Introduction
It’s no secret that dogs are beloved members of many families. As pets, dogs form close bonds with their human families and show their affection through behaviors like cuddling, playing, and tail wagging. But dogs also form strong bonds with other members of their own kind. While dog families may not look exactly like human ones, research shows that dogs do recognize family bonds and relationships with their littermates, offspring, parents and more. In fact, some experts suggest that dogs who live in multi-dog homes and spend time together may see each other as members of a “pack” with defined relationships and social structures – not too different from the relationships human families share.
Dog Family Units
In the wild, dogs naturally form close family groups known as packs. African wild dogs, for example, live in packs that average 5-20 adult dogs and their pups. The pack has an alpha male and female that lead the group (Macaulay). Packs function much like human families, working cooperatively to hunt, raise young, and protect their territory. There are strong social bonds between pack members who live, travel, and hunt together throughout their lives.
Wild dog packs typically include the breeding pair, their offspring from previous litters, and other non-breeding adult dogs. All members of the pack help care for the pups by bringing food, watching over, playing with, and teaching them. This family-like structure and communal pup rearing is key to wild dogs’ survival (PBS).
Bonds Between Dogs
Dogs are very social animals and form strong bonds with other dogs, especially those they live with. Dogs will demonstrate affection for another dog by actions such as snuggling, gently playing together, grooming each other, or simply sitting close together 1. Female dogs raising a litter will exhibit maternal behaviors like nursing, cleaning, and protecting the puppies. Puppies will seek comfort and warmth from their mother as well as littermates. Two non-related adult dogs living together will often develop a sibling-like bond, playing and sleeping near one another. Dogs also communicate their fondness through body language like a play bow inviting the other dog to play, or a submissive sideways lean showing trust and affection. Overall, dogs form strong social connections and family-like bonds with other dogs they cohabitate with, demonstrated by physical closeness, grooming, play, and protective behaviors.
Raising Litters
Dogs form strong family bonds when raising a litter of puppies together. The mother usually handles most of the physical care like nursing, while the father plays a protective role. According to this source, dog parents work together to transport, groom, supervise, and teach important life skills to their puppies during the first weeks. The father will often regurgitate food for the mother and puppies in the early stages. Both parents are very attentive and affectionate with their newborns.
Having two dog parents jointly involved in raising puppies leads to better socialization and care. The puppies learn how to properly interact from observing their parents’ behavior. They also receive more supervision and nutiition with two attentive parents. The parents can take turns watching the litter, allowing each to briefly rest. Overall, puppies benefit greatly from having both their mother and father present during the initial weeks.
Adopted Dogs as Family
When a dog is adopted into a new family, there is typically an adjustment period as the dog gets to know its new family members. However, most dogs are remarkably adaptable and with time and patience, adopted dogs form strong bonds and become cherished members of their new families.
It’s important for newly adopted dogs to be gradually introduced to their new family members through initial meetings and interactions that are calm and positive (Rescue Dog Gets Adopted & Joins Our Family! – YouTube). Setting up a safe and comfortable space for the adopted dog can help them feel secure as they acclimate to their new home. Owners should follow tips like the “3-3-3 rule” which gives a new dog 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn the routine, and 3 months to feel fully at home.
As an adopted dog spends more time with its new family, it begins to form attachments and see family members as his trusted circle. Adopted dogs can become extremely loyal to and protective of the very same people who took them in and made them part of the family. With patience and love, an adopted dog transitions from wary newcomer to fully embraced family member.
Dogs Mourning Loss
Dogs definitely grieve when they lose a canine companion. They may show symptoms like lethargy, loss of appetite, restlessness, whimpering, pacing, and searching for the lost companion. Some signs can appear immediately, while others may show up weeks or months later. Grieving the loss of a dog companion is a normal process dogs go through.
For example, one study from the University of Milan observed changes in dogs’ behavior after their canine companion died or was removed from the home. The dogs exhibited more attention-seeking behavior toward their owners, aggression toward other dogs in the home, andfearful reactions on walks where they used to walk with their companion (https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/do-dogs-mourn).
Other examples come from dog owners sharing their experiences online. One owner described their dog whimpering, pacing, and waiting by the door for weeks after her canine companion died (https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/3dzz0p/discussion_how_long_does_a_dog_grieve/). Another observed their dog laying his head on his companion’s bed and toys and refusing to eat normally in the days after she passed away.
It’s clear dogs feel the loss when a beloved companion is gone and exhibit mournful behaviors. With patience and support, dog owners can help their pets through the grieving process.
Dogs Recognizing Relatives
Research shows that dogs rely heavily on scent to recognize their relatives. According to a Wag Walking article, “These dogs recognize one another by scent. There really is no clear evidence that dogs have strong family ties. If you are fortunate to know the lineages of your dogs, you may notice they act differently to their siblings or parents, but this likely has more to do with familiarity than a conscious knowledge of the family connection.”
While sibling or parent-offspring recognition may rely more on familiarity, dogs can differentiate relatives from non-relatives through scent. As the Wag Walking article explains, “When dogs live in the same home together, they develop a very similar “family” smell that allows them to recognize each other as family. This is likely more obvious between immediate family like siblings or parents and offspring.”
So while dogs may not consciously recognize family relationships, their strong sense of smell allows them to identify relatives based on a familiar familial scent.
Family-like Dog Relationships
Dogs are capable of forming close bonds with other dogs, even if they are not biologically related. When dogs live together or interact frequently, they often begin to treat each other like family members. According to a Quora post, dogs are social animals that can form attachments and relationships beyond just their human owners.
For example, two puppies raised together from a young age will usually develop a strong sibling-like bond. They play together, sleep curled up next to each other, and look out for one another. This bond can last a lifetime, even if the dogs are later separated. Additionally, when an adult dog accepts a new puppy into its home, it may take on a parental role, teaching the puppy manners and appropriate play behaviors.
Adult dogs that live together or interact regularly also frequently form close friendships. They get excited to see each other, play well together, and prefer each other’s company. Some dog owners report that their dogs even mourn the loss of a canine companion who passes away or moves away, indicating the depth of their bond.
So while dogs form strong attachments to their human families, they are also capable of developing family-like relationships with other canines. Their natural social instincts allow them to create meaningful bonds both across and within species.
Human-Dog Families
Dogs form extremely strong bonds with their human families and often view them as their pack. Just as wolves have complex social structures and relationships within their pack, dogs see their human families in a similar way.
Research has shown that dogs relate to their human caregivers much like human children bond with their parents. The attachment is so strong that dogs show signs of distress when separated from their humans, much like a young child separated from their parent or caregiver.[1]
This parent-child dynamic indicates that dogs don’t merely see humans as masters giving them food and shelter. Instead, dogs form profound emotional bonds and view their humans as family and pack members. Many dog owners report that their dogs are highly attuned to the moods and emotions of family members, further evidencing the depth of connection.
On online forums, many dog owners share anecdotes about how their dogs comfort sad family members or get excited when a family member returns after an absence, like a parent coming home from work. These behaviors resemble those of human children in family units. Just as children play, cuddle, and bond with their parents, dogs engage in similar family-like behaviors with their human pack.[2]
Overall, the strong attachment and caregiving behaviors exhibited between dogs and their human families indicates that dogs view us as more than just masters – they see us as their pack.[3]
Conclusion
In summary, dogs form strong family bonds with each other, their human families, and even across species between dogs and humans. Research shows puppies form attachments to their mothers and littermates from a very young age, similar to human children bonding to their parents and siblings. These family connections continue into adulthood, as dogs living together or who are related see each other as family and companions. Dogs adopted into new homes are able to form familial bonds with their new human and canine families over time. The grief dogs exhibit when they lose a family member, whether canine or human, further demonstrates how deeply they perceive their families. While dogs do not have the same cognitive understanding of family as humans, they display similar behaviors and attachments, suggesting they have an innate sense of their family unit. The evidence clearly shows dogs have evolved as a highly social species with the capacity to create lifelong family bonds essential to their emotional wellbeing.