[Dailydrool] Dogs and Memories

[AnitaW]

I've had several rescued dogs in the past that have been abused, one
unbelievably severely.  Dogs definitely do remember things, but they don't
think about and dwell on the memories like people tend to do.  Something
triggers a bad memory and they cower or run away or react - but once the
trigger is removed, they let the memory go.  So they do live in the here and
now, but they also definitely do remember both good and bad things from
their past.  Once again showing that in some ways they're a whole lot
smarter than we are.

 

Anita Woodrum

a.woodrum at sbcglobal.net

  _____  

From: dailydrool-bounces at dailydrool.org
[mailto:dailydrool-bounces at dailydrool.org] On Behalf Of Maura DeYong
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 4:49 PM
To: Dailydrool at dailydrool.org
Subject: [Dailydrool] Dogs and Memories

 


Don't believe for a second that dogs just "live in the moment". That is
totally not true. My bloodhound, who is almost 6, has memories or
"reactions" to his past life before we adopted him at 3.5 years old.  He
does not like middle aged women with white or gray hair. Women that are
elderly with white or gray hair are ok. Is that a memory of someone who
wasn't nice to him? A previous owner? He didn't like bicycles, but we have
gotten him past that. He is also dog aggressive but it seems like there are
certain dogs that make him react more than others. He doesn't like little
dogs, esp. white fuzzy ones. He doesn't like labs or pit bulls. He loves my
beagle and never had a problem with her or with bassets in general either.
He will also run away if I raise my hand above him or if there is a loud
noise around him. I think all of that behavior comes from memories of what
he had to live with in the past. One other example that I can give you is
this: in our neighborhood, there is a pointer that runs and charges up to
her electric fence when you walk by. Well, my bloodhound hates that because
he thinks she is going to attack him. He will charge and bark back. Anyway,
I haven't walked him down that street for about a year, and we went out late
the other night for a walk. As we turned the corner to go past that house,
he was looking for the pointer. His ears were up and his body was rigid and
he was waiting for her to charge. After a year, in the dark, he knew exactly
what house and what street had that pointer on it and he was looking for
her. Dogs do remember, probably more than we give them credit for. 

 

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