# Will my dog remember me after almost 6 months.



## Maci'sMommy2009 (Jan 20, 2013)

I had re-home my female pit mix in September due to moving. I moved into an apartment which was much smaller than my house. The family that took her is now not able to handle her and is asking me to take her back. I am more than willing to and just make it work in my apartment and i am just worried if she is going to remember my daughter and myself. I got her when she was 6 weeks old and she left me just a couple months shy of her 3rd birthday.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

Maci'sMommy2009 said:


> I had re-home my female pit mix in September due to moving. I moved into an apartment which was much smaller than my house. The family that took her is now not able to handle her and is asking me to take her back. I am more than willing to and just make it work in my apartment and i am just worried if she is going to remember my daughter and myself. I got her when she was 6 weeks old and she left me just a couple months shy of her 3rd birthday.


She will absolutely remember you.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

absolutely  we had a dog stay at work for 8 months while her owner served overseas, she was confused briefly when she saw him again but then went crazy with exitment.


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## Maci'sMommy2009 (Jan 20, 2013)

Thank you so much for your replies. I sure hope so. I am so excited to have her back with me.
I have another question you might be able to answer. 
The lady that currently has her is feeding her Alpo come and get it or something like that. I always fed her Purina. Don't know much about the Alpo so I would like to switch her back to Purina. What would be a good way of going about changing up her food so she doesn't get sick.

Thanks


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

For sure. I always worry my work dogs won't remember me, but they do. My definitive proof was a little guy we had for months that didn't want any thing to do with any one except me. He'd follow me every where and get so excited when I came in. A volunteer adopted him and six months had passed since I saw him. I figured since he adjusted to her as his one person, he wouldn't remember or want to come any where near me. She brought him in and the second he saw me he ran right for me.


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## basudo (Jan 18, 2013)

Definitely. No doubt.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Maci'sMommy2009 said:


> Thank you so much for your replies. I sure hope so. I am so excited to have her back with me.
> I have another question you might be able to answer.
> The lady that currently has her is feeding her Alpo come and get it or something like that. I always fed her Purina. Don't know much about the Alpo so I would like to switch her back to Purina. What would be a good way of going about changing up her food so she doesn't get sick.
> 
> Thanks


Well, Aplo is made by Purina, but none of Purina's foods are particularly great. Most of them have a lot of fillers in them like corn and other grains. If you haven't already, you might want to consider a better food. There are lots of resources on this site about finding a good dog food, and Dog Food Advisor also has some good information and explanations of why each food has been given the rating that it has. In general, a higher-quality kibble will have no corn or wheat, will list a named meat or meat meal as the first ingredient, and won't have any grains in the first 3-4 ingredients. But its entirely up to you, your dog, and what you can afford, etc. It can be more expensive, but you end up feeding less on a higher quality kibble because dogs just can't utilize the nutrients in corn or wheat very well, so it works out in the end.

As for changing foods, some dogs are fine with a cold-turkey switch in foods, but most do better with a gradual switch over a week (or several. Just start with a little bit of new food and mostly old food on the first day, and gradually adjust the amounts until at the end of the week you're at mostly new food with a little bit of old. For instance, on day one, feed 1/8 new food + 7/8 new food, day two is 1/4 new food + 3/4 old food, day three is 3/8 new food + 5/8 old food, etc. If you notice she's having some loose stools/diarrhea, reduce the amount of new food and increase the amount of old and slow down the pace of your switch. I think though (and I hope other members will correct me if I'm wrong), that most dogs are okay with a 7-10 day switch over.

And she'll definitely remember you. You raised her!


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Yes, dogs remember. Just today I came in the door with a bag of stuff borrowed from a friend who my dog loves. My dog got one whiff and she was all over that bag. She knew exactly where it came from, no doubt about it. And she never lived with that person.

Consider feeding a better food. For the same price as Purina, there are much better choices.


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## bulldoglover (Jan 5, 2013)

Your dog will most definitely remember you...she will be ecstatic to see you, wait and see


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## RedGermanPinscher (Jun 22, 2012)

We had a dog at the shelter adopted by a the employer of one of our volunteers. The family moved away for awhile only to return and open shop back in the area several months or so later.. They brought Otto to work with them.. Well one day I ran into the volunteer who invited me in to see Otto.. As soon as he saw me he did the butt wiggle excited puppy dance (he was at least 3-4yrs old at this time) thumping his whip tail against the storage room/Bathroom door so hard the owner actually came out to see what was going on... As soon as she saw me she said I knew it had to be someone special, cause he doesn't even respond like that to us!!!


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I believe dogs have a scent memory of every dog and every human they've ever met and whether the previous meeting went favorably. 

That's why there's no room left in their brains for things like the distinction between work days and weekends, or the difference between the dog barking on TV and one that is in the process of storming the castle.

I on the other hand had breakfast yesterday with 20 of my high school classmates and could only remember who about half of them were.

Most of them were at a similar breakfast I attended a month ago.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Once had a GSD pup at 8 weeks of age, trained/socialized it and sold it at 2 yrs and at 8 yrs old a different set of owners dropped by so I could see the dog and we did 15 minutes of off lead work. The original lady I sold dog to had run into hard times and sold dog.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

I'll be honest here, I wouldn't worry the dog remembering me so much as I would worry about the apartment owner allowing her.

She's a pit mix, be sure you check with your landlord about pets, weight/breed restrictions, etc.


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## Maci'sMommy2009 (Jan 20, 2013)

It will be no problem having her in the apartment with her breed we will be okay.
I just want to get her home. I am so worried about how she has been treated.
The lady that has had her sent me a email telling me the problems she was having with her and it sounds NOTHING like her at all.
I think she is just still mad and not adjusted to these people at all.


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## Spirit_of_Cotons (Jun 21, 2009)

Of course your dog will remember you!! I don't know how many times I see on tv or the internet of a soldier coming home from goodness knows how long they were away and the dog immediately recognizes them. So six months you were away? Definitely your dog will know you and your daughter.


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## Nuclear_Glitter (Jun 20, 2012)

When are you getting her back?


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## Maci'sMommy2009 (Jan 20, 2013)

I sute hope she does. She has always been shy around strangers so im sure if she doesnt we will know right away. 
I am picking her back up on Wednesday. I am super excited!


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

Yes, absolutely! I have lots of friends and family in the military, and their dogs remember them even after long deployments. Best of luck!


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

Congrats on getting your dog back. She will definitely remember you! I would also change to a better food. If budget is a consideration (it is for me!), you might want to look into Petsmart's store brand: Authority Grain-Free Chicken and Potato. It's very affordable ($18.99 for 15 lb.), and doesn't have a bunch of junk in it, like Purina, Alpo, Beneful, etc. do. Tractor Supply also has affordable choices in their store brand 4Health kibbles. The Potato and Salmon is supposed to be good. 

If budget isn't a concern, I'd look into Acana grain free, Fromm grain free, or Blue Buffalo Freedom (grain free).


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## bulldoglover (Jan 5, 2013)

I was just thinking about not seeing my dogs for 6mths...that would be sheer hell!


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

georgiapeach said:


> Congrats on getting your dog back. She will definitely remember you! I would also change to a better food. If budget is a consideration (it is for me!), you might want to look into Petsmart's store brand: Authority Grain-Free Chicken and Potato. It's very affordable ($18.99 for 15 lb.), and doesn't have a bunch of junk in it, like Purina, Alpo, Beneful, etc. do. Tractor Supply also has affordable choices in their store brand 4Health kibbles. The Potato and Salmon is supposed to be good.
> 
> If budget isn't a concern, I'd look into Acana grain free, Fromm grain free, or Blue Buffalo Freedom (grain free).


OP might also want to check Costco, if they live by one. They have fairly decent grain-inclusive food ($30/35lbs) and grain-free kibble ($35/30lbs).


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## bulldoglover (Jan 5, 2013)

On the subject of food...have you ever tried your dog on a raw meat diet?
I found this to be the best for my dogs.


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## Maci'sMommy2009 (Jan 20, 2013)

Thank you everyone for your responses.
Here is an update. I picked up my baby last night and she absolutely remembered me.
I was very upset to see the condition she was in. It looks like she hasn't been fed for the whole 6 months. I could count every rib and see all her bones. Needless to say I was in tears the whole ride home and it took everything I had in me not to punch the lady in the face.
I have am going to go after work to petsmart and get her a high quality puppy food and make her some chicken and rice. I use to feed her authority when she was a puppy but when I got 2 dogs it just got to be a little too expensive . I will be changing her stuff to a better quality now that I have her back.


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## nemefeme (Jan 10, 2013)

Glad you got her back. **** that lady. Now you can properly care for her and baby will be great in no time.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

So glad you got her back. Can't wait for photos and more updates!


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