The ability of dogs to identify and interact with other dogs has been widely studied. From immediate recognition of age to vocal communication, dogs have a remarkable capacity to understand their own species. But can dogs tell how old other dogs are? This question has been asked by many dog owners and animal behaviorists alike, and the answer is not so straightforward.
In this blog post, we will look at the research behind age recognition in dogs and discuss whether or not they can accurately tell the age of other dogs. We will discuss the various aspects of age recognition in dogs and explore some of the potential cues they use to identify a dog’s age. We will also evaluate the results of existing studies and look into the potential implications of this ability for owners and their pets. By the end of this blog post, you will have a better understanding of this topic and have the tools to gauge your own dog’s age recognition abilities.
Sight and Size
Dogs can recognize other dogs by using visual and auditory cues. They can tell by using their eyes and ears not only that they are looking at another dog, but also what size and how old that dog is. Despite the fact that this was not specifically tested on how they identify puppies, it is reasonable to assume visual cues are involved.
In recent years, the research community has paid more attention to the growing science of studying our canine friends’ cognitive abilities.
If dogs use acoustic and visual cues to judge the size of another dog, researchers at the University of Sussex were interested in finding out. This ability was thought to belong exclusively to primates.
In a study conducted at the University of Sussex by researchers Dr. Anna Taylor, Dr. David Reby, and Karen McComb, known as the Taylor experiment, 40 dogs were presented with a small stuffed Jack Russell and a large stuffed German Shepherd (source).
An audio clip of growls was played as each dog was given a plush dog. Both a large dog’s growl and a small dog’s growl were captured in each recording.
They evaluated the participating dogs based on which stuffed animal participants looked at first and how long they gazed at each one. The dogs were seen to focus their attention more on the dog in the recording. This is known as preferential looking.
The researchers came to the conclusion that domestic dogs have the cognitive ability to match visual cues to auditory cues. They were able to match the size to the sound.
Peter Pongracz of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest came to the same conclusion in a different study that canines gauge the size of other canines through growls.
The study used two images of the same dog but was similar to the Taylor experiment. The dog appeared to be the same size in one image while being 30% smaller in the other. When the study participants saw the images, growls accompanied them.
The identical findings demonstrated that canines possess cognitive abilities that were previously believed to be unique to primates.
The truth is that your dog, regardless of age, won’t immediately take to the new puppy. Your older dog will probably tolerate the new addition to a certain extent, with an older dog being the least tolerant.
The older dog of the house has set routines. Additionally, they have personal items like a bed, favorite toys, and a human. Like young children, dogs, especially their best friend, do not like to share.
The same is true if a new puppy is joining an already established multi-dog household. The other dogs have a routine and don’t want to be disturbed by an annoying yet ebullient youth who doesn’t know what proper social manners or communication techniques are.
Puppies are full of energy and always looking for a playmate. Before they left home, they had their littermates at their exclusive beck and call. Therefore, they expect the other dog to fulfill the same role (source).
The more seasoned dog or dogs in the pack will impart social norms to the young dog. The pup will likely be taken by the other dogs, especially the alpha, who is always you, of course. Your adult dog is only trying to teach the puppy how to behave when it growls or snarls at the puppy.
Do not correct your dog when it is reprimanding the puppy. This is the quickest and most effective way for your puppy to learn appropriate social behavior, so you should let them interact in this way.
Being in the middle of a flurry of activity is challenging, especially if your other dog is getting older. When a new puppy joins the pack, always provide supervision. An older dog may unintentionally hurt a small puppy.
A Dog’s Perception through Smell
Your dog does, in fact, have a keen sense of smell. They need to because it’s how they “see” the world. Dogs use their nose to perceive the world, as opposed to humans who use their eyes.
It might not go as you had hoped when an older or adolescent dog meets a puppy. We humans have a bad habit of assuming that our dogs think like humans. Since puppies are adorable, shouldn’t your dog feel the same way about babies?
When it comes to our pets’ behavior, humans can be quite unreasonable. Your adult dog will need time to sniff the new puppy when you bring it home. They will use sniffing to gather the necessary details about the new member and ascertain their place in the pecking order.
The puppy will probably roll over during the information-gathering process and expose their belly. This is a submissive action that tells the more senior dog, “I’m not a threat.” Another action your puppy might take while sniffing is urinating.
Everything a dog needs to know about another dog’s age, gender, mood, and health is contained in their urine. An older dog can determine a puppy’s age from the quantity and presence of sex hormones in their pee, such as testosterone and pheromones.
Hormone levels in preadolescent puppies are low. For instance, male dogs have low testosterone levels until they reach sexual maturity, around six months of age. At this point, they are adolescents, and their testosterone level will be even higher than an adult (source).
Dogs Can Not Sense Age
Dogs can sense which dog is stronger or more nervous even though they cannot tell which dog is older or younger.
They avoid interacting with other dogs, sometimes out of fear rather than because the other dog is older than they are.
When your dog meets new dogs for the first time, they may become overwhelmed.
Their shying away is a defense mechanism.
Your pet may shy away but also exhibit other odd behaviors, such as:
They display unusual behaviors around other dogs that they fear.
They are constantly on guard for their young. They occasionally act aggressively when they believe their young are in danger.
It is not because they know their puppies are young.
It is a defense mechanism that almost all dogs use to defend their territory or their possessions.
FAQ
Can dogs sense another dogs age?
Yes. Adult dogs are able to distinguish between a puppy, a young dog, and an adult dog. At each stage of development, dogs behave differently, and other dogs treat them accordingly.
Do older dogs know a puppy is a puppy?
Instead of being unique to their own litters, their paternal instincts are more general. Dogs treat puppies differently from adult dogs because they perceive them as immature pack members. Even male dogs exhibit protective behavior toward puppies, but only those to which they have given birth.
Do dogs know other dogs are dogs?
In spite of this, the study suggests that dogs can recognize other dogs just by looking at them. Dogs appear to be able to distinguish between who (or at least which images) belongs in the “dog” category and who does not.
Can dogs tell if another dog is their sibling?
These results may be encouraging, but they don’t necessarily indicate that dogs miss or long for their family members when they’re apart. Instead, these studies highlight the connection between recognition and olfactory cues rather than the awareness of familial ties. So yes, dogs recognize their canine relatives.