Do Dogs Think You Are Leaving Forever? Understanding Canine Separation Anxiety

What did the research reveal? It turns out that dogs possess a remarkable ability to gauge the duration of our absence. A study conducted on canine behavior observed significant distinctions in how dogs react when their owners have been away for varying lengths of time. For instance, when an owner had been absent for just 30 minutes, dogs displayed relatively subdued behavior. However, after an absence of two hours, dogs exhibited more enthusiastic behaviors such as increased tail wagging and more frequent face licking. This study sheds light on dogs’ capacity to perceive and respond to the duration of our absence, highlighting their remarkable sensitivity to time-related cues (November 8, 2019).

“Do dogs believe you’ll never return when you leave them alone? The answer varies from one dog to another, but it’s a common concern, especially among rescue dogs who often experience separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety tend to worry that their owners won’t return when they leave. This anxiety can be more prevalent among rescue dogs due to their past experiences, as many of them have been abandoned or left behind by previous owners who never returned.”

Many dogs that have been adopted or rescued have endured years of abuse before finding a new home. This raises the question: can dogs remember their previous owners even after a long separation? According to research, dogs can indeed remember people throughout their entire lives. This means that even after five years or more, your dog is likely to remember you. A study conducted on this topic in 2021 confirmed this fascinating ability of dogs to retain memories of their human companions over extended periods.