Can Dogs Remember Abuse?

Animal abuse — it's a topic none of us like to think about, but something that nonetheless affects tens of thousands of dogs in the United States each year.

Abuse can take many forms. It can be active, such as deliberately hurting a dog with an act of violence, or passive, which involves harming an animal through neglect. Sadly, the impact of abuse on dogs and other animals can be devastating and have long-lasting effects.

The good news is that animal rescue and welfare groups right around the country work tirelessly to place animals in need with pet parents who can provide them with proper care and a loving home. But if you're thinking of adopting a rescue dog, or if you've already welcomed a rescue into your home, you may be wondering about the psychological effects mistreatment can have on dogs.

Can dogs remember past abuse? Let's take a closer look.

In some cases, the signs of abuse may be apparent in the form of broken bones, physical scars, malnutrition, or sores. However, you can also detect signs of a history of abuse in your dog's physical or emotional behavior.

For example, some dogs will appear nervous and fearful in a variety of situations, such as being approached by people. This fear can manifest in a variety of ways — some dogs may cower, tremble, and show signs of submissive behavior, while others may respond with aggression and growl, snap, show their teeth, and guard their food.

In other cases, a previously abused dog may develop a strong bond with their new, loving pet parent and suffer from separation anxiety when left alone. This could result in whining, howling, and destructive behavior when the dog is left to their own devices.

As for dogs remembering past abuse, there are certainly plenty of indicators that dogs may be capable of associating present-day situations with traumatic experiences from earlier in life. For example, you may notice your pup is wary or afraid of specific people, such as people in uniform or all men.

Dogs can also show signs of potential past abuse when confronted with specific situations. For example, your pet may have a strange reaction when you reach for a common household object they may have been hit with before, such as a fly swat.

And if you've ever known a dog to be nervous or afraid when they realize they're going to the vet clinic, a place where they've experienced pain or discomfort in the past, you'll be well aware that unpleasant associations can affect the way your pup behaves. The challenge is working out whether your dog fears the vet's office because they specifically remember going there and being jabbed with a needle, for example, or whether they just associate a general feeling of fear with vet visits.

How can anyone mistreat another living being? This is a question that every animal lover struggles to answer. For those of us who would never think of harming a dog, it's hard to comprehend what motivates people to commit any act of animal cruelty.

However, cruelty to animals through abuse and neglect is an area of human behavior and psychology that we're continually learning more about. Numerous studies have shown that the perpetrators of animal cruelty are much more likely to commit other violent crimes. There are also links between animal abuse and domestic violence, with up to 8 out of 10 women in domestic violence shelters reporting that the family pet had been abused, threatened, or even killed by their abuser.

Of course, there are many different reasons why people abuse animals. In cases of neglect, for example, it may simply be due to ignorance about the proper way to care for a dog.

The good news is that felony provisions are now included in animal cruelty laws in all 50 US states. And while the official statistics surrounding animal abuse and cruelty are limited in their scope, they are improving.

Since 2016, the FBI has been collecting data from law enforcement agencies around the country about crimes involving animal cruelty. In 2019, over 9,900 incidents of animal cruelty were reported in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). However, the real number is likely significantly higher, as the law enforcement agencies participating in the reporting program at the time represented only 48.9 percent of the population.

Wouldn't it be great if our dogs could tell us exactly how they're feeling, and what they remember? Because our dogs can't speak to us — at least, not in any language we understand — there's no way of knowing exactly how their memory works and what sort of memories they may have stored away in their brain.

However, we're slowly beginning to understand more about how our pets remember things. We know that dogs experience "semantic memory", which is essentially the ability to remember real-world facts and knowledge.

A human example of semantic memory is remembering your phone number or how to find a specific country on a map, while dogs showcase this type of memory by remembering that when you pick up their leash it's time for a walk.

The second type of memory we need to wrap our heads around is "episodic memory", which is the ability to remember a specific event that happened to you in the past — not just what it was but also where and when it happened. For many years, scientists believed that only humans were capable of episodic memory, which is thought to be linked with self-awareness.

But studies have shown that dogs may in fact be capable of episodic memory. A 2016 study tested whether dogs use this type of memory when recalling the past actions of humans, and found evidence that dogs can rely on what the authors termed "episodic-like memory". The study also showed that just like humans, dogs' episodic memory decays over time.

A follow-up study published in 2020 tested dogs' ability to remember and repeat actions they had spontaneously performed in the past. The results showed that dogs could repeat those actions after delays ranging from a few seconds to as long as 1 hour, once again revealing the presence of episodic-like memory.

And in a 2019 study published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, it was shown that dogs use odor cues to aid their episodic-like memory of the what, where, and when of past events.

So even though we don't know exactly how dogs' memory works or how much they remember, the science suggests that they may retain a lot more than we realize.

So you've adopted a dog that you either know or suspect has been a victim of abuse in the past. Where to from here?

The best approach will obviously depend on the severity of abuse your pet suffered and how it affects their behavior and emotional well-being. But as a general rule, the focus should be on making your dog feel safe and loved, building a relationship of trust, and building their confidence.

To do that, create a loving home environment for your pet. Make sure all their care needs are met — provide food and shelter, and give them a safe space they can retreat to whenever they feel overwhelmed or frightened.

Most of all, remember to be patient. Depending on their circumstances, it may take months for your dog to feel comfortable around you, so don't try to force them into doing anything they want. Take it slowly and let them come to you.

Once you've built a solid base, regular training is a great way to boost your pup's confidence and strengthen the bond you share with them. Training teaches your dog to trust you, helps them understand the right way to behave in a wide range of situations, and also provides important mental stimulation.

Tackling other problem behaviors resulting from past abuse may require more of a targeted approach. For example, if your dog suffers from separation anxiety, you could focus on teaching your dog to settle and reducing the stress and anxiety surrounding your departure. If your dog is afraid of men, you might need to take a softly, softly approach to desensitizing your dog to being around men. In some cases, you may need help from an experienced trainer or veterinary behaviorist to help your pup overcome their behavioral problems.

Rehabilitating an abused animal takes a lot of hard work and patience, but it's worth it. Watching a rescue dog regain full health, heal their emotional wounds, grow in confidence, and let their true personality shine through is incredibly rewarding. Whether or not they fully remember their sad past is neither here nor there, as they're still "pawfectly" capable of being wonderful companions for the right people.

Got more questions about your dog's behavior? Chat with a veterinary expert to get answers about your pet’s quirks, health, and more!