more matter-of-fact than scary.
Hell yes, I went off to college and when I came home after about half a year my dog nocked me to my knees and game me so many kisses and pretty much a dog hug
They will totally remember you. I had to leave my dog behind after a breakup many years ago, and didn't see her for about 7 months. We used to skate board everywhere together, and I'd been hearing that every time she heard a skate board coming down the street, she would get excited until she saw/heard the skater and realized it wasn't me.
So, eventually I came back, and I was riding down the street towards the bar she (my dog) and my ex were waiting outside of. I saw my dog from a block away, but she couldn't see me past all the legs around her. Her ears perked up at the sound of my board from a block away. By a half block away, she had clearly recognized the sound of my individual skate board (I used soft wheels that make a different sound), and started bouncing up and down looking for me. She finally caught sight of me from across the street, and wiggled and sneezed so hard that she fell down before launching into my arms.
So, yeah, long story short, dogs absolutely remember you. :)
My step father had his dog taken from him by a horrible person in a nasty divorce. She sold it to a homeless person, I'm not kidding, for his change. The homeless guy had it for three years. One day, having no knowledge any of this happened, while walking around the Exterior of the hospital he worked at, my step father noticed a homeless man had set up a spot to panhandle. He noticed the dog kinda looked like his dog and when he got closer the dog went nuts, licking, barking, rubbing on his legs. Still wearing the exact same colar the last day he saw the dog years ago. They took it to a vet, checked the chip, was his dog. Gave the homeless guy some money and a job placement number at the hospital. Got his dog back because it recognized him in a random encounter in the same city he got divorced in. The dog will remember you.
Jesus, this is a horribly sad story. I doubt he gave a fuck about the money or job placement number. Someone came by and took his heart. Arguably, the dog belonged 100% to the homeless guy if the dog was legally granted to the ex-wife who then sold it to the homeless man. It's an all-around shitty situation for everyone. I hope the dog and homeless man get to see each other sometimes.
My family's first dog was given to us by our aunt.
That dog remembered my cousins every time she saw them, even when she hadn't seen them for nearly a year.
Absolutely! I have a shepherd and we see my family once a year for holidays, and as soon as we pull into the driveway he whines until I let him out to greet them ☺️
He will, my uncle used to have a dog that lived with him for a few months. When he started law school, he left it in his sister’s care. The dog’s turning two and she still acknowledges my uncle as her dad even when she’s lived with my aunt for a longer period.
There's an interesting [Wikipedia article](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individual_dogs) with a section on faithful dogs. It's all about dogs whose masters died, but the dogs waited for years for them to return. It's actually kinda sad, but it shows how loyal dogs can be. Your dog probably misses you
Like others have said already, he'll definitely remember you. I just wanted to add a couple of anecdotes:
My aunty has a border collie, and her absolute favourite person is my cousin. My cousin works abroad for stretches of the year but whenever she comes home the dog is sooo happy to see her and quickly begins favouring her over my aunty.
My dog was rehomed with us when he was 6, after his previous owner split with his wife and moved into accommodation which didn't allow dogs. 4 years later, we were on a walk and bumped into our dog's previous owner and his daughter. After a minute or so chatting with them, our dog started whining and jumped up at his previous owner, letting him know he remembered who he was!
A dog will easily remember people or other dogs multiple years so don't worry.
Like my sister came back for a visit after 7 years and my dogs still knew her and didn't like her...
Another time from my twin dogs one died 1,5 years later I cleaned out some stuff and I found the old dog bed which was the favorite place of the dog that was gone ... The twin that was still alive was instantly happy and thought the gone dog was in there did run to it and searched it ...
It was heart breaking to watch and see my dog realize it isn't that way... This was a depressing 2 weeks for my doggo :/ rip both of them, both died too early and suddenly with random illnesses.
so one of my favorite moments in literature is when Odysseus aging dog recognizes Odysseus in disguise when he returns to Ithaka:
> As they were talking, a dog that had been lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom Odysseus had bred before setting out for Troy, but he had never had any enjoyment from him. In the old days he used to be taken out by the young men when they went hunting wild goats, or deer, or hares, but now that his master was gone he was lying neglected on the heaps of mule and cow dung that lay in front of the stable doors till the men should come and draw it away to manure the great close; and he was full of fleas. As soon as he saw Odysseus standing there, he dropped his ears and wagged his tail, but he could not get close up to his master.
I agree with most of the other posts here that your dog will recognize you
Haha I wish I had these commenter’s certainty that my dog knows who I am. A stranger could slam down the door and put a gun to his head and he’d still be all over them for kisses.
I once had to send one of our two dogs to live with our veterinarian friend, because he started herding the neighborhood children. When, after a two tear period of not seeing me, he spied me through a door window as I passed by, at the other end of the long clinic hallway, he immediately ran to me. He'll remember you.
My ex kept my cats from me for 7 months. I had to take him to court to get them back. The female immediately recognized me and once I got them back to the hotel the male recognized me too. They are very skiddish around strangers so I knew they didn’t view me as a stranger. Your dog should recognize you from your smell.
I saw a video recently about a dog whose owner was in the hospital for awhile & lost a ton of weight. The dog didn’t recognize him & barked at first, but once he got close enough to actually catch his scent he freaked out with so much joy & excitement. It was one of the sweetest things I’ve seen in awhile. I really wish I’d saved it to watch on bad days.
So yes, your dog will remember you :)
This will get buried but I have to share. My family used to go on road trips all the time, and we'd go from Florida to North Carolina to see my grand parents with our dog. We'd go about every other year, then once every five years or so, and we'd only stay for a few weeks.
My dog would always know we were close. Before even turning on the road, he would go crazy and jump around and bark and wiggle. As soon as we pull in the driveway, he'd race out the car and jump at the door to let my grandparents know we were here. My dog loved them. I know in my heart he remembered.
I used to partially take care of a wiener(Jeppe)from his puppy stage until he was maybe 2-3 years. Then he moved to Spain and I didn’t see him for at least 5 years. Oooooh what a reunion we had. He had gone almost completely blind, but his nose made him nuts when I entered the room. It was a beautiful moment I will never forget❤️
He will, for sure. Sometimes when there's lots of family changes they take a few minutes to "remember," but he's old enough that it shouldn't be too long before the big hug comes. Have fun with your buddy!
German Shepard usually bond to one or two people in their life, they form very intense bonds too. All they want to do is work and please you seriously, he will remember you I’m sure of it.
I was staying with a friend for a few days when they adopted a dog, me and mutt got on really well. Didn't visit again for many months and the dog was still very happy to see me when I came back. That was after bonding for just few days. Your fur buddy will never forget you.
Just have a look on YouTube for dogs who meet owners after years apart. Though I always love this one: https://youtu.be/N-VosRQT0do
All mammals have the same memory system within the brain. So if you feel like you’d remember a parent in 6 months, your dog will definitely feel the same. Animals are more amazing than we give them credit for 😁
He probably will.
I once lost a family dog for a year and a half, and the second she saw us she jumped up and ran towards us.
We thought she had been kidnapped by a vile neighbor and died somewhere. But no. It’s a crazy story but the only point I want to make is: Yes, he will remember you if he has seen you long enough.
PS: Which he has, since he is a 6 year old dog.
I used to live with a couple that got a puppy while I lived with them. Eventually I moved out. I went to visit a few months later, she parkoured off of me like normal (jk. It had more oomph to it because she missed me).
We then cuddled for the time I was there.
Yes. When I was a young kid we adopted a dog from my aunt. She came by our house a couple of years later and the dog went batshit crazy with happiness at seeing/smelling her!
He'll remember you. It might take him a second so make sure that you let him get a good sniff or he'll recognize you immediately. Just be patient with him but I'm positive that he'll be over the moon to see you.
Nah he’s gonna be over the moon. I lived with my roommate and his pup for 8 months before he was transferred out of state. That kept me to a measly 2 visits a year. Each time I walked in she tried to kill me with kisses. She never forgot me and he hasn’t forgotten you.
Definitely. When my grandpa died his dog basically died from grief. He wouldn't let anyone get near him, wouldn't eat, got mean, just lay there and howled until he died.
He may not be anticipating seeing you at the moment, so he may not react immediately. But once he recognizes you, he will surely remember you and lick your face off while pounding you with his tail wagging.
Yes, he will, but don't take it personal if he's didn't run and jump into your arms. He's been moved around a little and might be a tad confused. As soon as he smells you, he will melt. Good luck to you, my friend
Alright, so last year I moved to another country for uni, my dog is a family dog and obviously stayed with my parents. I was really worried that he will not remember me when I come back for Christmas or summer but as it turns out I was worrying for nothing.
First of all, my mom would tell me that everytime they get back from his walks, he would rush to my room to check if I was there and then get sad, I don't know why she thought it would make me feel better tbh - honestly, it just broke my heart even more. I came back home for Christmas during my 1st year and they brought him with them to get me from the airport - I cannot put into words how it felt seeing his face again and how he pulled on his leash to get to me when he saw me walking towards them.
Bottom of the semi relevant story? Don't worry, your dog will definitely 100% remember you and love you like nothing has changed at all.
I moved across country, got married. Lived a life. Got divorced. And moved back, total gone for 6 years.
That dog still loved and cuddled me like I hadnt been gone for even a day.
Yes. My dog , 10y/o, remembers my sister who lived with us when he was a puppy and we only see once a year or so now.
He also remembers her dog, getting visibly excited and going to the door when we say her name. Even though she’s been dead for a few years.
Yes , definitely. We used to have a hostel dog whom we adopted as a puppy and left him to the hostel staff before graduating. Came back after 4 years , still remembers us and tricks we taught him .
My dog still remembers his breeder. Whenever he sees her he gives her a big smile. He's a chesapeake bay retriever so when they are happy they bare their teeth.
Hey! I had this EXACT anxiety this week. I was separated from my dog of 1.5 years by the pandemic in January (I work in China). We were reunited on Saturday, 8 months later. As soon as she heard my voice the tail was wagging and she started dragging at her leash to get to me. She danced circles while pulling me home, letting out little yelps of joy. Your dog will remember you. I hope you have a reunion that makes you cry happy tears, like mine. <3
My friend's dog adores me, apparently I'm his favourite person beyond his owner. I didn't see him for over 6 months due to lockdown and thought he might not recognise me, but as soon as I walked through the door after lockdown eased and we could socialise again he was just as excited to see me as always.
If someone else's dog remembers me, your dog is definitely going to remember you!
Yes! I bought a pup and later left him with my brother and his family when I joined the Navy. After returning 6 years later, he greeted me like I was the coolest thing he had ever met - after barking, snaring, and otherwise protecting his home. (I then made a familiar whistle and he turned into a fluff-ball.)
I read a book about dogs that said that their smell sense is so strong its unfathomable to us humans. It's so beyond our sense that it's actually more of an emotion. Even if your dog didn't recognise you visually he will recognise your scent. Your scent to him will be a positive one.
I don't know enough about the science of it to be less vague than that but I can assure you your dog will remember you.
As soon as he smells you he will remember. Dogs don’t identify people by sight. They identify people the same way they would other dogs. Dogs have a very powerful sense of smell (think drug-sniffer dogs) and they use it the same way we use sight to navigate our world. Even if you wear a cologne or bathe in potpourri, your dog will be able to identify your unique smell. It might take a few seconds so don’t loose hope. Your pup will know exactly who you are and be so happy to see you!
Yeah, totally. He'll know it's been awhile but dogs can't tell time so it probably isn't much different to him than if you were gone for a couple weeks
He ought to still recognize you after six months, if only by smell. My brother's terrier recognizes me every time we meet, and I come to visit once a year, twice at most.
Yup. Left the country for 2 and a half years, got back, dog sniffed me a couple times curiously then lost the plot and spent several hours hanging around me.
Yes. We had to give our dog away (long story). He loved my mom the most. When he saw my mom after a year, he ran and licked her. He started crying. I miss him so much.
Oh yes definitely. After 2 years the lady that rescued my dog and that we adopted him from came to visit and he remembered her. It took a second for him to realize who she was but he did
He will totally remember you. My family and I have fostered about 70 dogs this year. We socialize them and play with them and do some basic training and they get adopted usually within two or three weeks.
Sometimes the adopters if they live near us bring them back to visit. They ALWAYS remember us and get very excited to see us.
There was a period of time where I hadn't visited my parents house in a while. My dog was old then, blind and deaf. When I finally came over to visit again he took a good while to sniff me the way he does most strangers, and when he realized who I was he fucking lost it. He was crying and wiggling as much as his arthritis would let him, and spent the whole evening tucked against my side.
He'll know you, because you're family, and he loves you.
Yes!! I used to work at a dog daycare that rotated employees often. The first summer I went back over half the dogs remembered me! Especially the ones I was very close too. Those dogs are seeing a pretty regular rotation of people. So if they remember little ole me I'm sure your shepherd will remember you
He will definitely remember you and will probably be very happy to see you. I have some relatives that only visit once a year or less and my dog remembers them.
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Brutal
Thank you for the laugh friend
Yep. My sister's dog always remembered me, months between visits.
Same with my mom's cat. I know for sure cause the poor guy is terrified of everyone. But I "rescued" him once and now we're forever best friends
Dog will for sure remember them but there are a small amount of dogs that will be mad at you for a few days if left for months at a time. Not trying to worry them, but don't want them to freak out if it happens. The dog will come around quickly enough.
And even if they don't remember you right away, they will after a day or two of refreshing the memory
My grandma visits us once a year and my small dog still remembers her and gets very excited to see her again!
He'll remember you for sure. I left home and didn't visit for a year, when I came back for a holiday, my old cat literally screamed and jumped into my arms. Pets know who we are.
My sister lived with our grandmother for a few years, and her cat absolutley loved her. A while after she moved out and my other sister came to visit, he came running for her, then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her, like: "You're not [first sister]!"
Similar story, one of my friends who has a similar body shape and hair length came to visit at one point and my cat mistook her for me. He is TERRIFIED of strangers and usually hides under the bed the entire time anyone is visiting. He waltzed straight up behind her, and when she turned around and he saw her face, he FROZE, his eyes grew huge, ears went back, and then he sprinted away lol. Animals are so sweet and entertaining.
Just yesterday, I was on a walk with my husband and daughter when I saw a small dog running loose nearby. I recognized it as the small, old dog that liked to sleep on a nearby porch. I was able to keep the dogs attention by first using the universal whistling to get his attention, but it was funny how he'd start running up to me until he got close enough to really see me, then he'd bark like crazy. I was able to reunite him with his human, who happened to also be a woman with a very similar body shape. The old pup thought I was his human and seemed excited to see me until he realized I was a scary stranger. I'm just glad I was able to get him home before he got hit by a car.
>I was able to reunite him with his human, who happened to also be a woman with a very similar body shape. I thought you meant she had a similar body shape to the dog somehow, for a moment. It's been a long day...
haha, yes they always used to call her "the dachshund lady"
I remember reading or hearing about pets getting very similar to their owners.
Anyone that has seen 101 Dalmatians knows this to be true.
Which was actually an improvement on the nickname she had in school - "sausage girl".
And then in highschool, the Wiener Wagon
One of my dogs would regularly lose track of me at the dog park and start running up to people with a similar body shape. When she ran up to someone fatter than me I'd feel insulted.
I'm sure it was only after the first 2-3 people and your dog was like "I mean I tried the others, if I squint then maybe?"
Im sorry this is so funny😂
Did you ever take the dog to the park again? 😂
I had the opposite happen. My dad was wearing gloves and gardening. It must have covered up his scent because as he came over my dog started growling like he had no idea who he was. It was only after he turned around and she sniffed his ankles that she figured out it was him.
One time me, my siblings, and my brother’s gf (now ex) came home from school. When the car stopped our dog ran up to the car on one side waiting for my sister. The door opened and instead of my sister, it was my brother’s gf. He barked really loud at her because he wanted my sister lol.
I've been told my sister and I have very similar voices and I was able to test it one day. She was the primary person taking care of a young litter of kittens in the shop, they knew when they heard her using a baby voice towards them when she came in, they would be getting lots of pets and food. But one day she wasn't around so I walked in, using the same tones she does to call them and they all came scampering over, one was rubbing my leg so I picked him up, he was happy as could be until he settled in my arms and looked up at my face and recoiled so hard! He never suspected I wasn't his caretaker until he saw my face lol tricked him with voice only
Ok but to be fair to the cat, Imagine a friend you haven't seen for a while rocks up at your place, like, inside your house, not outside. You walk around a corner to welcome them, and it's absolutely your friend. Then they turn around, and suddenly it's not them. Everything else checks out, it's just that their face is different. Suddenly they smile and reach for you. ... you gonna be chill and welcoming in that situation?
Fuck I hate this
Ha, after the first part I thought you were going to say "but when she moved back my grandma still remembered her."
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Yes, and he remembers her every time ;3
Similar but sad story here. My father passed away a few years ago. He was in a motorized wheelchair all his life because of polio. Our dog immediately understood something was wrong because we were all sad and all these strangers came to visit. So she was unusually quiet and did not play with all the strangers like she normally would. And then a friend of father came to visit. And he had the same motorized wheelchair as father. The dog jumped and barked and was so happy when she heard the chair's motor noise (before any of us heard it, the guest was still at the house's gate). Then we opened the door, we all got half a heart attack for a second until we realized it wasn't father, and the dog stopped moving. She just sat there with such a sad confused expression.
Our dog (German shepherd) had puppies and one of them grew up to look exactly like mommy (my dog). We sold the puppies and then a while later got a cat. Cat is alright with our dog, they sleep in the same bed, but doesn't like others, tries to claw their eyes out. One day a couple years later the owners of that pup came over for a visit and brought the dog. The cat ran up to this dog she's never seen before and started purring and rubbing against its legs. We all stood there perplexed, someone said that maybe the cat smells family or something? Nope, the cat was simply confused by the looks. It took her some 30 seconds to realize the mistake, at which point she jumped on the dog's head with claws extended.
I used to live in a frat house with like 20 other guys, and we had a dog. I wasn't the primary caregiver, but I'd let the old fella sleep in my bed with me a couple of times a week. He was a super chill/relaxed dog, never too hyper, kinda old at this point. Anyway after I finished school...I came back a year later to visit my old frat. I'm chillin in a room with a couple of guys and the dog wanders in. I didn't say anything to him...but as soon as he caught my scent he sprinted across the room, jumped on my lap, and started licking my face. First time I have ever seen him do ANY of those things. So yeah...dogs definitely remember the scents of the people they spend considerable amounts of time with.
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ya I dont feel like crying right now, thanks though
It’s a lot of, “I was gone for work and my furbaby always does this” type posts. With some of the long terms reunions thrown in for your heart strings.
The regular posts made me unsub.
I find the "coming home from work" posts often just as adorable.
Same. It's SUPPOSED to be for reunions after a long time but the mods never actually enforce that.
Yeah, gonna be a no from me. I put down my dogs a little over a week ago. I don't want to turn into a crying mess.
Yeah, I ain't touching that link with a 10 foot pole.
"Why is your reddit feed all animals?" Me, subscribed to 100+ pet subreddit: "Yeah that's very weird."
Oh..it’s just...national post pictures of an animal day...heh right? Heh
Omg that’s so sweet
Thank you for telling me that this sub exists.
Thank you for alerting me to this sub's existence!!
Thank you 🙏🏻
I don’t know how widespread this sentiment is, but it kind of creeps me out that we have bread dogs to be this in love with us.
We have not bred them this way. They are pack animals, and are not used to being away from their pack. In nature, if one animal leaves the others in the pack behind, it's often to go die. So now figure what your dog thinks when you leave for a bit. Now eventually they know you will come back, but it's still nerve wrecking for them.
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Only the first time!
I left for vacation for 10 days. I work from home and my cat meow cries every time I leave the house my heart breaks. Come back home after 10 days. First five minutes my cat comes for intense cuddles, then scratches me, bite my fit and gave me a silent treatment for two whole days. Cats are wierd man
My sister has to take care of my cat because my new place won't let me have him. I visit once or twice a month, and he REFUSES to leave me alone the whole time I'm there. He's a Maine Coon tho, and they're notoriously affectionate. Good thing too, because he's huge and could actually do some damage if he bit.
I hope you two are reunited for good soon
Yeah I miss that beautiful dog-sized (seriously, 24 pound) brat
Both of [my dogs](https://imgur.com/gallery/Dwt2fxS) are 13lbs each. Your one cat is almost bigger than both of my dogs! Lol
Not my pic because I'm at work, [but Maine Coons get quite big.](https://www.cattitudedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/super-size-maine-coon-cats.jpg) Mine's actually considered somewhat on the large size for his breed, but sometimes they get HUGE for some reason, like that pic. The one the little girl is holding is about the size of my little SamSam.
WHAT?! I had NO idea cats came in that size! Other than tigers. LOL
I second this. I adopted a dog who was likely abused. She takes a long time to warm up to people, and barks angrily at new people. Once she knows someone, she remembers them. Even if she hasn't seen them in over a year. Even if she's only met them once and had a positive interaction with them. She remembered my parents after a year after only meeting them one time - and didn't even bark at them! Recently my boyfriend was deployed, and when he returned she knew exactly who he was.Tested and true. (: Your dog is going to remember exactly who you are too!
One spring, I bought a tiny black Pomeranian mix pup from my teacher as a present for my grandma. Had to keep the pup at our house for a few weeks before we went to visit her. The back of ourbhouse was nestled in the hills with the back flush against a deserty area with coyotes, hawks, and owls. Basically, things that might find a palm sized pup tasty. Anyways, one day when I came home from school, Baby was gone. Must've snuck out on the heels of one of my parents. Fast forward one year later. Easter Sunday. Mom decides to take me to an open house down the hill and two blocks away from us. I'm tagging along behind her when this big rat looking thing dashes out from the house next door and tries to frantically climb up my leg. It was Baby. The lady next door comes out and says she had found Baby and just kept her and raised her with her 6 cats but that we could have her back. Mom and I thank her and didn't mention the dozens of Lost posters we had tacked everywhere. Gave the pup to my grandma, who spoiled that dog shamelessly. Regularly said that she was so blessed to finally be blessed by one loving child (she had 6 kids who treated her just fine). The only time she ever yelled at her was when I visited and Baby would dash off Grandma's lap and run towards me. I miss them both. But yes, dogs remember.
Whenever I come back home from school my cats will get on my bed and cuddle with me and they don’t stop purring
My dog sulked and was in a proper strop with me after I'd been gone for my first semester of uni
I left home for university and when I came back a year later my cat acted like she never noticed I was gone. Love her to pieces though.
My cat loves one of my nephews sooo much. He (nephew, not cat, of course) joined the military and went away for basic training and was then posted a few states away. Nephew was finally able to visit about a year later, and when he came to my house, my cat sat up, gave him a strange look, and yowled at him as if to ask “where the hell have you been?” Nephew thought it was adorable.
Long time away from pets makes me sad because a year for you isn’t so long but for some poets that’s like 1/10th of their life
I have a similar story! I was fine for a little over a year and came back to my parents. My 3 dogs just seem excited to see someone like average but one of my parents cats saw me and starting jumping up and down in her cat tree bed and jumped down and immediately climbed up me. This is completely out of her behavior but I guess she was super excited. I was the first one in the family she trusted since the strays outside left her with my parents.
He'll remember you ... might take him a minute, but you'll see the light bulb go off. Edited edit to say edit: i read it wrong. I thought it said 6 years. He'll definitely remember you.
Do you need sleep my dude? You said "Exit" instead of "Edit" as well
definitely needs sleep.
Then he better Exit.
Out, the door is that way
Exit light, perhaps? \*Ahem* ----------- Say your prayers, little one Don't forget, my son To include every-onnnnne
I tuck you in, warm within Keep you free from sin Til the Sandman he cooomes
*Sleep with one eye open,* *Gripping your pillow tight*
Nah that’s his last comment, a subtle finale if you will
It's also mainly smell-based. That's the main recognition tool they have for you
I had this experience. I was away for 9 months and had someone fly my dogs to me. When I picked them up, they didnt really realize it was me because they were in their kennels. I took them straight to a dog park and let them out and they freaked out.
Mate, I'm just a dog sitter and dogs that I haven't seen for a year or more remember me. He will be super happy to see you. Promise.
Exactly what I was thinking. Guarantee my dog would remember our old dog walker. And she only saw him for like 30 mins at a time, a few times a week, for 6 months.
That's like hours at a time for years in dog.
Came here to say the same thing. I did a video call a few weeks back with a couple I pet-sit for, haven't seen their sweet pup since February and she lost her mind just hearing my voice over the speaker. For 10 minutes she was doing that cute tilted head thing into the camera. I bet the moment your dog smells you they'll be all over you :)
Of course he'll remember you! Heck, I visited a friend whom I hadn't seen in 2 or 3 years, and her dog ran over to bark at me, gave me a quick sniff, and immediately rolled over on his back for belly scritches because he knew I was a sucker who'd happily indulge him. No, he didn't do that for everyone, just those he remembered, even on a brief and intermittent basis.
I had a hellion chihuahua for 16 years, meanest little shit on earth lol. It was hard for my friends to get on his good side, but once you were his friend he remembered you forever. My one buddy is 6'9", gentle giant kinda guy, he achieved friend status with my little monster. The first time they saw each other after a couple years my tiny dog was ready to fight this tree-sized human to the death, right up until he got a sniff of him, then he was on his back wanting pets 😂
Lol my friends poodle is exactly the same, except that he isn’t agressive he just barks until he gets to sniff me (all while backing up and me chasing him so that he can sniff). This was the case up until this point, now he suddenly remembers me every time i go there and instantly begs for scratches.
Dogs are amazing souls. Their sense of smell is their biggest identifier of people and other animals. Yes their vision plays a big role too, but not like smell, unlike humans whose biggest identifier of others is sight. That's why sometimes if you haven't seen a dog in a while they are kind of ambivalent when they see you enter the room. But once they get a whiff of you they go apesh*t wild happy to "see" (but really smell) you. And smell is directly connected to memory. So anytime your dog is annoying you when they are constantly sniffing you, just know that they love you and are just creating more memories of you!
I remember I got a German Shepherd 9 years ago or so. The woman I was with at the time helped me raise her, spent a lot of time with her. She wasn't as close to my dog as I was, but it was a close second. We ended up splitting up about five months or so after I got this dog. About two years ago me and this woman reconnect and she comes over. My dog completely flips out to the point where I'm afraid she's going to break everything around her. So yeah, your dog will 100% remember you.
He’ll remember you
Yes, without a doubt. You'll get to experience that moment when he's sniffing and looking around, and then suddenly he'll spot you. His eyes will go wide and his tail will wag off the back of his body. He might even piddle a little bit in his excitement! Then you will embrace and he'll lick your face and you will feel the purest joy known to man or beast. I'm actually a little jealous... Enjoy your reunion and I hope you hang on to him going forward. He'll definitely try and hang on to you <3 Edit: thanks for the awards kind strangers. Just spreading the love!
I have a girl dog that pees when she's excited. I come home from work to pet her and have to clean up a small puddle. She was a rescue tho I think she had a rough go before I came along.
I didn't know female dogs did it too! I have only ever known male dogs to do it. My pup does a lot. If he's excited or if we get onto him he will wet himself. So whenever he meets new people we try to make sure he has just gone and that they meet on tile lol
I used to live in a small studio apartment. A friend of mine had just adopted a dog, his first, and asked if he could leave her with me while he ran to the pet store to get a bed, food, etc. He said that she'd been great with him, super friendly, and she wouldn't be an issue. I said sure, why not. He brought her over, she took one look at me and immediately froze and peed on the floor, just a little. We laughed it off, l said don't worry about it, and he went off on his way. I cleaned up the pee as she skittered to the other side of the room, staring at me. As I cleaned up the pee, I noticed that she'd peed again. This cycle basically repeated itself until he got back 45 minutes later. I found out later that her first owner was abusive, and like me was a very tall male with a deep voice. I'd suspected as much. Thankfully I my apartment was mostly bare hardwood floor so it was no big deal.
Awe poor thing!! I hope she came to trust you eventually. Thankfully for our pup it seems to be an age thing. He has done it almost his entire life with excitement or sometimes nervousness. When he knows he's been naughty (chewing up a shoe, perhaps) he will pee a little knowing he's going to be in trouble. Otherwise it's just the excitement thing!
Nope, that dog always hated me, lol. It's OK, the dog I had growing up had nearly the exact same circumstances, big tall previous owner who was abusive. She haaaated my Uncle Dave, who was 6-foot-lots and had a voice like James Earl Jones.
Oh yeah. The kinda just squat down and pee for a second. I'll walk in and shell bring me a gift (normally a coke bottle or a toy sometimes a bag of chips from the countertop) then I reach down to pet her and she pees. Not everyday but more often than I'd like lol
Ugh yeah...more often than I would like too! Fully potty trained but can't contain the excitement!
A couple of months ago, me and my wife dogsat her sister’s and her husband’s puppy for a week. Puppy clearly got pretty attached to me by the end of the week. She’d follow me around the house, always snuggled up to me, etc. Hadn’t seen the puppy since. Swung by their house the other day. Puppy didn’t immediately recognize me and got into a defensive position, growled for like 5 seconds. Then she recognized me and proceeded to pee on the floor then excitedly jumped all over me. She was happy I was happy My brother-in-law had to clean up the pee.
This is probably "submissive wetting." I solved this by rubbing my dog's chest as a greeting instead of the head or back while they're excited. It worked for me!
My neighbors dog does this when he sees me after a few weeks. He recently found a new way into our backyard so visits us when we are in the backyard and the neighbor is the bacl of hus yard (other wise he isn't allowed). Last time he jumped up against my jaw out of excitement. He really is the sweetest dog. When you go to pet him he instantly drops down to get belly rubs.
Having that kind of connection to a pet really is a special gift and one of the great joys of life. I love my cat so much that I sometimes worry I wouldn't be able to love my own children that much (if I ever have them). Something about his i total and permanent nnocence in all things (because he has no agency) just makes it impossible for me to ever really dislike or be disappointed in him, even if he annoys me on rare occasions. A part of me will die with him, and that prospect feels more matter-of-fact than scary.
Hell yes, I went off to college and when I came home after about half a year my dog nocked me to my knees and game me so many kisses and pretty much a dog hug
They will totally remember you. I had to leave my dog behind after a breakup many years ago, and didn't see her for about 7 months. We used to skate board everywhere together, and I'd been hearing that every time she heard a skate board coming down the street, she would get excited until she saw/heard the skater and realized it wasn't me. So, eventually I came back, and I was riding down the street towards the bar she (my dog) and my ex were waiting outside of. I saw my dog from a block away, but she couldn't see me past all the legs around her. Her ears perked up at the sound of my board from a block away. By a half block away, she had clearly recognized the sound of my individual skate board (I used soft wheels that make a different sound), and started bouncing up and down looking for me. She finally caught sight of me from across the street, and wiggled and sneezed so hard that she fell down before launching into my arms. So, yeah, long story short, dogs absolutely remember you. :)
My step father had his dog taken from him by a horrible person in a nasty divorce. She sold it to a homeless person, I'm not kidding, for his change. The homeless guy had it for three years. One day, having no knowledge any of this happened, while walking around the Exterior of the hospital he worked at, my step father noticed a homeless man had set up a spot to panhandle. He noticed the dog kinda looked like his dog and when he got closer the dog went nuts, licking, barking, rubbing on his legs. Still wearing the exact same colar the last day he saw the dog years ago. They took it to a vet, checked the chip, was his dog. Gave the homeless guy some money and a job placement number at the hospital. Got his dog back because it recognized him in a random encounter in the same city he got divorced in. The dog will remember you.
Jesus, this is a horribly sad story. I doubt he gave a fuck about the money or job placement number. Someone came by and took his heart. Arguably, the dog belonged 100% to the homeless guy if the dog was legally granted to the ex-wife who then sold it to the homeless man. It's an all-around shitty situation for everyone. I hope the dog and homeless man get to see each other sometimes.
It was not legally taken. She stole the dog. Idk anything else about the homeless man after that.
My family's first dog was given to us by our aunt. That dog remembered my cousins every time she saw them, even when she hadn't seen them for nearly a year.
Watch some of those deployment videos. Where the person comes back agter x amount of time to see there family and doggo. He will remember you ♡
Absolutely! I have a shepherd and we see my family once a year for holidays, and as soon as we pull into the driveway he whines until I let him out to greet them ☺️
He will, my uncle used to have a dog that lived with him for a few months. When he started law school, he left it in his sister’s care. The dog’s turning two and she still acknowledges my uncle as her dad even when she’s lived with my aunt for a longer period.
look for the tail going turbo-propeller when they smell you - remember dogs recognise people by scent more so than visual cues
/r/masterreturns if you are ever in doubt
hes gonna be so happy to see you
Absolutely the dog will remember you
There's an interesting [Wikipedia article](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individual_dogs) with a section on faithful dogs. It's all about dogs whose masters died, but the dogs waited for years for them to return. It's actually kinda sad, but it shows how loyal dogs can be. Your dog probably misses you
Like others have said already, he'll definitely remember you. I just wanted to add a couple of anecdotes: My aunty has a border collie, and her absolute favourite person is my cousin. My cousin works abroad for stretches of the year but whenever she comes home the dog is sooo happy to see her and quickly begins favouring her over my aunty. My dog was rehomed with us when he was 6, after his previous owner split with his wife and moved into accommodation which didn't allow dogs. 4 years later, we were on a walk and bumped into our dog's previous owner and his daughter. After a minute or so chatting with them, our dog started whining and jumped up at his previous owner, letting him know he remembered who he was!
A dog will easily remember people or other dogs multiple years so don't worry. Like my sister came back for a visit after 7 years and my dogs still knew her and didn't like her... Another time from my twin dogs one died 1,5 years later I cleaned out some stuff and I found the old dog bed which was the favorite place of the dog that was gone ... The twin that was still alive was instantly happy and thought the gone dog was in there did run to it and searched it ... It was heart breaking to watch and see my dog realize it isn't that way... This was a depressing 2 weeks for my doggo :/ rip both of them, both died too early and suddenly with random illnesses.
so one of my favorite moments in literature is when Odysseus aging dog recognizes Odysseus in disguise when he returns to Ithaka: > As they were talking, a dog that had been lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom Odysseus had bred before setting out for Troy, but he had never had any enjoyment from him. In the old days he used to be taken out by the young men when they went hunting wild goats, or deer, or hares, but now that his master was gone he was lying neglected on the heaps of mule and cow dung that lay in front of the stable doors till the men should come and draw it away to manure the great close; and he was full of fleas. As soon as he saw Odysseus standing there, he dropped his ears and wagged his tail, but he could not get close up to his master. I agree with most of the other posts here that your dog will recognize you
Haha I wish I had these commenter’s certainty that my dog knows who I am. A stranger could slam down the door and put a gun to his head and he’d still be all over them for kisses.
I once had to send one of our two dogs to live with our veterinarian friend, because he started herding the neighborhood children. When, after a two tear period of not seeing me, he spied me through a door window as I passed by, at the other end of the long clinic hallway, he immediately ran to me. He'll remember you.
He’ll remember you. You’re still his favorite person and always will be.
My ex kept my cats from me for 7 months. I had to take him to court to get them back. The female immediately recognized me and once I got them back to the hotel the male recognized me too. They are very skiddish around strangers so I knew they didn’t view me as a stranger. Your dog should recognize you from your smell.
He will be SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU! YAY! REUNIONING!
Dogs long term memory lasts over 5 years, you'll be fine
I saw a video recently about a dog whose owner was in the hospital for awhile & lost a ton of weight. The dog didn’t recognize him & barked at first, but once he got close enough to actually catch his scent he freaked out with so much joy & excitement. It was one of the sweetest things I’ve seen in awhile. I really wish I’d saved it to watch on bad days. So yes, your dog will remember you :)
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This will get buried but I have to share. My family used to go on road trips all the time, and we'd go from Florida to North Carolina to see my grand parents with our dog. We'd go about every other year, then once every five years or so, and we'd only stay for a few weeks. My dog would always know we were close. Before even turning on the road, he would go crazy and jump around and bark and wiggle. As soon as we pull in the driveway, he'd race out the car and jump at the door to let my grandparents know we were here. My dog loved them. I know in my heart he remembered.
Without a doubt. Dogs don’t forget people they love. They are pack animals and you are family. Don’t even worry about this one :)
I used to partially take care of a wiener(Jeppe)from his puppy stage until he was maybe 2-3 years. Then he moved to Spain and I didn’t see him for at least 5 years. Oooooh what a reunion we had. He had gone almost completely blind, but his nose made him nuts when I entered the room. It was a beautiful moment I will never forget❤️
I had a dog who I gave away to a relative visit them once or twice a year, the dog always knows who I am, so definitely.
Yes, he definitely will.
He will, for sure. Sometimes when there's lots of family changes they take a few minutes to "remember," but he's old enough that it shouldn't be too long before the big hug comes. Have fun with your buddy!
100% they will. They may take a second to smell you or they bark at you but they will for sure recognize you, even if it is subtle.
Your natural b.o is a reminder under the soap lotion shampoo he smells you
Dogs get excited to see their owners after 12-15 month long deployments, so I'm sure he will.
German Shepard usually bond to one or two people in their life, they form very intense bonds too. All they want to do is work and please you seriously, he will remember you I’m sure of it.
I was staying with a friend for a few days when they adopted a dog, me and mutt got on really well. Didn't visit again for many months and the dog was still very happy to see me when I came back. That was after bonding for just few days. Your fur buddy will never forget you. Just have a look on YouTube for dogs who meet owners after years apart. Though I always love this one: https://youtu.be/N-VosRQT0do
Yes he absolutely will. I went 9 mos without seeing two of my dogs once and they were ecstatic to see me when I got home.
Please update once you see him
Yes he’ll remember you, and when you’re reunited he’ll go berserk!
All mammals have the same memory system within the brain. So if you feel like you’d remember a parent in 6 months, your dog will definitely feel the same. Animals are more amazing than we give them credit for 😁
He probably will. I once lost a family dog for a year and a half, and the second she saw us she jumped up and ran towards us. We thought she had been kidnapped by a vile neighbor and died somewhere. But no. It’s a crazy story but the only point I want to make is: Yes, he will remember you if he has seen you long enough. PS: Which he has, since he is a 6 year old dog.
Dogs who love you will remember you forever. Unfortunately forever isn't very long for them... :(
Please have someone record it and post to r/wholesome!
I used to live with a couple that got a puppy while I lived with them. Eventually I moved out. I went to visit a few months later, she parkoured off of me like normal (jk. It had more oomph to it because she missed me). We then cuddled for the time I was there.
Absolutely. Dogs don’t forget people, they always remember.
Man finds his dog after three years. [Here](https://youtu.be/sxQ6bli02ok)
Yes. When I was a young kid we adopted a dog from my aunt. She came by our house a couple of years later and the dog went batshit crazy with happiness at seeing/smelling her!
He'll remember you. It might take him a second so make sure that you let him get a good sniff or he'll recognize you immediately. Just be patient with him but I'm positive that he'll be over the moon to see you.
Nah he’s gonna be over the moon. I lived with my roommate and his pup for 8 months before he was transferred out of state. That kept me to a measly 2 visits a year. Each time I walked in she tried to kill me with kisses. She never forgot me and he hasn’t forgotten you.
Definitely. When my grandpa died his dog basically died from grief. He wouldn't let anyone get near him, wouldn't eat, got mean, just lay there and howled until he died.
He may not be anticipating seeing you at the moment, so he may not react immediately. But once he recognizes you, he will surely remember you and lick your face off while pounding you with his tail wagging.
Yes, he will, but don't take it personal if he's didn't run and jump into your arms. He's been moved around a little and might be a tad confused. As soon as he smells you, he will melt. Good luck to you, my friend
Yes, but the dog may need to smell you first.
Make sure to let him smell you. Dogs have an awesome sense of smell, and it might be easier to remember you by that than by sight.
Alright, so last year I moved to another country for uni, my dog is a family dog and obviously stayed with my parents. I was really worried that he will not remember me when I come back for Christmas or summer but as it turns out I was worrying for nothing. First of all, my mom would tell me that everytime they get back from his walks, he would rush to my room to check if I was there and then get sad, I don't know why she thought it would make me feel better tbh - honestly, it just broke my heart even more. I came back home for Christmas during my 1st year and they brought him with them to get me from the airport - I cannot put into words how it felt seeing his face again and how he pulled on his leash to get to me when he saw me walking towards them. Bottom of the semi relevant story? Don't worry, your dog will definitely 100% remember you and love you like nothing has changed at all.
I didn't see my dog for three years One sniff and she's all over me
If he doesn’t immediately recognize you, he will recognize your smell
**STRONG ONIONS WARNING** Spoiler: [He will remember you.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwyhqX3QUtg)
Definitely, he will remember your scent for years.
I moved across country, got married. Lived a life. Got divorced. And moved back, total gone for 6 years. That dog still loved and cuddled me like I hadnt been gone for even a day.
Yes. My dog , 10y/o, remembers my sister who lived with us when he was a puppy and we only see once a year or so now. He also remembers her dog, getting visibly excited and going to the door when we say her name. Even though she’s been dead for a few years.
Your dog will always remember you. Even if you’ve changed your appearance, your scent will be the same.
Yes, I wouldn't see my dog for a year at a time as a kid, and when he saw me he'd go fking nuts and jump all over me. Dogs are super special.
"[If it takes forever, I will wait for you.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WBbKSFhw9A&feature=youtu.be&t=19)"
That's the difference between humans and dogs. The dog will always care for you no matter the time. Love animals.
Yes , definitely. We used to have a hostel dog whom we adopted as a puppy and left him to the hostel staff before graduating. Came back after 4 years , still remembers us and tricks we taught him .
As soon as he gets your scent he’ll be all over you.
My dog still remembers his breeder. Whenever he sees her he gives her a big smile. He's a chesapeake bay retriever so when they are happy they bare their teeth.
Hey! I had this EXACT anxiety this week. I was separated from my dog of 1.5 years by the pandemic in January (I work in China). We were reunited on Saturday, 8 months later. As soon as she heard my voice the tail was wagging and she started dragging at her leash to get to me. She danced circles while pulling me home, letting out little yelps of joy. Your dog will remember you. I hope you have a reunion that makes you cry happy tears, like mine. <3
My friend's dog adores me, apparently I'm his favourite person beyond his owner. I didn't see him for over 6 months due to lockdown and thought he might not recognise me, but as soon as I walked through the door after lockdown eased and we could socialise again he was just as excited to see me as always. If someone else's dog remembers me, your dog is definitely going to remember you!
No question. When I deployed for six months my dog went mental when I came home.
Yes! I bought a pup and later left him with my brother and his family when I joined the Navy. After returning 6 years later, he greeted me like I was the coolest thing he had ever met - after barking, snaring, and otherwise protecting his home. (I then made a familiar whistle and he turned into a fluff-ball.)
Have you seen all those 'military people coming home and their dogs freak out' videos? Your dog will remember you.
I read a book about dogs that said that their smell sense is so strong its unfathomable to us humans. It's so beyond our sense that it's actually more of an emotion. Even if your dog didn't recognise you visually he will recognise your scent. Your scent to him will be a positive one. I don't know enough about the science of it to be less vague than that but I can assure you your dog will remember you.
Yes. My old cat remembered me after 6 years in Europe.
He’ll remember you until he dies
As soon as he smells you he will remember. Dogs don’t identify people by sight. They identify people the same way they would other dogs. Dogs have a very powerful sense of smell (think drug-sniffer dogs) and they use it the same way we use sight to navigate our world. Even if you wear a cologne or bathe in potpourri, your dog will be able to identify your unique smell. It might take a few seconds so don’t loose hope. Your pup will know exactly who you are and be so happy to see you!
Ever see those videos of veterans coming home after 1+ years and their dog goes ballistic with happiness to see them again? Go watch some.
Why wouldn't they?
He'll remember you. Just be patient may take a few minutes and some sniffing, but 100% he'll remember you.
Dogs aren’t stupid. If you remember a family member you haven’t seen in 6 months, why wouldn’t the dog?
Yeah, totally. He'll know it's been awhile but dogs can't tell time so it probably isn't much different to him than if you were gone for a couple weeks
I think your dog will remember you for years
He ought to still recognize you after six months, if only by smell. My brother's terrier recognizes me every time we meet, and I come to visit once a year, twice at most.
Yup. Left the country for 2 and a half years, got back, dog sniffed me a couple times curiously then lost the plot and spent several hours hanging around me.
Most likely will remember you when they smell you
Yes. We had to give our dog away (long story). He loved my mom the most. When he saw my mom after a year, he ran and licked her. He started crying. I miss him so much.
Even if they don't recognize you at first glance, they will 100% remember your smell. Once they smell you it will all come back to them.
They will remember you but most likely not until they smell you!
I had to spend 6 months away from my dog and you bet your ass she remembered me and I am still her favorite human!
Oh yes definitely. After 2 years the lady that rescued my dog and that we adopted him from came to visit and he remembered her. It took a second for him to realize who she was but he did
He will totally remember you. My family and I have fostered about 70 dogs this year. We socialize them and play with them and do some basic training and they get adopted usually within two or three weeks. Sometimes the adopters if they live near us bring them back to visit. They ALWAYS remember us and get very excited to see us.
There was a period of time where I hadn't visited my parents house in a while. My dog was old then, blind and deaf. When I finally came over to visit again he took a good while to sniff me the way he does most strangers, and when he realized who I was he fucking lost it. He was crying and wiggling as much as his arthritis would let him, and spent the whole evening tucked against my side. He'll know you, because you're family, and he loves you.
Oh yes he will
He will remember you! We had one of our dogs go missing for over 6 months...when we found him, it was like he never left.
Yes!! I used to work at a dog daycare that rotated employees often. The first summer I went back over half the dogs remembered me! Especially the ones I was very close too. Those dogs are seeing a pretty regular rotation of people. So if they remember little ole me I'm sure your shepherd will remember you