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Dogs - if you go away for a minute and a half, a day and a half or a year and a half their reaction is the same. Oh, I missed you, I missed you, I was so lonely, I missed you, I'm so glad you're back.
Cats - if you pack up the camping gear and all the dogs, go away for 4 or 5 days, return and pick them up and say I missed you the cat will respond: Missed me? What do you mean? Were you gone? I hadn't noticed.
Totally... LOL. I'm lucky to get any acknowledgment from my cats, even if I've been gone a month. The dog, on the other hand, acts like I've been gone a year when I go to the mailbox.
When I had to leave my dogs for a month to go to Japan....it broke my heart....I knew the family I was boarding them with would take good care of them.....and we did visits in advance including a sleep over....so my girls would feel at home and also have the experience of our coming back.
I missed them like crazy.....but when we came home....they remembered us.....but they didnt go crazy.....just happy to see us. The really active one did get a bit nutzo when we got home and she got out of the car. She started to dash down the street....blindly and without much direction.
The real test was the next time we used the same family to board them.....both dogs ran from the car to their front door and were excited to be going to stay again. They really loved that family and their dogs.
There wasnt a moment of wondering if they remembered us. They did and they loved us....but they were fine about our having been away.
I adopted a 7 year old terrier mix about 5 years ago. After one month with me, I went back to TN to the shelter I had adopted her from in order to pick up two more dogs and some heartworm medication for her. Her former owner was there and I handed her the leash. The terrier got quite upset (I think that she thought I was returning her) and tried to twist herself out of her collar. Needless to say, her former owner was sad to see that her old dog didn't miss her.
I think that while her former owner was very good to her, I just got along with her better. I also think she liked it better up in New England and away from the heat and fleas of TN.
In 2005 my dad was injured and spent a month in the hospital in south Florida. I live on Cape Cod. I had to put my two dogs and my 20 month old cat in the kennel. After a month, my dad passed way from infection. It took another two weeks to get things settled enough that I could take his truck and drive back home to the Cape to get the animals.
I called once or twice a week to check on all of them and they were doing fine. When I picked them up at the kennel, they went berserk. lmbo!!! The dogs cried, whelped, jumped around like total ding dongs, licked me to death, and wouldn't let me take my hands of them for a good ten minutes in order to drive home. They are corgi/mix brother and sister. The cat cried for me. She was thrilled to come back home and sleep inbetween my knees again! lol
When I bring them to the kennel, they cry and can't wait to jump out of the truck to go see everyone!!! In their minds, it's like they're going to visit Auntie or Grammy! lol
If I take a short 4-5 day trip, I board the dogs, but leave the cat at home with extra food, extra water, and extra litter boxes. I also have friends come in and visit with her. She is 'always' thrilled to see me when I get home and won't go more than a few feet away from me for a day or two.
When the dogs see my daughter, (they're 12 now and she's 30 - I got them when she was a freshman in college), they go 'crazy' with happiness to see her. They may not see her for 3 years, but when they do, they know it's her! Wicked cute!
My dad usually comes to town about once a year and stays for a week. My dogs not only remember him, but when they see him, they get so excited that they pee on the floor.
This is how our dogs are when our sons come home for a visit.
We go away on 2-3 week trips and our dogs are the same when we return.
I did have one special dog who was a real momma's boy. The whole time we were gone, he would not let the housesitter walk him. Then, the last few days, it got chilly and she borrowed my sweater.
He let her walk him.
Sure have enjoyed all these posts! I just got back yesterday and while I was at the vets waiting for my dogs; another lady was there picking up her two standard poodles. She went nuts, they went nuts - a total slobber fest of jumping and wagging! Then the kennel attendant says something about them only being there for the day! So I looked at her and said, "my dogs have been here 2 weeks and that's the reaction I better get!"
So after writing a check (and securing the first semester of college tuition for the attendant ), I stood back and waited. Out they came, very happy as you all had promised! Each one only jumped once tho - and then promptly sat back down waiting for a treat. They are learning not to jump, so I told myself to be realistic. But on the way home, they kept nudging each other out of the way so each could get to my face and lick me hello. Woke up this morning to both dogs on the bed (usually a no-no) - both using me as a pillow.
Sure have enjoyed all these posts! I just got back yesterday and while I was at the vets waiting for my dogs; another lady was there picking up her two standard poodles. She went nuts, they went nuts - a total slobber fest of jumping and wagging! Then the kennel attendant says something about them only being there for the day! So I looked at her and said, "my dogs have been here 2 weeks and that's the reaction I better get!"
So after writing a check (and securing the first semester of college tuition for the attendant ), I stood back and waited. Out they came, very happy as you all had promised! Each one only jumped once tho - and then promptly sat back down waiting for a treat. They are learning not to jump, so I told myself to be realistic. But on the way home, they kept nudging each other out of the way so each could get to my face and lick me hello. Woke up this morning to both dogs on the bed (usually a no-no) - both using me as a pillow.
It's good to be home.
Your dogs are well behaved....thats the difference....they remembered you and love you! (As well they should; you are good to them! )
There is something nice about them being happy to see you ..... but not crazed! After all they are independant and competent animals who we chose to have live with us and they reciprocate...."this is a good deal". Leave taking can be a bit worrisome but I like to see the security and sense of self....in the dog.....I know they love me (at least one of them does....my DP's dog ?????)
With kids not everyday is the first day of school or going on the bus.....after that....they learn they really can make it.
This is all assuming that the substitute care provider is kind and attends to their need for affection, food, exercise .
Before I went to vet tech school I worked in the kennels at a veterinary hospital. There were a couple of dogs who would be calm and easy as could be, but on the day they were to be picked up they'd go nuts! I certainly didn't give them any hints, I didn't realize it was their 'go home' day until I looked at their cage cards to try and figure out why they were being so goofy. Dogs are amazing.
Ok,...please figure out this one for me.When i was 8 we had prince who my dad brought home from work and i found christmas morning in a cardboard box with red paper around the sides.the dog became a legend in the neighborhood but back to topic.My dad would drive home from work and arrive home within a 30 minute time window.Mom would have dinner almost ready and we lived in a basement(high with high windows)apartment.I would be inside in the winter doing something besides tv and video,often playing with my princey boy.He had a 30 minute minimum drive home,about 20 miles,one toll bridge,a two lane road to a right down one block,a stop sign,one more block,a light,another right,one block and another right,a hundred yards and a right into the driveway where we saw the car through the window.The dog would start losing it,1 to 2 minutes before my dad got home and the cars wheels rolled past the windows.When the dog flipped out with joy my mom would relight the gravy flame and put the biscuts in the oven and start carving the meat.Either the dog heard and could decifer the specific car from a mile or more away(in an urban area with lots of cars,trucks,planes)or he what?He would get up from lying down,immediately stop playing with me,or stop whatever he was doing and start whining and running back and forth to the side door,up the stairs,down the stairs to look out the window,grabbing one of his toys to give and greet dad with.How did he hear or know???One famous family story was the night the dog couldn't find his old flat football to bring my dad and ran back to the kitchen and grabbed the roast beef off the carving board ran through the house,up the stairs to give my dad.My dad bless his heart just laughed took the roast beef greeting,walked down the stairs and said,..."i guess we were having roast beef tonight?". My mother shreeked when she realized what happened and was angry but my dad said,"don't blame the dog he only wanted to bring it to me to show me we had roast beef tonight".We got pizza from around the corner that night and i laughed as hard as my mom and dad and the dog.LOLI'm pretty sure dad brought a lot of sandwiches to work the next day.
When I was a kid, our dog could tell the sound of my father's car engine. All engines sound different only we can't hear it. She would jump up and run to the front door to await him.
Oh yes southern belle ..... my dog can hear when my DP is coming home long before the car is visible....she hears the engine sound too.
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She started to dash down the street....blindly and without much direction. 
), I stood back and waited. Out they came, very happy as you all had promised! Each one only jumped once tho - and then promptly sat back down waiting for a treat. They are learning not to jump, so I told myself to be realistic. But on the way home, they kept nudging each other out of the way so each could get to my face and lick me hello. Woke up this morning to both dogs on the bed (usually a no-no) - both using me as a pillow.
