Sometimes, due to moving to a new home or changing jobs, dog owners have no choice but to give their beloved dogs to someone else to care for. After a while, some owners can’t help but think about their dogs and ask themselves: “Does my dog still think about me? Will it always remember me? Will it resent me?”
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Do Dogs Remember Their Previous Owners?
The answer is: yes, they do. A dog’s memory and recognition abilities allow it to remember previous owners. Even after a long separation, a dog can recognize its former owner and display excitement and affection when they meet again. It’s important to understand that dogs primarily identify their owners through scent, as their sense of smell is hundreds of times stronger than humans’. They can remember the unique scent of their owner. In addition, dogs can recognize their owner’s voice through hearing and observe their movements and gestures visually to identify them. So rest assured, dogs are capable of remembering their previous owners.
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How Long Can Dogs Remember Their Previous Owners?
Dogs have strong memory and a keen sense of time. Even after a long separation, they can still remember their owner. Some dogs that have been kidnapped have managed to escape within a month and find their way home, demonstrating that they can recall their owner’s characteristics and habits. In specific cases, some dogs remember their previous owners even after many years and show affectionate behavior upon reunion. Scientific studies also indicate that a dog’s memory can last for several years or even longer, further supporting this view. Therefore, the answer is: dogs can remember their previous owners for a very long time—at least several years, and in many cases, possibly for their entire lives.
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Do Dogs Hold Grudges Against Their Previous Owners?
In fact, the vast majority of dogs are loyal to a single owner throughout their lives. They believe that if their owner treats them well, they must reciprocate, and their hearts and eyes are fully devoted to their owner. From a dog’s simple perspective, no matter what happens, the owner is never wrong; instead, the dog may blame itself. Most dogs experience a change in personality after being given away by their previous owner: for example, a previously mischievous dog may suddenly become obedient or even overly well-behaved under a new owner. This is a result of self-blame—they may feel that their past misbehavior or mistakes caused their previous owner to give them away. As a result, when they arrive at a new home, they often become gentle, cautious, and careful in every action, fearing being abandoned again.
Have you ever experienced this? If a dog encounters its previous owner, even a normally listless dog can become extremely excited. It may suddenly jump up, wag its tail vigorously, and bounce around, clearly overwhelmed with joy.So, the answer is: to a dog, the owner is always right, and it will never hold a grudge against its previous owner—even if the owner abandoned it. On the contrary, the dog may feel that it did something wrong, thinking that its misbehavior caused the owner to give it away. It carries this sense of self-blame throughout its life.Treat your dog well, because to it, you are its one and only owner for life. It never wants to leave you.
