As excited as you are to bring your new family member home, it can feel heartbreaking to know you are taking him away from the only “pack” he has ever known. Puppies bond closely to their littermates and mothers, but their developmental stage at around 8-10 weeks old also predisposes them to be ready to bond with you, too!
Dogs do remember their mothers based on scent, with studies showing they can recognize their parents up to 2 years after separation. When puppies are first separated from their mothers, they often cry during the first nights because they miss their mother, siblings, and familiar environment. This separation anxiety is perfectly normal as puppies adjust to a new place with unfamiliar smells and without the comfort of their mother’s warmth.
Do Dogs Remember Their Mothers?
Research by Dr. Peter G. Hepper, Emeritus Professor at Queen’s University Belfast, has shown that dogs can recognize their mothers through both sight and smell. His studies using different purebred dogs (Alsatians, Golden Labradors, and Golden Retrievers) found that:
- 48 out of 57 puppies (4-5.5 weeks old) showed a preference for their mother when given a choice between her and an unrelated female dog
- 28 out of 34 puppies spent more time sniffing towels with their mother’s scent
Most significantly, Dr Hepper’s research found that even after 2 years of separation, 37 out of 49 adult dogs still recognized their mother’s scent, showing they can carry this memory from infancy to adulthood
Another study by Gillis et al confirmed these findings with different breeds (Collies, Cairn Terriers, Golden Retriever, and Shih Tzu) that had been separated from their mothers for 7 to 68 months Seven out of eight dogs in this study showed a preference for their mother’s scent.
Do Mother Dogs Remember Their Puppies?
Yes, mother dogs do remember their puppies Dr Hepper’s research showed that when given a choice between cloth with their offspring’s odor or that of an unfamiliar dog, mothers preferred the cloth with their litter’s scent. This recognition persisted even after
- 2 years of separation
- Having given birth to other litters in the meantime
This strong bond forms through the many nurturing activities mother dogs provide beyond just nursing:
- Physical contact
- Grooming/licking
- Play
- Discipline
- Thermoregulation (keeping puppies warm)
- Stimulating bodily functions (newborn puppies can’t defecate on their own)
Mother dogs also secrete Dog Appeasing Pheromones (DAP) from glands under their breasts during nursing, which provide puppies with calm, comfort, and a sense of well-being.
Do Puppies Miss Their Mothers?
Yes, puppies do miss their mothers when separated, especially during the first few days or weeks. When a puppy is taken to a new home, they’re experiencing:
- A completely unfamiliar environment
- New smells and sounds
- The absence of their mother’s warmth and comfort
- Separation from their siblings
The ideal age to separate a puppy from its mother is at least 8 weeks old. Before this age, puppies are still learning crucial life skills from their mother, nursing, and developing through interactions with siblings. Puppies separated before 8 weeks tend to be more nervous and less sociable.
Unlike humans or primates, dogs don’t need to stay with their parents until adulthood. By 8 weeks, puppies can move independently, eat solid food, and control their bodily functions—making them ready for the next phase of life.
How to Help a Puppy Missing Their Mom
If you’ve brought home a new puppy, here are some ways to ease their transition and separation anxiety:
1. Sleep nearby for the first few nights
Consider letting your new puppy sleep in your bedroom or even on your bed for the first few nights. This helps them get used to your smell, voice, and heartbeat, which accelerates bonding with their new family.
2. Bring a comfort item from their first home
Before taking your puppy home, bring a blanket or stuffed toy to place where the puppies and mom are living. This will absorb their familiar smells. When you bring your puppy home, this scented item can provide comfort, especially at night.
You can also enhance this by:
- Wrapping a warm water bottle in the scented blanket
- Placing it where your puppy sleeps
- Creating a warm, familiar-smelling environment that mimics being close to mom
3. Use technology for supervision
Some pet owners find that interactive pet cameras help monitor and comfort their puppies. These devices allow you to:
- Keep an eye on your puppy when you’re not in the room
- Communicate with them via two-way audio
- Sometimes even dispense treats remotely
What About Siblings and Fathers?
Dr. Hepper’s research found that puppies can recognize their siblings, but after about 2 years of separation, adult dogs cannot recognize their siblings unless they’ve continued to live together.
Regarding fathers, a 2015 study by Hamilton and Vonk showed interesting results: female dogs showed a preference for their father’s scent despite having no contact for more than a year, while male dogs did not show this preference. However, the researchers noted that this finding should be confirmed with a larger study.
Do Dogs Remember Their Owners?
The study by Gillis et al. reported that dogs recognized their owner’s scent even after separation periods of 11 to 39 months. The human-dog relationship can be extremely close, often compared to that of a parent and child.
Interestingly, research by Pongcrakz et al. found that a dog’s perceived memory abilities seemed to correlate with how their humans viewed them. Dogs regarded as “just a domestic animal” were perceived as having poorer memory compared to dogs considered family members, children, or friends.
Science suggests that dogs do remember their mothers for at least a couple of years after separation, primarily through scent recognition. Puppies do miss their mothers initially when separated, showing signs of anxiety and distress. However, with proper care and bonding with their new human family, puppies quickly adapt to their new environment.
While the initial separation may be difficult, the good news is that puppies form strong bonds with their human families relatively quickly. By providing comfort, security, and lots of love during the transition period, you’ll help your new puppy adjust and become an integral part of your family.
Do Puppies Have the Ability to Miss Their Mom Long Term?
Many puppy owners theorize that their puppy cries so much in their crate for the first few days because they are yearning for their mothers and siblings. Your puppy does not have the same emotional capabilities as a human and does not have the ability to ponder the past and the future the way people do.
Instead, dogs live in the moment and are often simply reacting to their present stimuli. When your pup cries in his crate, he is not longingly imagining his mother’s fluffy face in his mind and wishing he could go back in time to be with his family again. Instead, he is likely very present-minded, objecting to the cold, quietness of the crate.
Your puppy is used to sleeping in a cozy pile of his warm siblings and feeling their movements and heartbeats. The solitary nature of the crate feels different and uncomfortable to him, but the answer is not to keep him with his littermates forever. In fact, staying with his litter for too long can actually stunt his socialization and development.
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Let’s back up and consider the earlier weeks in a puppy’s development so we can better understand where your puppy is at developmentally at 8 weeks of age.
The first couple weeks of a puppy’s life are just a frenzy of nursing and sleeping and more nursing. They are born with their eyes and ears sealed, so their interaction with the outside world is limited. Their main focus is on nourishment and gaining weight at this age.
At around 2 weeks of age, puppies gain the ability to see and hear. This huge leap in sensual development sets the stage for the critical socialization period that starts around 4 weeks of age.
By 4 weeks of age, the puppies have become much more coordinated and can walk, wag their tails, bite, and play! Making sure a young puppy is exposed to lots of positive human interaction during this time is critical for his social development, but he also learns many things by interacting with his mother and siblings.
Puppies learn appropriate play behavior with their siblings. Mothers will often teach unruly puppies how to submit, and siblings will yelp to show when a play-bite went too far. The nonstop play and wrestling with siblings also help develop physical coordination.
All of these lessons are critical for a young pup and very tough for humans to duplicate. For this reason, it really is important that your puppy stays with their litter for at least 8 weeks.
It’s Not Good for Puppies to Be so Bonded to Their Mom They Become Dependent
While it may seem counterintuitive to disrupt your pup’s perfect little home (in his whelping box surrounded by his littermates) right at the start of developmental leap associated with fear and anxiety, there is actually no better time when it comes to bonding and setting the basis for future training. It is at this age we notice that our pups are both tentative and fearful, but also have an increased drive for exploration and are willing to venture further away from the “nest.”
Given appropriate interaction with their littermates and with humans, an eight-week-old pup should be set up well to navigate the ensuing “fear period.” While he may initially be overwhelmed in a new environment away from his mother and siblings, he is also socially geared to bond with humans at this age.
If he does not “venture from the nest,” during this phase, then he may actually become too bonded to his siblings and miss this critical window to bond with humans, resulting in a fearful or shy dog. If a dog is too bonded with his siblings, he does not have the same drive to bond to a human and look to his human family as his true pack.
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As a result, it is critical to separate pups from their siblings during this impressionable period so that they can bond appropriately to humans and become a happy, healthy pet.
Even two puppies who go home together can often present quite a training challenge for owners. The puppies often develop “littermate syndrome,” a term used to describe the behavioral difficulties that often present themselves when two puppies from the same litter grow up together.
The puppies often fail to bond to their humans as strongly as they otherwise would and instead rely on each other for social interaction. This makes them more difficult to train as they are less likely to need the affection and approval of their human. Oftentimes, the puppies become severely anxious if ever separated, and in other cases they begin to bicker or fight as they become adults.
Adjusting to a new environment is a challenge for a puppy, especially when he is at the sensitive, impressionable age of 8-10 weeks old. But it is this very challenge that he needs to help him bond most strongly to his human family. Dogs are incredibly social, relational animals with a strong pack mentality. It also helps to have a good daily schedule for your pup.
So, while they do bond strongly to their littermates and mother, they are also predisposed to bond extremely quickly to any human or dog that they see as a stable pack leader or playmate.
In fact, after the end of his first 24 hours home, puppies are often already showing signs of recognizing their new humans- already able to tell them apart from strangers. Many dog experts theorize that even within his first 24 hours home with you, your puppy is not thinking about his mother and siblings at all.
Do Mom Dogs Miss Their Puppies When They Leave?
FAQ
Do mother dogs miss their offspring?
If the mother doesn’t make any noticeable response, it doesn’t mean they are callous. Again, this is applying human behavior to dogs. The fact that mother dogs do not miss their offspring is a healthy thing. Only a very small percentage of domestic dogs grow up with their mother in the same household.
Do puppies miss their mothers long term?
Puppies bond closely to their littermates and mothers, but their developmental stage at around 8-10 weeks old also predisposes them to be ready to bond with you, too! For that reason, you should not worry about puppies missing their mothers for long. Do Puppies Have the Ability to Miss Their Mom Long Term?
Do dogs miss their puppies?
On some level, yes, a mother will almost certainly feel the loss of her puppies, but remember, with a gestation period of 63 days, and most puppies leaving between the ages of 8-12 weeks, she will be ready to start a new litter in 2-3 months’ time.
Do dogs remember their mother?
The dogs still recognized their mother, with 37 of the 49 pups spending more time sniffing the cloth scented by their mother. They were able to carry the memory of their mother from infancy to adulthood. Another study using different breeds of dogs have confirmed Dr. Hepper’s findings.
Do dogs grow up with their mother?
Only a very small percentage of domestic dogs grow up with their mother in the same household. If mother dogs did miss their offspring, this means the vast majority of canines would be feeling sad for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, dogs understand the process well and can have a very happy life even if they are not with their birth-family.
What happens if a mother dog takes away a puppy?
Since a mother dog knows when the puppies need to go off on their own, she will be worried if they are taken away too soon. If this happens, she might howl and even become aggressive if she is worried about her pups. In this sense she misses them and is concerned.
How long do dogs remember their mom?
Are dogs sad when they leave their mom?
Yes, puppies do experience sadness, distress, or anxiety when separated from their mother and littermates, as evidenced by crying, whining, and difficulty adjusting to a new environment and family. This emotional response is a normal reaction to the sudden loss of familiar social and environmental support. Owners can help their new puppy adjust by providing consistent attention, a reassuring presence (like a crate next to their bed), and a comfortable environment.
Do mother dogs miss their puppies when they leave?
How long will a puppy miss his mother?