1300 489 873Is your dog able to remember that cool trick you taught him, but seems to have no memory of chewing up your favourite pair of shoes? This is because the short-term memory of a dog only lasts up to two minutes.
Dog’s live very much in the now but they do have a longer-term memory as well. They recognise important figures in their lives even after time apart. This is why your pup will still come running to you after a stay with their pet minder.
As humans, we retain vivid memories of all of our experiences and encounters. For a dog, their long-term memory is more of an imprint of an occurrence. Dogs use their associative memory to store information about events that happen regularly. For example, they associate the sight of you putting on tennis shoes with going on a walk and they know it is time for dinner when you come home from work.
One of the strongest associations for an imprint is the sense of smell. This makes sense when you consider that their sense of smell is infinitely better than that of a human. Scientists believe that it is through smell, not sight or sound, that they remember their owners. They link scent to feelings, whether they are good or bad.
Many owners are bothered by the thought that their pup only knows them for their scent, but do not fear. While your dog probably doesn’t remember that you were the one who gave him a treat this morning, he will still associate you with the feelings of being safe and cared for.
