Do Dogs Know Their Siblings? Dog Family Reunions Reconnect Long Lost Littermates
Do dogs know their siblings, even after they’ve been separated? The story of Lilly, Blue and Lulu makes a compelling argument. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and Lilly and Blue were relaxing in the cool grass of their backyard when Lulu hesitantly walked through the gate. At first Lilly and Blue were too comfortable to be bothered to greet their company. Then, a breeze wafted through the air and two small noses began to twitch. Lilly rose from her soporific state and slowly approached the small brown creature. The two dogs—identical except for the pink collar Lulu was wearing—stared at each other for a minute. Suddenly two pairs of eyes widened and the sisters slowly inched toward each other until they were nose to nose. As if given permission, their brother Blue joined the girls. For a good 10 minutes the puppies, litter mates who were rescued from the street by 100+ Abandoned Dogs of the Everglades in southeast Florida and separated about two months earlier, reacquainted themselves with each other. Rescue founder Amy Roman keeps track of each dog in her care and occasionally sets up dog sibling reunions for the pups after they’ve found forever homes.
