JohnF Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 I noticed Peggy the other day in the park start walking quite determinedly towards a tall young man who was walking away from us with a little black dog on a lead. She just couldn't take her eyes off him and walked about 100 yards to catch up. When she was only about ten yards away she slowed down and stopped then slowly came back to me. I had never seen that person before nor the dog, and I'm wondering if he might have figured in her earlier life as a track dog. She was born in Ireland (hundreds of miles away) but raced at our nearest track which was about 120 miles from here. I wonder what the chances are of it being someone that trained her? Another time with my previous dog Angel, she went across to look at a family who had pulled up in an old car, again quite determined to do so with a steady pace. Has anyone else seen this kind of 'deja vu' in their houndies? I wonder what emotions they might be feeling too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roo Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Our Dusty was always friendly to everyone, but she had a particular soft spot for past-middle-aged men with beards and hats and would get so excited and drag us over to see them. I would love to know if her trainer was a past-middle-aged man with a beard and hat! Quote Mom of bridge babies Regis and Dusty. Wrote a book about shelter dogs! I sell things on Etsy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 Our Dusty was always friendly to everyone, but she had a particular soft spot for past-middle-aged men with beards and hats and would get so excited and drag us over to see them. I would love to know if her trainer was a past-middle-aged man with a beard and hat! Yes it would be great to know, but obviously not to irritate the person or break any post-adoption codes. It's just that Peggy was so intent that she must have associated something pretty powerful that she didn't come back to me when called for a treat as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 she had a particular soft spot for past-middle-aged men with beards and hats and would get so excited Same for dear Eve -- very consistent attraction With Romie, someone took him running one time at the park. One time. About a year later, in another location, Romie's head went periscope-up -- he recognized the guy from about 1/4 mile away. Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleptogrey Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 (edited) at a recent antique show Felix spotted a woman with the same stature and limp as one of my friends who he adores. From a distance he started yodeling and baying totally excited to greet this person. Yes,they recognize images,gestures and bodytyoes. Fortunately this person was totally flattered to have such a regal salutation. Also he sees his foster mom occasionally(every couple of years) and leaps into her arms and always gives her a fat lip! Edited June 7, 2017 by cleptogrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Yes. Hermon, at least, adores all men. Every man he meets. Especially ones with trucks, and tradies. I now meet every single man in a radius of about 3 km of our house because of Hermon. And children. Completely and utterly. Women are ok, but men are the best. The only exception is a tiny older Chinese lady with no English. Whenever Hermon sees her he trots over then leans against her, looking up adoringly. The are literally nose to nose when he does that, but they definitely have a connection. So I believe they remember and recognise people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobesmom Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 Not sure - but I got nearly toppled over by a grey at a function my rescue group held a few years ago. A very confused woman was at the end of the leash- she got dragged- apologizing profusely. I squatted down and got grey kisses galore. I recognize the dog immediately. It was a foster of mine from 2 years prior. When he saw me he dragged his poor mom to get to me. When I explained she understood. We'd never met in person. We had someone else transport. We had a lovely conversation, and the grey bounced back and forth between the two of us as we stood talking, tail wagging off his butt! Attention to her, attention to me, back and forth. It was really cool. Yes. They remember people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted June 20, 2017 Author Share Posted June 20, 2017 That sounds like it was a happy re-union Sobesmom! I know that most of us are urged to try to erase thoughts of their earlier lives with regard to rescues and adoptions, but what's quite remarkable is that the dogs see it as entirely normal... like someone coming back from years of deployment. I suppose anything to do with these powerful emotions could be difficult for the human to handle, and maybe not even permisable if bad things happened before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket57 Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 Our first grey (Mulligan) goes CRAZY when she sees her foster mom at a meet & greet. I concur - they remember. Cricket Quote Cricket, mom to Mulligan (Kycera) and Xena (Kebo Tina Turner ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 Yep. Gilly goes nuts when he sees his foster Mom. But he doesn't recognize her at a distance. It is when he gets close enough to identify her scent-that is how he remembers. However I do think some dogs are more visual than others. It sounds to me like Peggy thought she saw someone she fondly remembered but when she got close enough to scent him realized it wasn't him and came back to you. They also remember each other. When Bobbers mom retired from the farm and I brought her home they immediately knew who each other was. Bobber adored her Mom-Momma Seabird; they were always together; Bobber would do little random acts of kindness to her Mom; and when her Mom crossed over at nearly 15 Bobber, only 9, followed shortly behind-just prior to Mother's Day....because she wanted to spend Mothers Day with her Mom no doubt. Sadly it was no surprise it turned out this way as they so loved each other. But even though Bobber had been separated from her for years racing and finding her own forever home she INSTANTLY recognized her Mom when I brought her home too. And Momma Seabird recognized all her babies-I fostered several of them. They never forget IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobesmom Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 That sounds like it was a happy re-union Sobesmom! I know that most of us are urged to try to erase thoughts of their earlier lives with regard to rescues and adoptions, but what's quite remarkable is that the dogs see it as entirely normal... like someone coming back from years of deployment. I suppose anything to do with these powerful emotions could be difficult for the human to handle, and maybe not even permisable if bad things happened before? It WAS a happy reunion. I was VERY happy that my foster was obviously doing well. And of course, it was personally gratifying that I was remembered. Greys are amazingly adaptable. I've seen many change fosters and owners and just roll with it. I often joked that my Diana would go off and live with anyone that was nice to her in a heartbeat. It was true. Now, my Sobe was a different story. He was a PITA grey, with a LOT of issues. He was a one-woman dog, and I was the fool woman that fell in love with him, and he with me. But most, can adapt very quickly. That's why adoption works. I personally don't think that you should block out their past. But - I also don't think that it's going to color their future. They remember things, yes, but they don't remember them in the same way a human would. Greys live in the moment. Our first grey (Mulligan) goes CRAZY when she sees her foster mom at a meet & greet. I concur - they remember. Cricket Yeah! You had a good foster mom. We matter, we know it, but we very seldom get to see it. We work SO HARD and almost never get to see the end result when they're living happily with a loving family. I'm sure Mulligan's foster mom got that fabulous sense of pride when he loves on her. It's SO rare that we (as foster moms) get to get that feedback. We get them ready - we send them out - we sometimes get updates, not always. But to actually MEET a foster again - is rare. And truly wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTRAWLD Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 When you say remember by scent, this video came to my memory. The man was hospitalized for an illness (long term I take it) and looked nothing like he used to, but one quick sniff was all it took. Quote Proudly owned by:10 year old "Ryder" CR Redman Gotcha May 201012.5 year old Angel "Kasey" Goodbye Kasey Gotcha July 2005-Aug 1, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket57 Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Yeah! You had a good foster mom. We matter, we know it, but we very seldom get to see it. We work SO HARD and almost never get to see the end result when they're living happily with a loving family. I'm sure Mulligan's foster mom got that fabulous sense of pride when he loves on her. It's SO rare that we (as foster moms) get to get that feedback. We get them ready - we send them out - we sometimes get updates, not always. But to actually MEET a foster again - is rare. And truly wonderful. Yes, we did have a good foster mom. So much so, that we asked for her to foster our second grey (Xena recognizes her, too - but doesn't go crazy like Mulligan does). And lucky for us - and them - she does in-home dogsitting! Thank you sobesmom (and all the foster mom & dads out there), for fostering. Your hard work is appreciated! Cricket Quote Cricket, mom to Mulligan (Kycera) and Xena (Kebo Tina Turner ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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