Butch Cassidy

I would be tempted to disagree, our dog recognises family voices on skype and has remembered EVERY visitor (from the uk) we have had. Despite not having seen one set for two years.

R I C H

Same with ours - family names get their attention, as do the names of friends dogs that they grew up with in the UK.

Katie76

Yeh, i'd agree too.

Whenever we go on holiday and a family member looks after our Siamese Kitty, I phone up and talk to him on the phone , seriously. My dad thinks i'm abit crazy but he says he does react after talking to me in Siam Kitty Language, he walks from room to room calling, wondering where I am.

Butch Cassidy

AH yes forgot that one.

Our dog is pretty good when not on a leash (chases rabbits if he sees them but otherwise doesnt leave the property line). However one day not too long there was a Border Collie walking down the other side of the road. Now my B-I-L had a border collie and If I hadnt have known better I would have looked twice to make sure that this wasnt Zuki. Well our dog spotted this BC and ran after it thinking indeed it was Zuki (he hasnt seen her for over two years).

FIRST time he has run way to 'chase' another dog.

JoolsGod

I am sure they do, they are intelligent animals. My point really was that as long as they are cared for they will be happy, whoever is doing the caring!

I didn't think it was fair of some of the posts to be so strong. If people choose to treat their animal as a family member that is their choice but i think it is wrong to recriminate others for remembering that the dog is an animal at the end of the day. I care for my dog and treat her well but do i love her like my children? Uh, hell no!

Someone once said to me that if a man and dog were alone and starving but had one piece of meat then the human would share it with the dog. Would the dog share with the human???

Katie76

Ahhh that's so cute, they're very sensitive animals and have a HUGE heart.

JoolsGod

It just wanted to sniff its bottom! Coz it's a DOG!

Butch Cassidy

No Like I said it has always 'ignored' other dogs

JoolsGod

Too funny!

Butch Cassidy

what can I say? maybe he has ideas above his station??

christmasoompa

Not true - any study of dog psychology will tell you that they never forget their owners. She sees you as her 'pack' and in dog terms, that's huge. A wild dog that is cast out from it's pack for whatever reason will normally not try to find another one, they would rather be alone and struggle to survive. There are well documented cases of dogs being reunited with original owners a decade after leaving them and instantly recognising them.

We have many instances of rescue dogs that have to be returned as they just can't get on with their new family (no matter how well they are being treated and 'fed and walked'), they simply won't accept them as a replacement pack for the one they have lost. I've seen many dogs pining for owners for months and months after they've come to us for rehoming for whatever reason. In extreme cases, they will pine to the point of death as they refuse to eat. In their eyes, they've lost their pack leader.

Your dog may learn to be happy elsewhere but she will definitely not 'soon forget you'.

Summer-Caitlin

I want to reiterate that I have never at any point said that I would abandon my dog. I did say that I am going to try everything in my powers to take him with me. However, I would not choose to stay here, if and I mean that as a big IF, he could not come with me! If that makes me selfish, then so be it. I love my dog very much, he is part of my family, but so is my mother, grandparents and siblings and they are not coming with me either!

I do not view myself as a selfish person, if I had to rehome him, I already know of a friend that would love to take him. She used to have a Sheltie but he died several years ago of old age. I do not intend not to take him with me, all I asked was if anyone had chosen to leave their pet behind. I would never leave my dog in a kennel btw.

I do not judge anyone for their actions in this circumstance, it is not an easy decision to leave your pet behind and to those that did, I understand your reasons for doing so.

moosey2canada - Should I assume then that you would remain in the UK, if for some reason you could not take your pet with you? While I appreciate your opinion, I do not appreciate your tone. Please don't assume things I have not stated.

YYZlover

I tend to say that this also goes with horses. My two neddies were walking in the opposite direction when I arrived back here so when I called them they turned and ran up to me neighing, very eager to say hello. Horses are heard/pack animals too.

I have an incling cats remember as well. My cats are very happy to have me back.

Summer-Caitlin

I certainly agree that animals definitely recognise their owners after long spells away. My dog recognises our names and always looks for me, he is virtually my shadow. I do not doubt my dogs intelligence, in fact he is very human at times. I swear his facial expressions and timings are just pure genious!

seanyg

We sold our two dogs last Xmas when we moved in to our new house. We knew we would (hopefully) be emigrating, our baby was 11 mths old (and we were struggling to give them the attention they deserved and the long walks they needed) and we didn't want them to get too settled in our new house so we sold them just after we'd moved in.

It was the most heartbreaking decision we've ever had to make but it was most definitely the right one - for them and for us. They are now with people who have older children and who take them for long walks in the country, who let them grown their hair long like it's supposed to be (they were a Tibetan Terrier and a Lhasa Apso and we had to keep getting them clipped as we didn't have time to groom them every day so they got matted) and they're apparently spoiled to death

Despite them being members of our family, we just couldn't afford to take them with us, and the long flight wouldn't have been fair on them (they're quite hyperactive and don't 'do' sitting still for long periods!), so don't feel bad about not being able to take your dog; they will be absolutely fine and believe me, they will miss you a whole lot less than you will miss them! (dogs are happy if they've got food and someone to love / play with them - it's all they need).

We still miss them but as soon as we've got PR and have Canada confirmed, we're going to go and visit them (we only want to go the once or it'll be too painful).

Best of luck with whatever you decide