We love our pups so much that we could recognize them between thousands and thousands of similar dogs, right? But the true question is, can dogs recognize their owners just as well?
Can dogs recognize their owners?
I think that our biggest fear as pet parents is spending a few days away from our pups and not being recognized when we are back, right? But luckily, dogs are experts at telling people apart. They have more than 300 million olfactory receptors (while we humans only have 5 million) and their sense of smell is so amazing that they can scent a teaspoon of sugar dissolved into the equivalent of water of two Olympic swimming pools. Just WOW.
Besides, dogs have a feature that is called ‘olfactory memory’, which basically means that they can remember scents long after they’ve been exposed to them. This explains why dogs are capable of recognizing their owners, even if they haven’t seen them for a while.
Can my dog recognize my face?
Now we know that our dogs can remember our smell for a long time, but can they recognize our faces? The answer is yes! Actually, dogs not only recognize their owners’ faces in real life. According to a recent study made from dogs' brains, the MRIs suggested that their temporal lobe (which is the part of the brain that recognizes faces) was activated just by showing them a photo of their owners.
What about my voice?
Last but not least, dogs can also recognize our voices, and what’s more, they are more responsive to our voices than to specific commands or their names. Besides, they can recognize the emotional tone hidden behind the words we say, so they can easily tell when we are sad, mad, or thrilled. Therefore, if you are going to spend some days away from your pup, make sure to call them to cheer them up!
So, do dogs recognize their owners?
If you were having doubts about whether your pup could recognize you between thousands of people, rest assured: our pups love us as much as we love them 😊
Can dogs smell human family members?
There is no evidence that suggests dogs can determine if two people are related by smell. Even when sharing the same DNA, smells can vary depending on diverse factors. However, dogs are always keeping an eye on their owners, so if they notice you have familiarity with another human, they will probably consider him/her as a member of the family, even if they don't smell like you.
