June 17, 2025, 4:00 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Just a few days ago, my young niece asked me a question that made me think. She wanted to know if dogs, often separated from their mother and littermates at an early age, can recognize each other years later. Since our dogs can’t answer this question for us, science is all the more eager to find out.
While it’s a beautiful image to see a new mother dog cuddling with her puppies in their nest, this moment is short-lived in reality. Typically, mother and puppies are separated after just a few weeks. Some dedicated breeders occasionally organize reunions where the offspring and their owners can meet and connect, but this is more the exception than the rule. This raises the question: Can dogs recognize their mothers and siblings even after years of separation?
Do Dogs Recognize Their Mothers Even After Years of Separation?
To answer this question, we must first examine the sense of smell in dogs, which is considered key to recognition. Dogs have between 200 and 300 million scent receptors, while humans have only about five million. This significant difference explains why dogs are theoretically capable of storing and recognizing individual scents over many years. 1
“There is a so-called scent memory–this is scientifically proven,” explains dog trainer Katharina Marioth in an interview with PETBOOK. “Dogs recognize animals they knew before, but not necessarily with the emotional depth we humans might expect.”
A 1994 study by Dr. Peter G. Hepper at Queen’s University Belfast examined whether dogs could recognize their mother and siblings two years after separation. The results showed that some dogs could recognize their mother by scent. Visual and auditory cues played little role. While recognizing the mother was easy for many, identifying littermates was less reliable. 2
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“Separation Before the Eighth Week Is a Catastrophe”
Another study found that dogs who lived with their siblings for at least five weeks were more likely to recognize them even years later. However, separating puppies from their mother before the eighth week is highly problematic, warns Marioth.
“Separation before the eighth week is a catastrophe–it should be avoided at all costs. After that, it’s about stability: a secure sleeping place, regular food, rest, protection, contact with humans–these are the basic needs of a puppy.”
Moreover, the time puppies spend with their mother and siblings affects the strength of their olfactory imprinting. Puppies that stay with their mother for at least eight weeks develop a stronger bond and a more lasting scent memory. However, the memory of siblings fades more quickly, especially if separation occurs early and no further contact exists.
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However, observations show that there are indeed indications that some dogs recognize their relatives even years later. During reunions, some dogs exhibit specific behaviors that could suggest recognition, such as intense sniffing, tail wagging, and overall excited behavior. Yet, the initial question of recognition remains unanswered.
“Most dogs react quite neutrally,” describes dog trainer Katharina Marioth her observations of later encounters between dogs and their mothers and siblings. “A mother is sometimes briefly greeted and appeased. Siblings are only noticed if there was a special earlier bond. Dogs live in the here and now–they are strongly oriented towards us humans, not their fellow dogs.”