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The doghouse

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Original poster

If you’re not your dogs first owner do you ever wonder if they miss their original owner?

20 replies

DannyOD · 08/01/2018 18:24

Silly question really but it is something that crosses my mind from time to time. My dog is from a rescue centre but that is not to say she was mistreated before. Apparently her previous owner had a change in circumstances which meant he was no longer able to keep her.

I often wonder if she remembers/misses her previous owner and worry when leaving her for significant periods (holidays etc) with others that she will think she’s been passed on again. Is it just me?

OP posts:

OhWotIsItThisTime · 08/01/2018 19:43

I’m a second owner. I know my dog didn’t get proper walks, wasn’t socialised and was very thin. They weren’t cruel to him, but he has a happier life with me.

He’s now trained, loves meeting doggoes and gets lots of walks.

SauvignonBlanche · 08/01/2018 19:47

My 9 year old rescue was so beautifully well-trained and confident that he must have been well looked after, i often wondered how he came to be a stray.

I couldn't change what had happened in the past just made sure his years with us were happy and secure.

Figrollsnotfatrolls · 08/01/2018 19:50

Our 'new' ddog belonged to my now ex son in law. He wasn't the best owner but I know for sure ddog misses him. When we have done something new with her - singing /dancing with her (!) I asked dd if he had done it with her - he had, ddog was so hyper and happy!!
Same goes for shouting(normal dc noise!!) though, she cowers and hides. Mixed emotions it seems.

EvangelineM · 08/01/2018 19:53

My rescue boy is now 12, I've had him two years. His previous owners had him from a pup until the rescue, I just can't understand how they could have a dog for ten years and rehome. Apparently his dog hair was causing the gentleman owner breathing problems.

My old boy moved into a busy noisy house with 4 dc and my DH and I. He is very contented though and happy, I can tell by his funny five minutes 😂

I don't think he remembers his previous owners. I do remember being very drunk last year and having a long conversation at him about how he mustn't feel rejected etc... come to think of it, that was when I decided to give up the drink

ny20005 · 08/01/2018 20:26

They must remember. I watched an episode of Yorkshire vet & a stray was found who was elderly & quite neglected. Nurse found it was chopped & tracked down a phone number. The owner said it had been taken / gone missing around 5 years (I think) before

The dog recognised the owners & went nuts when it saw them.

Our dog was rehomed as previous owners health changed & couldn't walk & groom him . He's happy here but I'm sure he must miss his precious family

GinGeum · 08/01/2018 20:29

I wonder this all the time! But more in the sense of hoping she doesn’t remember that Home before. I know she does, but I too worry about leaving her with anyone else incase she thinks they are the next owner.

ShiftyMcGifty · 08/01/2018 20:29

That’s recognising a smell. Not quite the same.

rightsaidfrederickII · 08/01/2018 20:29

PestDog has never managed to hang onto the same set of owners for more than a few months, so I doubt he misses any of the previous ones too much (none of it his fault). He is however overjoyed to see my DF who periodically visits / dog sits.

One relative had to rehome her much loved dog after a change in circumstances. She went to see him quite some time later (couple of years?) in his new home and he recognised her and was overjoyed to see her.

GinGeum · 08/01/2018 20:31

In fact, she actually had a different name which got changed at the foster home. One day I tried calling the old name, I don’t really know why, to test her memory I guess, and she looked at me with such surprise/fear in her eyes

niknac1 · 08/01/2018 20:37

I was involved in helping a revue organisation and the dogs I was involved with didn’t miss their owners.?We fostered a dog who didn’t miss his old owners and then moved to their new home and they went fine. As long as their needs are met they seem resilient and happy to accept the move. But that’s not to say some dogs aren’t different but those I saw adapted very quickly and that was good for them. Only one dog didn’t want to get out of our car but with regular frequent walks they attention is diverted and they settled. It was good to see they didn’t pine and settled quickly.

Bitsandbobsalot · 08/01/2018 21:07

My little man was 3 when we got him. It was love at first sight. He adores me before he lost a eye and went blind he’d sit and just look at me for hours like I was the most beautiful thing in the world. I don’t think he was abused but I don’t think he was loved either. I think he knows I rescued him and because of that I’m now his favourite person ever even over my dh and dc who are probably much more fun than me. I don’t believe he misses his first owner he doesn’t respond to his old name anymore.

tabulahrasa · 08/01/2018 21:21

I privately rehomed a dog about... ooh, 30 years ago, pre-internet anyway, just an ad in a shop.

I lived at the time in a very small town, so occasionally we'd bump into his previous owner, he'd been very well loved, but, she was recently a single parent of 3 and had started working full time and the dog was just too much.

He always spotted her, recognised her and was totally delighted to see her, but would then walk off with me quite happily.

So yes, he obviously never forgot her, but he wasn't pining for her or anything.

nmg85 · 10/01/2018 22:50

They remember yes. Our rescue cowers if you raise your hand as he was hit before. Eg you go to grab something behind him and he is petrified. He had grown in confidence though and it's obvious he adores us (as can't go anywhere or do anything without a shadow).

parklives · 11/01/2018 12:57

I 100% think that dogs miss/remember their previous owners. Dog live in the present, so as long as you are loving/feeding/nurturing them they are usually happy. Equally if you disappeared and someone else did the same for them, they would love them too.
However, if you re-appeared, they would recognise you and remember you. If there was a bond there previously they would miss you, dogs can love lots of people at once.

GameOldBirdz · 11/01/2018 13:04

My dog doesn't remember her previous life.

She was kept in a cage in a cold and filthy barn and used for breeding by a Kennel Club registered, very legitimate-looking breeder.

She was, frankly, petrified of everything.

Now she's completely confident and actually a bit of a bloody nightmare.

She loves walks (used to be terrified of everything on walks), she loves people (used to cower when people came within two feet of her), she loves other dogs (never had a huge problem but wasn't keen), she loves playing with toys (had no idea what to do with toys), she sleeps like a log (used to never really used to properly sleep and would jump up at the slightest noise), she isn't afraid to ask for what she wants (used to just sit in the corner of a room and wait for stuff to happen).

Doctordonowt · 11/01/2018 13:33

I have had my dog for. 2 weeks. Previously she lived with a family with children Due to tragic circumstances she had to be place for adoption. I wonder if she misses the children as we are an adult only home.

Swissgemma · 11/01/2018 13:38

I had my ddog from puppy but after 2yrs my doggy Sitter stopped dog sitting so we took ddog to the breeder (where ddog spent his first 10 weeks) he went nuts greeted the breeder like a long lost friend! He is so happy there that 18 months on we only use the breeder as Sutter!

MonChoufleur123 · 11/01/2018 15:17

Two months ago we were in a pub having lunch with the dog asleep under the table at our feet. A big, powerfully built man in his 20s with a high vis jacket on walked past the table to leave. Our dog shot out from under the table, barked at him and then ran back under cowering with his tail between his legs and stayed like that for the next half an hour. He always barks at older Discovery model landrovers (very specific!) and is scared of men with walking sticks... so I think he must remember elements of one or more of his previous owners but sadly not for happy reasons :-(

lovemylover · 11/01/2018 15:30

Rehomed my little dog 2 years ago, from a couple who had a 7 month old baby, i think they were worried at the baby grabbing at the dog, anyway they brought her to me,and when they left she sat and cried for about half an hour, the husband even cried when they left her, so must have been his dog i think
After a few days she seemed to settle ,and slept on my bed,
I dont know if she would remember them, but she seems to like men, so i think it was the wife who wanted her gone,
I asked if i could give her a weeks tril as i also had 5 cats,before the week was out i said i would keep her
She hated other dogs though and barked all the time at them when out, but she has stopped that now,she also pulled a lot on her lead,but not now, otherwise i think she was well looked after, but they got her as a stray, covered in fleas and with kennel cough at about 6 months old
I love her to bits,

sunflowersandroses · 11/01/2018 20:39

I know our rescue is much happier with us. She was a rescue because the Dad of her previous family was allergic to her and also didn't like her. Get the impression she could sense he disliked her and that perhaps he used to shout at her because she is very afraid of men but is getting much better after a couple of years with us. That being said, if she saw her previous owners I'm sure she would still recognise them.

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