Dogs and memory

[LoveMyJake]

Okay, I have a question for you all. A friend of ours was arguing with me today that dogs don't have memories. I told him that I don't think they have a memory like a human, but they DO have memories.

How else do they know who we are when we come home?

How do they learn tricks and get potty trained?

How do they learn commands and words like "eat", "hungry", "outside", "potty", etc.?

How do they know where their food dishes are? If they didn't have a memory, wouldn't they have to search for their food or water dish everytime they ate or drank?

He says they do everything by instinct, and I know that a lot of what they do IS by instict, but they have to have some sort of memory, don't you think?

[Epsilon]

I have an interesting story about dogs and memory.

When I was a kid we had toy poodles. My mom had one that was "hers" and I had one that was "mine". We would leave them in the laundry room when we weren't home. Our laundry room door sucked though and if you didn't close it right, the dogs could open the door. If there was any food on the table, the dogs would get to it before we got home. My mom and I would argue about who's dog was the "instigator" haha. So we had an idea... we set up a video camera!! We set up the video camera and intentionally didn't close the laundry room door correctly. [side note: it is impossible for my family to leave without forgetting something, we often run back in the house after we've "left"]. So, we set up the camera and the whole family left (5 of us). We started the car, closed the doors, started to pull out, then went through the motions of "forgetting something". When my mom ran back in the house, the dogs still hadn't let themselves out of the laundry room. My mom came back to the car and we drove down the street. Then we PUSHED the car back so that the dogs couldn't hear the motor of the car approaching, lol. (We were kids so this was a lot of fun for us). Then we spied on the dogs through the windows to see who was being bad. Oh! and we had conveniently left some bread and milk on the table. After about 15-20 minutes of this fun, we walked into the house. The dogs were all excited like they normally were and acted like there was nothing wrong with them not being out of the laundry room. THEN we turned on the video! As soon as the dogs saw themselves on TV they FREAKED OUT!! They knew they were in trouble and they REMEMBERED doing it!! It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Interesting part of the video was that the dogs didn't let themselves out of the laundry room until you could hear that our car was gone. They REMEMBERED that we often would run back in because we forgot something and didn't want us to notice they were out and put them back in and properly close the door. Oh, and my mom's dog was the first one to get on the table

In conclusion, your friend is wrong. Dogs have great memories.

[Beabble]

Lol, that was a great story to the poster above me, I bet your Mom never accused your dog anymore of being the instigator. I to believe dogs have memories, I have a little story of my own. Our kids were younger, but the son I'll be talking about her was about 5 or 6 years old at the time. We had a boxer, springer spaniel mix, he was the first true heart dog I ever had, his name was Appollo. It was Christmas Eve and the kids have ALWAYS opened their gifts at 12:01, it's tradition around here, lol. Anyhow, the kids had opened their gifts and around 1:30, the hubby and I had them gather all their bedrooms. Hubby had to leave for work and it had been a long night, so, they gathered them and went upstairs. Bub yelled down and asked if they were allowed to play for a lil whole and I told him yes, for a little bit. Hubby left for work and I cleaned up the mess downstairs. Apollo always stayed downstairs as he wasn't allowed up in the kids room because our youngest son has asthma which was worse at night back then. We taught Appollo he was not allowed upstairs. We tried to keep the boys room as dander free and stuff as possible. Anyhow, I cleaned up the mess and then sat down on the couch to watch a lil TV before I went to bed. Appollo was pacing back and forth, back and forth at the bottom of the steps. He REMEMBERED he WAS NOT allowed up stairs. However, he started whining and it really got my attention. I was just getting ready to get up when all the sudden Appollo took off like a bolt of lightening up the steps! I KNEW something had to be wrong for him to do that. I took off up the steps in the dark and the first room I ran nto was the boys. I turned the light on and OMG, I was SO INSTANTLY SICK! There stood Appollo beside Bubs bead puling a PLASTIC BAG off of Bubs head. It was a bag that one of his new toys were in and he had put it on his head for some reason and then fell asleep with it on!! I was petrified to death that he was dead. I ran to his bed and as I got there, Appollo was dropping the plastic bag on the floor and pushing it under the bed with his nose. I grabbed my son up and start shaking him, THANK GOD he was alive, he was ok. I sat and hugged him and cried. I looked around the room and Appollo was gone. After I put Bub back to bed and took all the plastic out of his room, I went downstairs, there sat Appollo at the bottom of the steps, he KNEW, he REMEMBERED he wasn't allowed upstairs and he went back down after he had gotten the plastic bag off of Bubs face. And I know in my heart he was sitting at the bottom of those steps cause he REMEMBERED what happened upstairs to Bub and he was sitting there waiting for me to assure him that everything was ok. No one can EVER prove to me that a dog doesn't have memories. If they didn't, they couldn't be trained. If a dog doesn't have memories, why does Maggy May ALWAYS dig and try and lift my shirt up when I wear certain PJ bottoms that have strings around the waist so she can chew the string? She ONLY does this when I wear the two different pairs that have the strings arojnd the waist, she doesn't do it to the ones that don't have strings, she doesn't even try, and she can't SEE them cause I have a long shirt on over the waist part.

[*sophie's mama*]

Apollo is a hero! I'm so so glad that turned out to be happy story. I totally agree about their memories. Great story.

Originally Posted by Beabble

Lol, that was a great story to the poster above me, I bet your Mom never accused your dog anymore of being the instigator. I to believe dogs have memories, I have a little story of my own. Our kids were younger, but the son I'll be talking about her was about 5 or 6 years old at the time. We had a boxer, springer spaniel mix, he was the first true heart dog I ever had, his name was Appollo. It was Christmas Eve and the kids have ALWAYS opened their gifts at 12:01, it's tradition around here, lol. Anyhow, the kids had opened their gifts and around 1:30, the hubby and I had them gather all their bedrooms. Hubby had to leave for work and it had been a long night, so, they gathered them and went upstairs. Bub yelled down and asked if they were allowed to play for a lil whole and I told him yes, for a little bit. Hubby left for work and I cleaned up the mess downstairs. Apollo always stayed downstairs as he wasn't allowed up in the kids room because our youngest son has asthma which was worse at night back then. We taught Appollo he was not allowed upstairs. We tried to keep the boys room as dander free and stuff as possible. Anyhow, I cleaned up the mess and then sat down on the couch to watch a lil TV before I went to bed. Appollo was pacing back and forth, back and forth at the bottom of the steps. He REMEMBERED he WAS NOT allowed up stairs. However, he started whining and it really got my attention. I was just getting ready to get up when all the sudden Appollo took off like a bolt of lightening up the steps! I KNEW something had to be wrong for him to do that. I took off up the steps in the dark and the first room I ran nto was the boys. I turned the light on and OMG, I was SO INSTANTLY SICK! There stood Appollo beside Bubs bead puling a PLASTIC BAG off of Bubs head. It was a bag that one of his new toys were in and he had put it on his head for some reason and then fell asleep with it on!! I was petrified to death that he was dead. I ran to his bed and as I got there, Appollo was dropping the plastic bag on the floor and pushing it under the bed with his nose. I grabbed my son up and start shaking him, THANK GOD he was alive, he was ok. I sat and hugged him and cried. I looked around the room and Appollo was gone. After I put Bub back to bed and took all the plastic out of his room, I went downstairs, there sat Appollo at the bottom of the steps, he KNEW, he REMEMBERED he wasn't allowed upstairs and he went back down after he had gotten the plastic bag off of Bubs face. And I know in my heart he was sitting at the bottom of those steps cause he REMEMBERED what happened upstairs to Bub and he was sitting there waiting for me to assure him that everything was ok. No one can EVER prove to me that a dog doesn't have memories. If they didn't, they couldn't be trained. If a dog doesn't have memories, why does Maggy May ALWAYS dig and try and lift my shirt up when I wear certain PJ bottoms that have strings around the waist so she can chew the string? She ONLY does this when I wear the two different pairs that have the strings arojnd the waist, she doesn't do it to the ones that don't have strings, she doesn't even try, and she can't SEE them cause I have a long shirt on over the waist part.

[scoobiedooiscoo]

they have memories and are alot smarter then we give them credit for.

[SexyJessi257]

ok im sorry n i dont mean to be mean but ur friend has no idea wat he or she is talkin about. abby nooooooos that wen i put any shoes on im goin out n she will follow me around like a nut. another thing is that wen she sees the burberry bag (i use to put her in wen we go out) she goes insane. if shes in the kitchen n sees me take the back out of the cover she will runnnnnnn to me n start jumping on my leg. that's cuz she nos we goin to take her somewhere. n she stays still in the bag. another thing is that wen she sees that we r goin into a car she waits till i sit n then she tries to get out cuz she nos mommy's gonna let her look out the window. so please make sure ur friend reads this. another thing is that there is only one place in the house where abby poops, and every time she is in that spot i no i need to get paper cuz she has pooped.

[chachi]

Chachi and Jewels remember every day the sound of the ice cream truck that serves soft serve ice cream and they start barking and crying when they hear it because they know we are going to buy them an ice cream. There are several ice cream trucks all with different music that go down our street. They only start carrying on when they hear Mr Frosty. Dogs definitely have memory

[blueeyes_jd]

Originally Posted by Beabble

Lol, that was a great story to the poster above me, I bet your Mom never accused your dog anymore of being the instigator. I to believe dogs have memories, I have a little story of my own. Our kids were younger, but the son I'll be talking about her was about 5 or 6 years old at the time. We had a boxer, springer spaniel mix, he was the first true heart dog I ever had, his name was Appollo. It was Christmas Eve and the kids have ALWAYS opened their gifts at 12:01, it's tradition around here, lol. Anyhow, the kids had opened their gifts and around 1:30, the hubby and I had them gather all their bedrooms. Hubby had to leave for work and it had been a long night, so, they gathered them and went upstairs. Bub yelled down and asked if they were allowed to play for a lil whole and I told him yes, for a little bit. Hubby left for work and I cleaned up the mess downstairs. Apollo always stayed downstairs as he wasn't allowed up in the kids room because our youngest son has asthma which was worse at night back then. We taught Appollo he was not allowed upstairs. We tried to keep the boys room as dander free and stuff as possible. Anyhow, I cleaned up the mess and then sat down on the couch to watch a lil TV before I went to bed. Appollo was pacing back and forth, back and forth at the bottom of the steps. He REMEMBERED he WAS NOT allowed up stairs. However, he started whining and it really got my attention. I was just getting ready to get up when all the sudden Appollo took off like a bolt of lightening up the steps! I KNEW something had to be wrong for him to do that. I took off up the steps in the dark and the first room I ran nto was the boys. I turned the light on and OMG, I was SO INSTANTLY SICK! There stood Appollo beside Bubs bead puling a PLASTIC BAG off of Bubs head. It was a bag that one of his new toys were in and he had put it on his head for some reason and then fell asleep with it on!! I was petrified to death that he was dead. I ran to his bed and as I got there, Appollo was dropping the plastic bag on the floor and pushing it under the bed with his nose. I grabbed my son up and start shaking him, THANK GOD he was alive, he was ok. I sat and hugged him and cried. I looked around the room and Appollo was gone. After I put Bub back to bed and took all the plastic out of his room, I went downstairs, there sat Appollo at the bottom of the steps, he KNEW, he REMEMBERED he wasn't allowed upstairs and he went back down after he had gotten the plastic bag off of Bubs face. And I know in my heart he was sitting at the bottom of those steps cause he REMEMBERED what happened upstairs to Bub and he was sitting there waiting for me to assure him that everything was ok. No one can EVER prove to me that a dog doesn't have memories. If they didn't, they couldn't be trained. If a dog doesn't have memories, why does Maggy May ALWAYS dig and try and lift my shirt up when I wear certain PJ bottoms that have strings around the waist so she can chew the string? She ONLY does this when I wear the two different pairs that have the strings arojnd the waist, she doesn't do it to the ones that don't have strings, she doesn't even try, and she can't SEE them cause I have a long shirt on over the waist part.

GREAT STORY!!! Im sooooooooooo GLAD that Appollo was there to pull the bag off of bubs head! thanks for sharing!

[Yorkiedaze]

I watched a TV segment that spotlighted a family that lost a dog and it turned up years later. The dog was brought back home and he "knew" where everything was, and even went to the kitchen, sat in his favorite spot where he was always fed. They do have memories! Thank goodness too or we would all have to get re-acquainted with our dogs every time we left them and went on vacation.

[linz06]

Originally Posted by Beabble

Lol, that was a great story to the poster above me, I bet your Mom never accused your dog anymore of being the instigator. I to believe dogs have memories, I have a little story of my own. Our kids were younger, but the son I'll be talking about her was about 5 or 6 years old at the time. We had a boxer, springer spaniel mix, he was the first true heart dog I ever had, his name was Appollo. It was Christmas Eve and the kids have ALWAYS opened their gifts at 12:01, it's tradition around here, lol. Anyhow, the kids had opened their gifts and around 1:30, the hubby and I had them gather all their bedrooms. Hubby had to leave for work and it had been a long night, so, they gathered them and went upstairs. Bub yelled down and asked if they were allowed to play for a lil whole and I told him yes, for a little bit. Hubby left for work and I cleaned up the mess downstairs. Apollo always stayed downstairs as he wasn't allowed up in the kids room because our youngest son has asthma which was worse at night back then. We taught Appollo he was not allowed upstairs. We tried to keep the boys room as dander free and stuff as possible. Anyhow, I cleaned up the mess and then sat down on the couch to watch a lil TV before I went to bed. Appollo was pacing back and forth, back and forth at the bottom of the steps. He REMEMBERED he WAS NOT allowed up stairs. However, he started whining and it really got my attention. I was just getting ready to get up when all the sudden Appollo took off like a bolt of lightening up the steps! I KNEW something had to be wrong for him to do that. I took off up the steps in the dark and the first room I ran nto was the boys. I turned the light on and OMG, I was SO INSTANTLY SICK! There stood Appollo beside Bubs bead puling a PLASTIC BAG off of Bubs head. It was a bag that one of his new toys were in and he had put it on his head for some reason and then fell asleep with it on!! I was petrified to death that he was dead. I ran to his bed and as I got there, Appollo was dropping the plastic bag on the floor and pushing it under the bed with his nose. I grabbed my son up and start shaking him, THANK GOD he was alive, he was ok. I sat and hugged him and cried. I looked around the room and Appollo was gone. After I put Bub back to bed and took all the plastic out of his room, I went downstairs, there sat Appollo at the bottom of the steps, he KNEW, he REMEMBERED he wasn't allowed upstairs and he went back down after he had gotten the plastic bag off of Bubs face. And I know in my heart he was sitting at the bottom of those steps cause he REMEMBERED what happened upstairs to Bub and he was sitting there waiting for me to assure him that everything was ok. No one can EVER prove to me that a dog doesn't have memories. If they didn't, they couldn't be trained. If a dog doesn't have memories, why does Maggy May ALWAYS dig and try and lift my shirt up when I wear certain PJ bottoms that have strings around the waist so she can chew the string? She ONLY does this when I wear the two different pairs that have the strings arojnd the waist, she doesn't do it to the ones that don't have strings, she doesn't even try, and she can't SEE them cause I have a long shirt on over the waist part.

That story gave me goosebumps! I'm so glad it all turned out okay!

[journey826]

wow! I enjoyed reading every one of your stories.it touches my heart.
I am so glad Apollo saved Bud
but how did he know what Bud had did and needed help because he was not in distress?!
makes you think a little more about what talents they have that we haven't tapped into yet what about psychic abilities.

[Potter]

I agree with everyone, they certainly have memories and a good one! Even for small things like hiding a bone..Pao hides his bone marrows that I gave him to chew and he remembers the hiding place. If I say, "Where is your bone?" he will look like what your talking about Mommy I have no idea because he doesn't like anyone finding his bones but as soon as I go near the hiding place, you can see it clearly bothers him and he'd run straight to the bone. They have memories and they are veryy smart, they just can't talk.

[alisonJ]

I think your friend is mistaken. Dogs do have a memory. They do not have a sense of time as we know do. Maybe that is what your friend meant???

[Nancy1999]

Memory is defined as an organism's ability to store, retain, and subsequently retrieve information. My guess would be that in some cases dogs have an even better sense of "memory" than humans. The sense of smell is closely related to our "memory centers" in the brain. Have you ever smelled something and memories and feelings came flooding back to you? Since a dog's sense of smell is 1000 times greater than a human, I would imagine his memory is better too.

[Beabble]

Originally Posted by journey826

wow! I enjoyed reading every one of your stories.it touches my heart.
I am so glad Apollo saved Bud
but how did he know what Bud had did and needed help because he was not in distress?!
makes you think a little more about what talents they have that we haven't tapped into yet what about psychic abilities.

I have no idea how he knew but he did. To us it's a miracle, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that had Appollo not been with us, we wouldn't have Bub with us this day. Have you ever seen those TV shows where dogs know when their owners are going to have a seizure? It's really neat how they just know things.