How long does a dog take to forget their owner?
Knowing how long a dog takes to forget its owner depends on various factors like their breed, etc. And it also depends on how you treat your dog when you aren’t home.
Dogs often develop strong bonds with their owners if they care about them and love them a lot. So, if you treat your dog correctly, he will never forget about you and love you unconditionally. And genuinely, a dog takes 2-3 years without direct contact to forget about its owner.
Long-Term Dog Memory We Don’t Understand
You would think we would know everything about humankind’s best friend. Unfortunately, we don’t. We have identified two types of long-term memory that dogs appear to use, and these affect how dogs remember their owners after time apart.
These are associative memory and episodic memory.
Associative memory is the ability to remember the relationship between two things. We see this associative memory at work when a dog jumps up at the sight of their leash. They know that the leash means a walk.
As the name suggests, episodic memory is the ability to remember specific events. We used to think that this kind of memory was reserved for humans and only the most self-aware animals like dolphins.
New evidence suggests that dogs have episodic memory, or at least something very much like it. In addition, episodic memory plays a major role in a dog’s ability to learn advanced training skills.
If you wonder how either of these types of memory helps your dog remember you, you see the major gap in our understanding. We don’t know how dogs remember their owners, exactly. But we can draw the assumption that your dog has memories that associate you with good things like food, walks, pets, and playtime. They may also remember specific events involving you.
If you’re going on vacation and are worried you’re dog will feel abandoned, then be sure to read that post here: Going on Vacation: Will my dog think I abandoned them?
How do you know if a dog remembers you?
Different dogs respond differently to seeing their owner after time apart. But, for the most part, your dog will likely go completely out of their mind with joy and excitement.
Just watch this video of soldiers returning home and see their dog’s reaction, it’s wonderful!
Your ecstatic pet will be unable to restrain excited whining, jumping upon you, and smothering you in attention. They may even excitedly pee
That said, some dogs may simply respond with a head tilted to the side and an eagerly wagging tail. But, remember, their reaction doesn’t mean they are less happy to see you.
In whatever way your dog responds to your return, it won’t take long for your relationship to go back to how it was before you left.
Your Dog Forgets You When You Leave
Dogs are the best and most gifted creatures. They are popular for loving unconditionally and being loyal to their owners. But the main question is how long does it take for a dog to forget a person? Dogs will always greet their owner with the same enthusiasm and affection every time. There is no doubt that they remember the scent of their owner and their voice for a long time. But understanding their memory span will help you to know exactly how long your dog can remember you or how long they take to forget someone.