Dogs and Memory:
Have you ever wondered if your dog has a memory? If he does, how long do dogs remember?
Remedy’s Story:
You may remember my post entitled “Remedy’s Story”. When Remedy was 9 months old she was attacked by the Mastiff that lived behind us. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I can remember almost every detail. We did not think that she was going to live.
It no doubt was the scariest thing for Remedy too. She is now two, does she remember that scariest time or her life? I wondered.
Remedy leaving Veterinary Hospital after the attack
Most Chihuahuas would not survive an attack by a Mastiff. I’m not by any means saying that Mastiffs are evil (so hold the flood of emails praising the breed). I have friends that have sweet, friendly Mastiffs. If you read “Remedy’s Story”, you will also find that in this instance, I don’t completely blame the one behind us.
Thankfully, however, because of a few very lucky flukes, she did survive and has no lasting scars. Except maybe emotionally. Which begs the question, do dogs remember traumatic events?
A Mastiff approximately the color, size, and type of the one that attacked Remedy. They have very strong jaws.
Whenever I mention that because of this experience, she is now afraid of other dogs…especially big dogs, most people “remind” me that dogs don’t remember and don’t have a very long memory. No offense to those that wholeheartedly believe it, I wholeheartedly disagree — to an extent. For those of you, please keep reading, you’ll see why I say “to an extent”.
What do dogs remember?
They remember me after I’ve been gone awhile.
I agree that in most cases dogs have very short memories. Example, when I leave the house and 10 minutes later come back in they are as happy to see me as if I’d been gone for hours. After being in the house with them for a few minutes, they forget that I ever left.
But, if I leave again for 5 minutes and come back in, they are as happy to see me as if I’d been gone for the whole day.
What about the stories of lost dogs traveling for miles to get back home?
I’m sure you have heard lots of stories of dogs getting lost and finding their way home even miles away. I know I have heard many.
So, what’s the deal? Do they remember their address? Okay, I’m being facetious, of course, they don’t remember their address!
What about dogs who bury bones and days later know exactly where they buried them?
What about when they bury a bone in the backyard? Mine never do that though, do yours? So they bury a bone and days later they seem to remember exactly where they buried it. Is that because they remember exactly where they buried it?
Well, I can’t read dog’s minds and I’m pretty sure you can’t either. Hey, if you can, get in touch with me!
Experts chalk both of those not-so-much memories as to their extraordinary sense of smell. That makes a whole lot more sense to me. Yes, the double meaning of “sense” was intended.
What about all the cool tricks that they remember?
Studies and experiments show that a dog’s “memory” is more of a rudimentary memory rather than understanding. In other words; your dog may seem to remember the trick, but what he remembers is; sitting = treat. After a while, his sitting becomes ingrained in his little tiny (yet, very intelligent) brain and becomes more of a muscle memory.
Do dogs remember a traumatic event?
A dog has to have a certain outside stimulus to be able to remember. For instance, when a dog sees a leash in your hand he gets excited because he knows it means a walk.
Another example is if your dog has previously had some sort of bad experience at the veterinarian’s office. As soon as you pull into the parking lot he starts to get very anxious.
Which brings me back to; Remedy is scared of other dogs, especially big ones. Does that mean she remembers the traumatic experience?
The answer is no. She doesn’t remember the experience, but she associates other dogs, especially big ones with a very scary experience. So in that way, the answer is yes.
Dogs and PTSD
Can dogs have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) like humans? According to WebMD, the answer is yes. Because of the above explanation, they associate the stimuli, or traumatic experience (in Remedy’s case, dogs, especially big dogs)with a very traumatic, or scary experience.
Just like people, they can develop PTSD. By the way, just like people, dogs can also have OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). See “Can Dogs Have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?”
Has your dog experienced a very traumatic event? If so, leave a comment below and let us know about it.
My dog is a German Shepard/Border Collie mix. We feel that he was kept in a crate many hours each day. We also think that he did not get much food. He is always looking around finding things to eat. Is this a PTSD situation?
Hi Lynn,
I am an expert with the Chihuahua breed and don’t know about those breeds specifically, however, I will tell you that you are probably right that he didn’t get much to eat, but also it is a dog’s instinct to “hunt” for food. It’s in their DNA. So, even if he is not hungry, he may still “hunt” for food. You might try giving a lesser amount each feeding and give small whole-food snacks often during the day. Try “hiding” treats throughout the house and let him “search” or “hunt” for them using his amazing nose to find them. That will satisfy the “hunting” instinct and also stimulate his brain which is something that all dogs need each day. I hope that helps. 🙂
I will try my best to make this short, my husband and I rescued a dog four months ago, he has been nothing but amazing, love at first sight for him myself and the dog his name is CoCo btw. We only know where he was for about a month prior to us getting him. Two weeks ago CoCo unfortunately attacked my husband and I but it was NOT random or his fault at all (let me just say that) I just happen to change our bedroom around not that long prior to this night so that is why I was having difficulties getting into bed my husband is extremely tall and CoCo was in between his legs so i had to climb over them to get into bed when doing so i knocked a canvas photo off the wall slammed down onto CoCo all while my husband was telling me about some attack scene he had saw… so at this time CoCo was woken up by a giant picture frame dropped onto him my husband being super loud using words like (attack attacking he got him) basically anything that could go wrong went wrong that night. I saved my life and my husband’s that night. I do not care to get into details on what exactly happened but let me just say it looked like a murder scene by the end of the fight. Now the reason i wrote all this is because i have a few questions if someone could please help or knows where to find the info I would greatly appreciate it! Questions I have
1. Does Coco remember attacking us?
2. Does he look at my husband differently since he was going after him mainly?
3.Is he scared of us?
4. If he smells my husband’s wounds will that trigger something in Coco?
5. How should I help Coco get through this? Since I got myself and my husband help.
I do apologize for how long this is, I am nervous just wish that night could be deleted. Thank you for everyones or anyones time reading this !!!!!
Hi Ash! My, yes, that is a lot to take in and answer. We’ll start with #1. Yes, he will remember the incident. 2. Yes, he may be wary of him for a while. But with patience and kindness, talking to him soothingly and allowing him the time he will come to trust him again. 3. He may be wary of both of you for a while, but apply #2. If he seems a little frightened of either of you, don’t get mad, just allow him time and he will begin to trust you again. 4. It will bring back to his mind what happened, perhaps, but trigger an attack? I don’t think so. 5. Again, patience, kindness, and earning his trust with soothing talk (try not to raise your voice at all). Doesn’t mean you have to whisper when you talk, just use a calm and soothing voice when you talk to him. I hope this will give you peace of mind. Dogs are much more resilient than you may think. Dogs will still love even an abusive owner. Not, that you were abusive, the point is it takes a lot for a dog to stop loving his owners as long as they are kind. If he was “amazing” before, this shouldn’t change him. Should his personality change (very, very doubtful) you may need to hire an animal behaviorist. They are not as expensive as you may think. Good luck.
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To state that a dog cannot remember a certain eperience but associates large dogs with a traumatic experience is doublespeak. If the dog associates large dogs with a traumatic experience then the dog certainly remembers the experience. If I tell my Dega tonight that we are going for a ride tomorrow you can bet she will sit by the door tomorrow until we go. She remembers lots of things and they are not by rote.
Hi Kay,
I agree that the post is generalized, but it does say that dogs have long-term and some short-term memories. According to PETMD; “While pets can form memories about a variety of instances, experts suspect that extremely positive and/or negative experiences are what stick with them the most. “Important events, such as those related to food and survival, and events that have an emotional impact are more likely to be stored in the long-term memory,” says Claudia Fugazza, department of ethology at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.”
Thank you for your comment!
Linda
Talking about “air” burying, my chichuahua likes to take treats and bury them in the carpet. She will go to a “hiding” spot put down the treat, take her nose and try to cover it with ? ? ?…then walks away as proud as she can be that the treasure was hidden. However when a friend’s dog comes over it is so easy to find and my pup just really gets upset that it was so easy to find her treasure.
One other thing to think about, if dogs do NOT remember how do they dream???
Hi Mary,
LOL! My Chico does that only he takes it to his bed to “air” bury it. It takes him a long time. He’ll “cover” it on one side then go to the other side and “cover” it some more. It is so funny. Then pretty soon one of my other two Chis will come along like you said and find it. Then they get the benefit of all that work! I keep saying that I’m going to get a video of it! It just never happens when I have my camera or even my phone with me! One of these days!
I agree they have to be dreaming about something that happened to them, to dream about it. That makes me wonder if they have an imagination and dream about things that haven’t happened like we do. Hummmmm, something to think about. 🙂
Thank you for reading the post and for your comment!
Linda
Aw what a scary experience! I definitely feel that dogs have a good memory. Otherwise, how do they remember those they’ve seen before or how to get home?! Dogs remember scent, sound, sight and the correlations between them!
Hi Bree,
It was definitely a scary experience for me and for Remedy. It was heartbreaking to see the fear and bewilderment on her face.Thankfully, it had no physical permanent effects. Thank you so much for your comment! Have a wonderful day! ~ Linda, mom to Chico, Pebbles, and Remedy Jane.
I am so sorry about Remedy’s experience with the Mastiff behind you. I’m glad you don’t lump all mastiffs in the mean category, but they are serious dogs for serious people. Not all mastiffs are friendly and if they aren’t, it’s near impossible to stop them if they are determined to attack. I tend to agree with you about dog’s memory. I think the impact a traumatic event has on them largely depends on the period of development they are in. For example, during a fear period, a traumatic event can have an irreversible effect on a puppy. That said, dogs are tremendous at making a habit out of one event. Like when I hand feed Sulley once and he starts to expect it at every meal.
Hi Stephanie,
I’ve read your blog before. I admire the way you educate dog owners about big dog breeds. I love all dog breeds, but am very wary of strange large breed dogs because I don’t know how well that dog was trained and how educated his owner is on the breed. I’ve often thought it would be so nice if everyone had to take a course on dog training, socialization and learn about the specific characteristics of their particular breed before they could adopt. I know that’s unrealistic, but I think it would solve a lot of problems including cutting the number of dogs in shelters significantly. 🙂
I am not an expert on big dogs, so I hope I didn’t make any statements that were incorrect about them. As far as the post goes I did the research for it on well known and respected websites such as PetMd and some veterinarian journals. I stand by my statements. But, I respect your opinion. Thank you very much for your comment! ~ Linda, Mom to Chico, Pebbles, and Remedy Jane
I think dogs have pretty good memories. When I was a kid our large dog attacked our Yorkie while watching a Nature show about wolves. Prior to that, they always got along well, but we think the howling got them upset with each other. While the Yorkie survived, they both had a grudge against the other one. (And we kept them separate for the next 6 years.)
I read some ridiculous studies knocking dogs’ memory. Dogs remember everything. Forever. At least things of interest to them. I can vouch for that.
Very interesting topic and you definitely shared some great points! I agree that dogs remember. My Henry is the same with his bones and his toys. He remembers exactly where he left them. He also remembers sniffing a half eaten piece of food someone littered on the ground. We might have stopped him from grabbing it on the way but he does not forget (sometimes we do), and he will try to lunge for it on the return route of a long walk!
I’m happy to hear Remy has made a full recovery. She is absolutely adorable.
I do believe that dogs have excellent memories and sadly also suffer from traumatic experiences as well. My lab has a lot of anxiety issues, which stem from being adopted and returned by several families before coming to live with me. She has trust issues, especially with males.
Hi Jane,
I glad that your fur baby finally found a fur-ever home. I actually wrote a post on that subject that mentions how traumatic it is to be passed from one situation to another. If you are interested in reading it, you can find it at, HERE
Remy says: “Thank you for the compliment, my mom thinks I’m adorable too and loves me to the moon and back. I guess that’s a long way?”
wow getting attacked by a big dog coudl be traumatic I am glad she survived. A lot to learn on dog behavior and resilience. And I do agree with you dogs do remember good and bad. My dog Bella was attacked by a pitbull and I know she remembers because since then she is afraid of bigger dogs,
Hi Adriana,
Then you know how terrifying it can be! Both for the human and the dog. It’s certainly not anything I’m going to forget. I’m very glad your Bella survived the attack. I hope with no injuries, at least minimal ones. Thanks for sharing!
Awww am so sorry to hear what happened and yes I do believe that dogs remember. I remember how my ex used to hit Baby with a rolled up newspaper (It was an abusive relationship) and for years after we ran when she saw newspapers she would become petrified.
Hi Ruth,
Yes, I read your post! I didn’t know that your ex abused baby also! I’m very glad you both got away from that situation and that you and Baby could comfort each other and at least had some peaceful time together before you lost her. Thank you again for sharing that post and for your bravery in sharing it with others!
I was in an abusive situation as a child and although it’s been a very long time since then, it is something that never goes away for us humans either. It will be there for the rest of our lives, but the bad memories fade a little each day.
We cats have long memories, too. When Andy first arrived on the scene, it was the middle of winter and super cold. Peep #1 saw him, but couldn’t get anywhere near him. The best she could do was make sure there was always food left out, and some kinda shelter. At first, ’cause he was SO SCARED, she thought he was feral. Well eight or nine months later, she FINALLY gained his trust enough to get him inside. He clearly had not been feral. But can you imagine the memories of bein’ treated badly by humans that he must have had, to not be willin’ to come inside durin’ a cold Canadian winter? purrs
Oh, poor Andy! I’m very glad he came to Peep #’s house where he finally felt safe enough to come in out of the cold! Thanks for sharing!
Wow – how terrifying for you and for Remedy. I think animals do remember to some extent. I know my Jeremy has the cat version of PTSD from living on the streets. It took him 6 months before he realized he didn’t have to try to whack us if we moved around the house and cringe when we went to pet him. Been years but now he begs for pets.
Hi Holly,
It was terrifying for Remedy and for me! I’m glad Jeremy has gotten over is PTSD. Thanks for your comment!
I’m sure they do remember, perhaps more (and for longer) than many people think. For how long though, now that’s tougher to discover the truth. But to your point about your dog associating big dogs with the attack but not remembering the actual attack — if Remedy makes the association, then wouldn’t that be a memory (of sorts) of the attack?
Hi Julia,
I see your point. I guess you could say that. 🙂
I think it was your post that I read about Saint Spot and Bravo. It got me to thinking about Remedy’s experience and am wondering if the Mastiff behind us was simply playing with Remedy. We couldn’t see over the fence and only heard the attack. Thankfully she wasn’t badly hurt. She had basically puncture wounds (one was very close to her heart which would have been fatal) and spent the night in the hospital. But thankfully not seriously hurt. Hmmmm, it makes me wonder. Except for this incident, I’ve only known sweet, gentle Mastiffs. Thank you for the comment and I really enjoyed your post.
Love the post!! I absolutey believe dogs remember things, and in my experience they can suffer from a form of PTSD. My husband and I adopted a puppy mill rescue, and she was so traumatised by the abuse she was terrified of everyone and everything. Heartbreaking! One of my dogs that I have now, Jack, was quite obviously abused by a former owner, and although he’s much better now than when we first adopted him, the residue of that abuse still lingers.
I’m so sorry about your dogs being abused! It’s so sad. I just don’t understand what is wrong with people that think it’s okay to abuse these innocent little creatures that can’t defend themselves and want only to give love. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the post. I also wrote one along the same lines that you might enjoy reading. “5 Signs That Your Rescued Dog Was Abused”. Thank you for your comment!
I believe dogs remember! They remember what makes them happy by showing excitement, so why would they not remember events that scared or hurt them? I take my dog to visit her “Nana” and the moment my dog gets out of the car by her building she gets so excited because she knows where we are and who we are going to visit. When we walk off the elevator, I never have to guide my dog to what door her Nana lives in, because she goes right to it.
Of course, your dog loves her Nana, so she remembers the very pleasant experience and is excited to see her! That’s so sweet. Thanks for the comment!
Catsa re the same, they remember plenty. Coryelle Kramer pet communicator told me a lot about our Harvey’s traumatic past so I can relate to your little pup’s drama and history. Pets remember a lot more than we expect, maybe its just that they think differently to us, and we haven’t figured out how much differently et.
I think I met Coryelle, if she was at BlogPaws last year, I did. Thank you for the comment.