Is our dog going to forget us?
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Anonymous
| We are leaving our sweet boy for the very first time while we are away on a 10-day vacation, and I’m really struggling with guilt. He will be boarded at a place he’s visited and enjoyed in the past during daycare trials, so I know he is in good hands, but I can’t stop worrying that he will hold a grudge or worse, forget us completely. I also realize this is irrational! Please give it to me straight! |
Anonymous
| it's a dog |
Anonymous
| He will be so excited when he sees you again. |
Anonymous
| He’s not going to forget you in ten days. He will miss you, but it will be forgotten quickly once you’re back. |
Anonymous
| Dogs don’t hold grudges. You are thinking of cats. |
Anonymous
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You know so little about dogs, despite committing to caring for one for life, that you're asking this question???
Sigh. He'll be delighted to see you when you come back, even if he has fun while you're away. Now maybe brush up on dogs' needs and behaviors. |
Anonymous
You’re so sanctimonious, it’s gross. |
Anonymous
Would you say this to new parents who are learning as they go? Troll. Get a life. |
Anonymous
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He will absolutely not forget you. He will be beyond delighted to see you again. If it makes you feel better, send a t-shirt you’ve worn with him, so he has your scent where he sleeps.
Enjoy your trip! He’s getting a vacation too, and that’s good for his brain. 
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Anonymous
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My sister would be gone for a year when she was at college and our dog would lose her mind with happiness when she saw her.
My cats will tell me off when I've been gone. Lots of meowing. |
Anonymous
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Read all those stories of dogs who waited at the train station for years, because that's where they last saw their human when he shipped off to war. When the human didn't come home, some stayed at the train station for the rest of their lives, just waiting, hoping.
Your dog won't forget you. A dog's superpower is its ability to form an emotional bond. |
Anonymous
PP you replied to. I stand by what I said. Parents and pet owners should all educate themselves before becoming parents or pet owners. I'm an animal biologist, I care deeply about doing the research before committing oneself to lifelong caregiving of a dependent. I've fostered dogs for years, and placed many puppies for adoption. Some people think nothing of treating a puppy like a random accessory. I always give preference to families who have done their due diligence. |
Anonymous
| My dog remembers every person who has ever stopped to pet her on the street. Your dog will not forget you on a 10 day vacation, I promise. |
Anonymous
| I left my two pugs for 3-4 days last year and one of them absolutely held a grudge. She wanted nothing to do with me for about 3 hours, and she’s normally the clingier of the two. That said, dogs don’t really have a concept of time the way we do, so he’ll miss you but won’t necessarily know if you’ve been gone a day, a week or a month. I think it’s a good idea for him to spend several days at this boarding place (assuming it’s also a doggy daycare) leading up to the trip so it’s not a completely foreign place and he has a foundation of happy memories. |
Anonymous
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No, he will not. There are stories of dogs that walk many miles to get back home.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbie_the_Wonder_Dog |