# Need Help! Do dogs remember each other if seperated for a year?



## nando87 (Sep 2, 2010)

Here is my situation, i have a friend that needs to move in with me for about 2 weeks. He has a Bully that is about 13mo. old, my pit is going to be 16mo. old. He use to live near me before going to california for about 10mo. and is now moving back. Both his dog and mine when puppies were best friends, they ate together, napped together, went on walks, pretty much everyday they were stuck at the hip. 

So my question is will they remember each other? My dog is getting some what DA (just very dominate not barking and trying to kill other dogs). I would hate for a fight to start between the two.

Thanks for your help GP!


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## pitbullmamanatl (Jun 1, 2010)

Introduce with caution and if it doesn't work out then crate and rotate.


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## nando87 (Sep 2, 2010)

I was planning on introducing them on nutral grounds. My dog doesnt put up with other dogs on his property that he doesnt know. 

Crating is not a option either, my dog has never been crated, he is a great inside dog. He currently spends his time outside in the back when we are not home and inside when we are. Never had a reason to crate him. My friends dog has never been crated either, just lived in his back yard.


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## KMdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

Always expect a fight. Given your dog is reaching maturity and has started showing signs of DA, i wouldnt take that chance of stressing him out to full on DA prematurely. I would buy a break stick if you dont already own one (i believe any apbt/bull and terrier owner should own some) and learn how to use it properly and effectively. I would also minimize their involvement with each other for a while (crate and rotate) and slowly introduce each other. The rest is up to you but its only a matter of time before your dog is DA, given what youve said i dont believe it would be smart to allow them to play together.


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## ashes (Jul 7, 2010)

If you're dog is showing DA and is very territorial about the yard then I imagine a fight WILL break out. Even if it goes well the first day, I wouldn't leave them alone together at all if ur kind of iffy about your dog and other dogs. They are much older now and doesn't mean they will tolerate eachother like they did as puppies. Do you know how your friend's dog is with other dogs?? Or his personality? Is he also dominant as well??


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

nando87 said:


> I was planning on introducing them on nutral grounds. My dog doesnt put up with other dogs on his property that he doesnt know.
> 
> Crating is not a option either, my dog has never been crated, he is a great inside dog. He currently spends his time outside in the back when we are not home and inside when we are. Never had a reason to crate him. My friends dog has never been crated either, just lived in his back yard.


Now you have a reason to crate. Better safe than sorry.

Start introducing a crate to him now in a positive manner. Give him treats & allow him to go in & out at his leisure. Also make sure it's a sturdy crate he can't break out of, always anticipate the unexpected with any dog. Especially with a strong as steel breed like this one.

Crating doesn't mean your dog is bad, it's for their safety alone. Also, if it were me, I wouldn't leave my dog outside alone while gone, no matter how sturdy the fence may be. Always have to worry about trespassers of any kind, animal or human as well as the possibility of your dog discovering he can dig his way out.

Good luck! :roll:


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## nando87 (Sep 2, 2010)

From what my friend stated, his dog just likes to play with other dogs. He just jumps and play's, but that is what he say's. 

My dog is very friendly with other dogs as long as he knows them, as well as with any female dogs. But when it comes to other males he has never meet before he is very dominate.


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

nando87 said:


> From what my friend stated, his dog just likes to play with other dogs. He just jumps and play's, but that is what he say's.
> 
> My dog is very friendly with other dogs as long as he knows them, as well as with any female dogs. But when it comes to other males he has never meet before he is very dominate.


More than likely your dog won't remember his. Even if he does instincts take over, they're animals 

There's nothing wrong with that, you just have to anticipate & be ready for anything. It's the same with any dog, just pitbulls are a very strong breed. It's normal for them to get along with familiar animals they know on a daily basis in the fam. It's another with a strange animal.

You guys will be fine as long as you take proper precautions. Having the dogs meet each other on neutral grounds is smart - then go from there. But it's your dogs space the other will be occupying - keep that in mind as well as toys & feeding time. You'll learn quite a bit more about your dogs behavior in this experience just stay precautious.


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## kodiakgirl (May 9, 2009)

KMdogs said:


> Always expect a fight. Given your dog is reaching maturity and has started showing signs of DA, i wouldnt take that chance of stressing him out to full on DA prematurely. I would buy a break stick if you dont already own one (i believe any apbt/bull and terrier owner should own some) and learn how to use it properly and effectively. I would also minimize their involvement with each other for a while (crate and rotate) and slowly introduce each other. The rest is up to you but its only a matter of time before your dog is DA, given what youve said i dont believe it would be smart to allow them to play together.





Lex's Guardian said:


> Now you have a reason to crate. Better safe than sorry.
> 
> Start introducing a crate to him now in a positive manner. Give him treats & allow him to go in & out at his leisure. Also make sure it's a sturdy crate he can't break out of, always anticipate the unexpected with any dog. Especially with a strong as steel breed like this one.
> 
> *Crating doesn't mean your dog is bad, it's for their safety alone*.


:goodpost: x2

Start introducing them both to crates right now. This is the only way you are going to ensure there will not be a fight when you aren't looking. The neutral territory introduction would be a good place to start when introducing them, but have a break stick ready. Here's an excellent video of how to use one 




From what you said about your friends dog always wanting to jump and play, I think that's going to be an accident waiting to happen since you said your dog is showing DA. DA dogs can take jumping and playing the wrong way, and decide that it's a reason to go after the other dog, from what I've seen.

I would say start on neutral territory, if all goes well, bring them _together _to your house, and bring them inside together. No matter what happens though, I would introduce them both to crates and keep them crated or crate and rotate when you're not around, because you never know what will happen when you're not around and you don't want to come home to a massacre. In case you don't already know, crate-and-rotate means that one dog is crated while the other one is out, and rotate them around in that fashion so they both get time in and out of the crate without being in reach of each other. If I had to do that, I would have one dog crated and in another room so they don't try to get at each other through the crate. 
Most dogs will _love _the crate if introduced to it properly. Here's a good thread on crate training 
*http://www.gopitbull.com/obedience-training/29669-how-crate-train.html* This thread is mostly geared towards puppies, but the same can go for an adult dog.
Like Lex'sGuardian said, crate training is for _their safety alone._


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## kodiakgirl (May 9, 2009)

Lex's Guardian said:


> More than likely your dog won't remember his. Even if he does instincts take over, they're animals
> 
> There's nothing wrong with that, you just have to anticipate & be ready for anything. It's the same with any dog, just pitbulls are a very strong breed. It's normal for them to get along with familiar animals they know on a daily basis in the fam. It's another with a strange animal.
> 
> You guys will be fine as long as you take proper precautions. Having the dogs meet each other on neutral grounds is smart - then go from there. But it's your dogs space the other will be occupying - keep that in mind as well as toys & feeding time. You'll learn quite a bit more about your dogs behavior in this experience just stay precautious.


:goodpost: didn't catch that one before I posted.


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## nando87 (Sep 2, 2010)

Thank you everyone for the help! One thing i will stick with though is that Crating my dog is NOT an option. 

I will try to introduce them and go from there.


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## ashes (Jul 7, 2010)

^^^ yep she's right. IF your dog is very dominate he may take his playful ways very wrong. I had a very dominate Pit bull and she would play with my other pit bull but she did not like being jumped on and a big fight broke out she was all over my other dog in seconds and she was only 7 months old. Since then playtime ended and the other dogs would not play with her because they sensed her dominance.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

pitbullmamanatl said:


> Introduce with caution and if it doesn't work out then crate and rotate.


:goodpost: I would just keep them separate and crate and rotate it's only for 2 weeks both dogs will live 

Dogs do remember other dogs for long periods of time. Vixen LOVES her son Ruckus and it may be years that they have not seen each other but she can pick him out of a crowd of dogs and drag me to him.


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

If they are both intact males beware......99% of the time the end result is a fight and if its been a year since they have seen eachother I wouldn't think they will take to kindly to one another. I would crate and rotate. JMO


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## nando87 (Sep 2, 2010)

Has anyone else had a dog that remembered an old friend dog? just curious.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

kodiakgirl said:


> :goodpost: x2
> 
> Start introducing them both to crates right now.  This is the only way you are going to ensure there will not be a fight when you aren't looking. The neutral territory introduction would be a good place to start when introducing them, but have a break stick ready. Here's an excellent video of how to use one YouTube - How to use a break stick
> 
> ...


That was a great video!!! and so true NEVER EVER grab a dog by the rear end to break up a fight, it is the best way to get yourself bit. I cannot tell you how many people I know who have gotten bit that way. The dog feels that and it is like getting attacked from the rear and most will spin on yea and nail ya. It is best to grab a collar and get control of the dog, first so they know it is you and not another dog but if you have control of the head you have a easier time breaking up the fight. I have had to use a similar method in a yard accident but instead of back tying the dog I used French doors to separate them.


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

I had a friend with a pit and his brother had a rottweiler. They grew up together like yours did for the first year of life. Then his brother moved out of town and came back a year later. They thought there boys would be fine together still because they were once inseparable. Well, all helll broke loose when they reunited and that was the end of that. Matured intact males will be like that towards eachother. Are your boys un-fixed? You keep saying that crating is not an option when infact you are already setting up the two dogs for failure by saying you won't put your dog/dogs in one. I can almost guarantee you will have issues. Just prepare yourself for it.


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## nando87 (Sep 2, 2010)

Yes both dogs are un-fixed. I have yet to tell my friend that his dog came come with him to my house, i told him that i was unsure about it because i didnt want a fight to start. The reason i keep saying that Crating isnt an option is because Dozer (my dog) is like one of our kids and has never been restricted to anywhere in the house (other than the back yard when we are gone). I would never think about crating him for any reason. I know alot of people believe in crating and that is fine, we crate trained our shih tzu (dozer's littler, older sister lol) when she was younger but when we got Dozer we dropped that. They are both great inside and like i said i never had a reason to crate him. 

Another big concern of mine that i forgot to mention is that Dozer is Extremly protective of Poptart (our shih tzu). I really dont think he would tolerate any kind of playing with the other dog and her. 

I do appreciate all of the info and help on this! I think i will probably just have my friend keep the dog at someone else's house.


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## ashes (Jul 7, 2010)

well if you don't wanna crate your dog then that's your decision I guess and no one can tell you otherwise. BUT for the safety of your dogs and his if you aren't going to crate I'd suggest have your friends dog stay with someone else.


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## angelbaby (Feb 4, 2010)

have crates ready , or dog run or something where you can contain one away from the other. you can crate train at any age. if crating and seperating isnt an option I wouldnt have the other dog in my house your asking for a fight. crating isnt cruel , its a wayyy better option then having them able to get to eachother but sounds like you arent budging from that so good luck. you asked for advice numerous people are telling you yet you are saying its not an option , I hope for your sake they get along or its gonna be the worst 2 weeks of your life trying to keep them apart. { my aunt had 2 dogs in seperate bedrooms they chewed through the door while they were away for an hour , I think you need to weigh your options and look at it from an open mind}


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## motocross308 (Oct 5, 2010)

honestly , i believe all dogs should be crate trained for thier own protection! you never know when something could happen wer your dog will have to be contained and if they are not used to it it will be an unbelieveable stress if it is added to a differnt already stressfull situation. be aware , in many areas , pitbulls are shoot on site dogs to police .. that means one aggressive move and they get blasted. I never let my brock and sid outside alone because of that . we had a wolf hybrid shot multi times in our front yard many years ago and i couldnt live with that happening to my pups


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## Angie (Jul 2, 2010)

You should really consider crate training. My doggie (when I had her) LOVED her crate. She would go in there if she was stressed and etc. It's like giving them their own room you know? Something they can see as a super safe haven only for them.


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## kodiakgirl (May 9, 2009)

You are really setting these dogs up for failure. Especially since you say your dog is DA and is protective over your smaller dog. If you're really not going to crate one dog (why can't it be your friends dog, after all it's your house?) while no one is home, then another option would be to lock one in a bedroom instead of crating, but then you have the possibility of them going through the door. You did say that you have a yard, so maybe one dog could be in the yard and one in the house? But motocross308 had a really good point, a lot of cops will shoot any pitbull without a good reason. Just some things to think about. If it's at all possible, have your friend keep his dog at another house. That's the only way you're going to make sure nothing happens. Otherwise, you've got a very risky situation on your hands.


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

nando87 said:


> Yes both dogs are un-fixed. I have yet to tell my friend that his dog came come with him to my house, i told him that i was unsure about it because i didnt want a fight to start. The reason i keep saying that Crating isnt an option is because Dozer (my dog) is like one of our kids and has never been restricted to anywhere in the house (other than the back yard when we are gone). I would never think about crating him for any reason. I know alot of people believe in crating and that is fine, we crate trained our shih tzu (dozer's littler, older sister lol) when she was younger but when we got Dozer we dropped that. They are both great inside and like i said i never had a reason to crate him.
> 
> Another big concern of mine that i forgot to mention is that Dozer is Extremly protective of Poptart (our shih tzu). I really dont think he would tolerate any kind of playing with the other dog and her.
> 
> I do appreciate all of the info and help on this! I think i will probably just have my friend keep the dog at someone else's house.


My dogs are my children - so I know how you feel. It's because they're like perpetual three year olds that I crate them. You put an 18 month old in a play pen for his/her safety don't you?

Edit:
Just read the bottom portion, do what you feel is best. Again Good luck 

Consider it the same just a bit stronger. I completely get where you're coming from but at the same token, are you willing to risk your dog & friend's dog lives over something so simple?

We all love our dogs on this board & are really looking out for you, your family, friend & both dogs best interest.


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## MISSAPBT (May 10, 2009)

nando87 said:


> Has anyone else had a dog that remembered an old friend dog? just curious.


I had Gracie meet up with her breeder 1 year after I picked her up from his yard @ 11 weeks old, Gracie is normally a snob to people and she is a little stand offish, as soon as she heard him speak and he gave her a little whisle she was all over him like a rash, licking his face nearly climbing on top of him LOL it was very cute!


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

I would rather leave my dog in a crate in my house than put my dog in the yard when I am away.....I would worry about him getting stolen or getting out of his yard or digging under your fence. Is he lose and free to roam the yard or is he on a chain set up? My dog is a "house" dog as ALL my dogs have been. The crate is there "safe place" when I am not home and they have always loved it. Heck, if my girl wasn't crate trained I would of had a big problem crate resting her for her injury she had. You may encounter an injury as I did out of the blue and if your vet requests strict crate rest you will be in for it with your guy trying to get him used to it then. I would also have your friend stay else where with his dog. Why should you have your home disrupted. I think that is your safest option for your family and your dog.


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## pitbulljojo (Apr 2, 2009)

Crating is a MUST. I dont care if its a yorkie or a pit. I have 5 pits all have their own crates. The "boys" are never out together. 2 unfixed males is asking for trouble - a wrong look, a scrap of food and its too late. My dogs love their crates . The "girls" are fine together. I left them out of their crates to run in the yard the come in and go stand in their crates (doors open) and wait for diner. I dont tempt fate by feeding them loose. The boys are the same. Each one comes out goes to the yard then goes to stand in thier crates and wait for diner. Its not a punishment . Its their "room". Its the one place they feel safe. When there is a thunder storm I cover the crates and they chill out.
As for remembering. My bitch had 10 pups.2 we still have. Afriend of ours bought thier pup by when it was 5 months old. She tried to kill it even though it had only been gone for 6 weeks. Who knows what goes thru dogs heads . My answer is better safe than sorry . When in doubt crate and separate


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## Xiahko (Feb 24, 2010)

Bruno and my friends dog Kush are friends. They play together a lot. Now they are roomies,and the first 2-3 days Bruno was not happy about sharing his house,even with his friend.
Had to break up a few scuffles. But they get along for the most part,HOWEVER, they are both FIXED,and we watch them like hawks,and Bruno is CRATED when we are away,and Kush is a free roamer in their bedroom.
Even doggie"friends" fight when one decided he doesn;t wanna share his territory.


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