The Aussie - Summer 2020 final

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While a dog’s memory may not work the same as ours, bothscien<fic and anecdotal evidence indicates that they canremember their previous owners. Why is this? We need tobegin by explaining how a dog’s memory works.Evolved memoriesHumans have what is known as "episodic memory," which is<ed to our sense of <me, including ar<ficial measures of<me like minutes, hours, and years. We link events to otherevents and look back on things and say, "I remember ea<ngat that restaurant. It was a few months aber I was married."Dogs do not relate <me to memories, they have what isknown as associa<ve memory. They s<ll remember things,but in a much different manner than we do. Dogs rememberthat when they go on walks, their owner grabs a collar andlead and puts on coats and maybe specific shoes. The resultis when they see their owner looks like this is what is goingto happen, they get excited because they think they will goon a walk.They remember not just good things, but those which theyregard as less fun. Like the chairs at the Vet when they areaware the next place they go is the table where they havethings done which they have not enjoyed. Their memorybrings about their fear response.Dogs have evolved using these memories to survive. If asitua<on puts the dog in danger, the dog needs to rememberthat situa<on so it can be avoided it in the future. Similarly,the dog needs to remember people who may be a source offood and a safe place to live as well as people who mistreatthem. In other words, they have evolved to be aware ofbenefits and remember where they are treated well or not.Dogs seem to remember specific thingsThe ques<on was, do they remember us, or it is just ourimagina<on? Animal behaviourists and specialists in rehomingcentres will quickly pick up the fact that dogs abused by pastowners oben show fearful or aggressive reac<ons towardspeople with similar characteris<cs. For example, men withbeards or women with long ponytails. From this we canestablish that dogs can remember specific things about theirprevious owners, at least to some extent.For more posi<ve anecdotal evidence that dogs canremember past owners. There are many tales of soldiersreturning home, where their dogs have been leb in the careof a friend, or family member for years, yet the dog runs totheir previous owner, immediately recognising them.Anecdotes are great, but is there any proof?Some research has taken place in the USA, wherethey studied dog memories and has documented twodifferent <mes where a dog was reunited with a formerowner aber being rehomed. From the controlled results, itwas clear the dogs both remembered their former owners.Interes<ngly, the dogs happily returned to their new familyat the end of the visit.Is it good for dogs see previous owners?Whether dogs should see previous owners is a complicatedques<on. The research men<oned did quan<fy a fewexamples of <mes that dogs saw their previous owners and itresulted in posi<ve experiences, but from an animalbehaviourist point of view it may not be a good thing.Much depends on the rela<onship the dog had with theprevious owner. If it was not a good one, then it may set backa dog’s retraining. However, they cited many instances ofdogs seeing their past owners and then gladly returning homewith their new families. If the dog and his past owner had apar<cularly close connec<on, or if the new owner does notsa<sfy certain needs of the dog, it is possible the dog willwant to live with his former owner again. If this is not apossibility, exposing the dog to his former owner could bemore stressful than helpful, leaving the dog to feelabandoned by the person he loves the most.How long can a dog remember a person?How long a dog remembers a person usually depends on howthe dog was treated by its previous owner or owners. As wehave men<oned, dogs use their memory as a survival andsafety tool. They do not forget dangerous situa<ons andpeople, so they can avoid the situa<ons in future. If you havea rescued dog with an abusive past, he clearly won't miss hisprevious owners but he will make sure to remember them asa means of survival. On the bright side, a dog will alsoremember owners and friends that were kind andtrustworthy. These memories teach the dog what types ofpeople to gravitate towards in the future (although memoryaside, a dog will learn preUy ins<nc<vely whom to trust).If a dog is coming from a dangerous past, he can remember aprevious harmful owner for a long <me, some<mes evenyears. This is merely a tool he uses to keep himself safe but anew and loving environment is his best tool for forgeMng apainful past. A healthy environment will teach him what aloving rela<onship between human and pup should look andfeel like.Do dog’s really miss people?The simple answer seems to be YES. When a dog missessomeone, you will see small clues. For example, if the dog’sspecial member of the family goes away on a trip, you mayno<ce your dog sniffing their clothes, or chewing on theirshoes. They will examine a loved one's belongings andwondering, "Where did they go?" They can be anxiouslooking out of windows, looking at cars driving past.Leaving your dog alone for a short period of <me is muchdifferent than leaving forever. Under the unfortunatecircumstances of an owner dying, a dog may have changes intheir behaviour. Things like, becoming listless or disinterestedin things that were once favourite pas<mes. They maybecome less social, and appear to be wai<ng for their humanto return.
What to do when a dog misses their ownerIf the dog is mourning a deceased owner, you want to show comfort without reinforcing an unwanted behaviour. It is temp<ngto give a grieving dog lots of aUen<on when he is moping or crying, but you don't want to teach the dog that this behaviourwill be constantly rewarded. Mourning is natural aber any loss, but if the symptoms persist for weeks, consult with aveterinarian as soon as possible, especially if the dog isn't ea<ng. With the vet's help, you can come up with a plan to get agrieving dog back to his normal disposi<on and behaviour. And remember, it’s not just mourning people, some dogs sufferwhen another household pet dies or leaves.Will my dog miss me when they move to a new home?As a caring owner, some<mes you realise your home may not be the best place for your dog. Breeders can find homes foryoung dogs that don’t quite make it in the show ring, or those who re<re from showing aber a successful career. You'veaccumulated many great memories made sure your dog has always felt loved and secure. Your dog will most likely miss you fora bit if they move on. Good owners are hard to forget! But, if you're sending your dog to a new, equally loving home, then theircare and aUen<on will mean the dogs becomes happy and comfortable in the new home. If you ever come across your dogyears later, a change in your appearance may make it difficult for them to remember you, or your scent will have him leapingand licking you like not a day has passed. Either way, most know that their new home is great and mee<ng up with you is justan added bonus for their day.
Page 1 and 2: TheSummer 2020AussieEditionIn the D
Page 3 and 4: SCATC CHAT withChris FoskettThe Aus
Page 5 and 6: Barney and Pixie chose to celebrate
Page 7 and 8: Sue Nuohuqloc headed back to France
Page 9 and 10: Prince was probably more “stylish
Page 11 and 12: When I started to exhibit in 1927 I
Page 13 and 14: You only have to search the interne
Page 15 and 16: Canine BiathlonNever heard of it yo
Page 17 and 18: ¥ More likely to hit the quick. If
Page 19 and 20: (in a direc<on free of roads or oth
Page 21 and 22: Going for the High JumpThe ‘long
Page 23 and 24: The other skillset needed is the
Page 25 and 26: Up in the AirAs explained earlier,
Page 27 and 28: Scottish ElementIt is claimed that
Page 29 and 30: There seemed to be a lot of dogs be
Page 31 and 32: When your dog does something like r
Page 33 and 34: By comparison to many breeds, Austr
Page 35 and 36: Why is muscle pain so important to
Page 37: MemoriesHave a think - how does you
Page 41 and 42: Final WordThe Aussie Toilet Roll ch

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