It's not unusual for dogs to grieve the loss of a person they've bonded with who is no longer present. While they might not understand the full extent of human absence, dogs do understand the emotional feeling of missing someone who's no longer a part of their daily lives.
Whilst this is a natural concern if you'll be gone for weeks, it's not something you need to fear. The truth is that your dog will almost always remember you, however long you've been apart. Dogs don't forget their beloved owners, even after months or even years apart.
Patricia McConnell, PHD, Certified Animal Behaviorist and author of several books related to dog behavior, believes that dogs remember their previous owners, however they don't remember in the same capacity as people do.
The American Kennel Club says changing owners can be traumatic for dogs. Losing their owners can make dogs stop eating, lose weight, lose interest in physical activity, and exhibit symptoms of canine depression. That's why you must take any decision to re-home dogs seriously.
That said, most researchers believe dogs can remember important people and significant events in their lives for years, perhaps until death. So, yes, your dog remembers your scent, your face (especially your eyes), and your voice and associates them with happiness, love or snuggling, or maybe just with food.
We miss those furry little faces while we're gone. But does your dog miss you back? Studies show that dogs form positive associations with their favorite people, and they don't like being separated from you for long. Dogs can handle alone time, but they do miss you when you're gone.
Cuddle your belongings:
That is a sign that he misses you and your things remind him of you. They may also spend all that time you were away in your room. Some dogs also stay at the door while their human is away.
Even a change in the dog's schedule, for instance a stay-at-home owner who takes a job, can cause a dog to get down. But the two most common triggers of severe dog depression are the loss of a companion animal or the loss of an owner.
They do! Various studies have been done on dogs, including brain scans, to determine that dogs displayed negative emotions while their owner was away. Dogs can actually start missing their owners from the moment they part ways, and keep missing them more up until two hours.
How abandonment impacts individual pets Humans often do not realize that animals, especially domesticated dogs, cats and other small animals, can feel a host of emotions similar to those experienced by people. Fear, pain, abandonment and longing are all things which pets are capable of experiencing.
Depending on when the pup is rehomed, dogs can recognise their relatives later in life. If puppy littermates remain together for the first 16 weeks of the puppy's life before being rehomed, chances are they'll be able to recognise their family later on, at least for a few years.
So as long as a dog can smell, has healthy eyes, and can hear, they will most likely remember you no matter how long you've been out of their life. If you are wondering if your dog misses you while you're gone they don't have any knowledge of time but can experience separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is triggered when dogs become upset because of separation from their guardians, the people they're attached to. Escape attempts by dogs with separation anxiety are often extreme and can result in self-injury and household destruction, especially around exit points like windows and doors.
For most dogs in a comfortable and secure environment, the bond with you is still there if you are gone, and the connection you share is as strong as ever. It's just that you are not at the forefront of their thoughts if you are not present. So, your dog simply gets on with whatever they are doing at that moment.
It's not unusual for dogs to grieve the loss of a person they've bonded with who is no longer present. While they might not understand the full extent of human absence, dogs do understand the emotional feeling of missing someone who's no longer a part of their daily lives.
Overall, dogs are complex creatures that think about a wide range of things, including social relationships, their physical environment, daily routine, physical needs, and health and well-being.
The grief of rehoming tends to be layered with emotions such as guilt and shame. You may feel like you'll never forgive yourself for this decision. Giving a pet up for rehoming is never easy and there are very few people who can do this without any misgivings.
If your dog is whining anxiously right before you leave the house, this could indicate separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety often engage in destructive behaviors while you are gone. You can treat your dog's separation anxiety by using these desensitization and counterconditioning techniques.
Getting your dog to trust you can take time, practice, and a lot of consistency. You can expect anything from 2 weeks-2 months for this to happen.
So, yes, a puppy can definitely think of you as his "mother" — that is, his provider and protector — and develop as strong an emotional bond with you as if you were blood-related. Your puppy will also quickly learn to pick you out among strangers, both by sight and through his powerful sense of smell.
Another study looked at how dogs behaved with people of varying levels of familiarity - their owner, a stranger and a familiar human - and found that dogs clearly miss their owners more than anyone else, and will wait behind the door they left through in anticipation of their return.
When you kiss your dog, you may notice signs that indicate they know that the kiss is a gesture of affection. As puppies, this is not something that dogs would recognize, although they would feel you doing it. However, as they get older they associate the kisses and cuddles with you being happy with them.