Dogs and humans have been working together for years, each contributing to the relationship in their own way. Humans provide food, shelter, companionship, and care; dogs provide security, companionship, and love as well as a great hunting partner. The relationship between the two species has grown to the point that humans consider dogs to be a part of their family. Most dogs today spend more time inside the house than they do outside, which may be part of the reason that medium-sized dogs are preferred.
The question is do dogs feel as strongly about us as we do about them? It’s been established that a dog will consider their human caregivers to be a part of their pack, but how well do they actually recognize us? Could your dog pick you out of a picture? The answer is, well, maybe.
Researchers have been able to establish that no matter the type or size of the dog, from a teacup Poodle to an Irish wolfhound (and anything in between); they can usually pick out their familiar companion from a photograph. This is assuming that the picture is clearly the dogs’ daily companion and that the picture is not being blocked in any way. Add something to obscure the face just slightly and the dog may not recognize you at all.
From my own experience with a dog, I can tell you that they do not take to change very well. For years my hair was very light blonde in color; one day I decided to make a change and colored my hair from blonde to a dark auburn. When I came home from the hairdresser my beloved pooch stood and barked at me like he did not know who I was (hmm, maybe he just didn’t like the color). It was not until I knelt in front of him and he was able to get a good sniff at my hand that he realized who he was dealing with and started to relax.
Dogs definitely have good long-term memory for people, as was evidenced by my parents Sheltie Collie. I left home and was gone for a couple of years before coming back for a visit; when that dog saw me she went absolutely nuts. No one can tell me she didn’t know who I was!
Our canine companions rely heavily on their keen sense of smell and sharp hearing for recognizing humans, but their sense of sight plays a big role as well. Research has determined that dogs will indeed search an individuals’ face looking for familiar markings and be able to tell if that face belongs to their caregiver. We hear stories almost daily of soldiers coming home from many years’ long deployments and their dogs going crazy when they see their faces and hear their voices.
Our dogs know who we are and can pick us out of a crowd, that’s a fact. We share a bond that is indescribable and reaches back through thousands of years; hopefully, we will be able to share thousands more to come.
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