“Mentally, She Was Not There”: Person Gets Their Dog Back From The Groomer, Realizes It’s Acting Weird But Keeps Living With It For Four Months Until The Truth Comes Out
Imagine one day noticing your dog has been acting a little off. You will surely come up with a solid explanation for its changed behavior, and it probably won’t seem like a very big deal. Now the scenario takes a twisted turn when you find out it’s not even your dog you’ve been living with for the past 4 months. 121 days. 2904 hours.
This is a real story that happened to one Redditor and loving owner of a shepherd/Newf mutt named Emma. After getting Emma’s hair cut, the Redditor SecretSpud noticed she’d been acting very strange. “Physically, she was identical but mentally she was not there,” the author wrote.
“For four months I’ve been taking care of and loving this dog I was calling Emma who looked exactly like my dog but somehow different from the Emma I once knew,” the author recounted.
This is when the author’s mom got a call from Emma’s groomer and the truth, which seems stranger than fiction, came out.
The Redditor and loving owner of a dog named Emma realized her pooch was acting weird after she returned from the groomer
Image credits: Farzan Lelinwalla(not the actual photo)
Image credits: kmatija (not the actual photo)
“A dog owner can confuse their own dog with a stranger’s dog if they share similar physical characteristics,” Yulia Popyk, an animal behavior expert from Petcube Emergency Fund, commented on the case for Bored Panda. “This can happen because the owner is not paying attention to the dog’s specific features or because the dog is a mix of breeds and therefore has more generic features. If the owner is not familiar with the dog’s breed, this can also lead to confusion. Dogs of the same breed often look alike, and it can be hard to tell them apart,” Popyk explained.
When asked how stressed a dog gets when it comes to live with a family it never met before, as happened in this incident, Popyk said it depends on the dog’s personality and previous experiences. “Some dogs may feel anxious and confused in a new environment, while others may be more curious and exploratory. However, all dogs will need time to adjust to their new surroundings and owners,” she noted and added that “some dogs may experience mild stress when living with new owners, while others may become extremely stressed.”
It’s also important to notice that identical dog twins can look very similar. “They may have the same coat color, eye color, and body type. However, they may have different markings or personality traits,” Popyk said.
The animal behavior expert said that there can be some physical differences between identical dog twins, but they are typically very small. “The biggest difference between identical dog twins is usually their behavior. One twin may be more outgoing and playful, while the other may be more independent and reserved.” Moreover, it also depends on the breed of the dog. “Some breeds have very distinct markings, like Dalmatians, while others have very little difference in markings, like golden retrievers,” Popyk concluded.
Many people found the incident totally insane, others expressed their concern for the author’s dog who was away from home for four months
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I feel sorry for Bear, he clearly isn't happy at his owners. Also, this story is from 7 years ago :)
Thanks, Anna, for the update on how old this story is. I, too, feel sorry for Bear.
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I would’ve offered to keep both dogs. If Bear’s owners are so bad he didn’t want to go back to them, I would’ve paid them so I could keep him too. Poor Emma for being forced to endure four awful months with a pair of people who should never have pets. Poor Bear, having a s**t life, then thinking he’d won the lottery being sent to a different home, having it good for four months, then being forced to go back into the s**t life he had before. Which brings up a good point. How did you not notice that Emma had suddenly grown a paid of balls?
How do you not know your own dog? Come on. I have four shih tzus which is a popular breed. I know every little spot, mark, hair on their little bodies. I can even smell them apart. I would have returned in the first hour (if I wasn't paying attention) but sure as heck not four months. They all have different personalities, they walk different, stretch different, bark different. The way they eat, sit up on the window when driving, get my attention. They arent robots that are all identical. This just sounds like someone who has a dog, to have a dog. Four months! Insane!
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I got the wrong dog back from dog daycare once. I walked out with a happy black lab mix who looked just like our girl, Harvey. I went outside and sat down, waiting for my wife to pick us up, and when I pet her I thought, “Why does her fur feel so rough?” Harvey’s fur is as soft and smooth as a seal. Then I looked a little closer and noticed that my girl dog with a boy’s name was in fact a boy dog with a penis. I walked back in and got my dog back. For that and other reasons, we don’t use or recommend that place anymore.
I'm so confused at how the groomer let both of the dogs be naked at the same time without some sure fire way of telling them apart. If it was me, I would try to never let both of them have their collars off at the same time.
I work in a pizza restaurant. We have procedures to make sure the right pizza goes to the right customer. I'd expect the same for a dog groomer with two identical dogs. Just saying...
This is the groomers fault. If you have two dogs that look the same, you’d think you would take extra precaution to not mix them up. Def get micro chips for all your pets. You never know what can happen.
How do no one notice one has a penis and one doesn’t?
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How bad could the other people be if they paid to have their dog groomed? Not to mention that the other couple inquiring about bumps on the dog is the entire reason they found out the dogs were switched. Seems to me that OP is salty that the "psycho elderly couple" realized they had the wrong dog first
Paying a groomer has nothing to do with good care. Some people views pets as an accessory, they keep it good looking but can't care less about its health and mental wellbeing.
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This just happened to my neighbor last week - except in addition to looking almost identical, the dogs also had the same name! There were three "Mia"s at the groomer, and two of them looked identical after their cut. My neighbor noticed as soon as her husband came home with the dog, but the other lady had their dog for three hours and they had to argue with her to get the dogs exchanged. Wild.
Wow, that's crazy. They need a better system, maybe color tags on the dogs collars or something.
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My friend's dog was taken out of her yard years ago. She walked the whole neighborhood asking, but nobody had seen it. One neighbor had the same breed dog, but she hadn't seen it either... until a few days later it turned out the neighbor's elderly mom had seen "her" dog outside and brought it back home. The neighbor worked long hours that week and never noticed that there were 2 dogs in her house, because they didn't interact with each other until she had time to play with her dog on the weekend and it doubled.
That's actually kind of hysterical. It also ended well, which does make it much easier to laugh about.
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So, you're dredging up stories from 7 years ago? Nothing has happened in the last 7 years?? Nothing? Nothing at all. No one has had anything to say or do, there's been nothing that has happened.....
Apparently they don't know how to sort Reddit properly, probably sorted by "best" + "all time," lol. Should be sorting by "best" + "today" or maybe "this week."
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Why.....does someone keep the wrong dog? I have a cat with a lot of doppelgangers but only mine has a distinct personality and I'd know if it's not him
Bruh. She said MULTIPLE times that her dog gets anxiety when her dad is gone and with her dad gone, assumed that it was separation anxiety.
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I was given a white dog that wouldn't stay out of the junk yard. She was always dirty. So I shampooed her with brown shampoo dye and her hair turned reddish brown. Needless to say a guy drove by my house insisting this was his "red" haired dog. I tried to explain that it couldn't be.. a few days later the dog showed up missing. I hope he kept her when the shampoo washed out.
what "bribe"? it's not like you can sue the groomer for this. it was a mistake, and they can't change the past. all they can do is apologize and the gift basket was a gesture of that. what else could they have done to make you feel better about the whole thing??
The bribe is not to report them or post a negative review that they would have to admit was true.
Load More Replies... So, why did OP refer to the other couple who had Emma as near elderly psychopaths?
Well if you'd read all of the Reddit comments you'd have answered your own question.
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Holy c**p … those poor pups - I would be pissed if someone “Freaky Fridayed” my dog!!!
The groomer made a mistake and tried to make up for it with a gift basket and treats and she apologized and all you could think was this is a bribe? How old are you … 12?
I would consider it a bribe to not report them or post negative reviews. They messed up royally and a gift basket is not an appropriate way to fix that much of a mistake, refunding thier full fee for that grooming and comping the next few sessions while laying out how they will prevent it happening again might come close.
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Sorry to hear about the dogs. Hope they're ok. Seriously, mental health needs to stop being joke material for third rate comedians and start getting credible attention. It's gotten pretty bad when not even pets are immune anymore.
Agreed. But what does mental health awareness have to do with this story? 🤔
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I have been a dog groomer for the better part of 20 years and started grooming from home about 5 years and a couple of years ago, I had a client try and take my dog. Her dog and mine were twins from the same litter and were adopted from the same Petsmart event. I had no idea he had a twin because I wasn’t the one that adopted him. I took him from the guy that did.
Why the hell are you telling a story from seven years ago with fake pictures?
Most of the content on this site is copied from Reddit or other sites. And yes they have been older than even this. Nothing has changed.
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Funny enough. Was talking to someone the other day about how dogs (and other animals) can be confusing if they tend to be of a solid coloring. Of course those with patterns will be easier. But solid ones, you need to have some way to identify them. Like for me, I have a black (mix) dog. But if need to know if she's mine I would have to look at her tongue as she has some spots (like some dogs might have)
Wow, it's wonderful they got Emma back. But I feel for Bear and kinda wish she got to stay with Emma's family too!
Why even bother writing an article when it's just repeating the screens hot comments?
Because it's a clickbait site! They really don't care. They're only interested in selling advertising.
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This is common on all their posts. They also call themselves journalists when all they do is copy and paste stuff and call them articles.
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The groomer did not take enough precautions to ensure there wasnt a mix up. Before they started they should have seen the potential for this exact problem and taken extra steps. Give each dog a colored ribbon or kerchief. Stick names on the holding kennels and leashes. Put the collar back on immediately after the wash. There are lots of precautions that could be taken and it was negligence not to do so
I'm glad my dog obit needs a lithe skip of hair here and there, but didn't have to get left at the groomer - we can do it. I would be devastated if this happened to my dog. I would also be irate. I would try to sue. Short of that, I'd make sure everyone in my town knew what they did. The poor dog!
The posts they copy have been older than this. Doesn't stop people trying to reply to the Redditors who posted them.
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I feel really bad for Bear. it seems like he would have rather stayed with OP than go back to his "real" family.
I would've been back in later that day asking questions. My dog has so many quirks that I would immediately know something was up, even if he looked identical 😉
I do wonder though how they didn't notice the gender being different? I guess I'm only assuming Bear is a male but could have been a female....I've just only ever heard it applied to a boy pup. That's a crazy story though....i think as a groomer myself, i would have expected a call from the owners much sooner just to confirm nothing happened that lead to a brain injury of some kind of trauma! But I'm glad all is well that ends well at least!
So glad I have an uncommon breed. I would know right away because she'd act like a dog, lol.
How can you not know your own dog? Even if the dogs look alike, you'd know your own dog. It's like saying how you can't keep identical twins apart. Their close ones always know.
This is so weird..I know the discoloration in my cats irises and can draw the patterns on his head by memory. It seems so odd to not know the difference.
I would have had to try to convince the other owners I needed their dog now too
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Posts on this site have been copied from even older posts. This is nothing new.
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Bear is usually a boys name. But I'm assuming it was a girl because they would have definitely knew it wasnt Emma then right?
The author said they were twin sisters, so yes Bear was a girl. And many Nuffies are named Bear, both male and female because they all look like fluffy bears especially the black ones.
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LOL This is how uyou know this person didn't train their dog. My dog has hand signal commands and specific whistle that order specific actions. She is also a fantastic catcher, able to jump 8-10 feet off the ground to catch a ball or frisbee. If your dog doesn't have anything that sets it apart, that differentiates it from other dogs of the breed, it's because you're a poor pet owner. Redditors are, traditionally, terrible pet owners. Ask the Vegan Cat owners.
Sorry I do not believe that this post is real. There is no way in hell you can have a completely different dog in your home and not be able to tell. Four days of baffled curiosity and then the penny drops?, yeah, maybe. But four months? Nope, not buying it. Regardless of whether these dogs were identical in looks, dogs are as unique as you or I in all their behaviour and personality. I know the unique swirls on my dogs tail, the look in their eye when they recognise me, the slobber that only happens when bananas are given etc etc. This is a ridiculous story that I don't believe actually happened. Maybe an embellishment on a mix up that took a few days to sort out, perhaps?. Anyone who truly loves a dog knows this story is just silly.
I think you may not be giving yourself enough credit for what a good dog owner you are. Not saying this person isn't, but so many ppl barely even look at their dogs, let alone spend real quality time w them ❤️🐶
Load More Replies... Erm yes. This is Bored Panda, a clickbait site that copies its content, and it has been older. You're surprised?
Load More Replies... Ok… Bear would have a penis? Vet tech here, how did no one spot this for four months?? Male dogs and female dogs urinate very differently (even males not lifting their leg) and there is the penis?! Not buying it… sorry, I’ve worked with identical and identical sibling pets, not even living with them I can tell who is who 🤷♀️ Especially if one is male vs female 🤦♀️
Since you just had to post this twice, two days after this misapprehension has been cleared up multiple times. No, Bear did not have a penis. Bear was a girl. I think you’re overestimating your powers of observation if you can manage to read an entire post and multiple comments identifying Bear as she/her but still insist ‘he’ has a penis. You’re probably a great vet tech, maybe work a bit on your reading skills? Just sayin’
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Twin sister pups, and anxiety. You're obviously illiterate and the a**e hole.
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I've had a dog for 10 years and only have two pictures of her. She does not like pictures, and does her best to avoid them. It can happen. Stop judging so harshly, and work on being literate to understand the words you're reading. They were both female dogs, twin sisters from the same litter. The separation anxiety is why they assumed she was acting different, and bear did indeed respond to emma. Please ..... Don't comment on things you obviously haven't paid attention to.
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"Their dog is my dog's almost identical twin SISTER from the same litter."
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I feel sorry for Bear, he clearly isn't happy at his owners. Also, this story is from 7 years ago :)
Thanks, Anna, for the update on how old this story is. I, too, feel sorry for Bear.
Load More Replies... I would’ve offered to keep both dogs. If Bear’s owners are so bad he didn’t want to go back to them, I would’ve paid them so I could keep him too. Poor Emma for being forced to endure four awful months with a pair of people who should never have pets. Poor Bear, having a s**t life, then thinking he’d won the lottery being sent to a different home, having it good for four months, then being forced to go back into the s**t life he had before. Which brings up a good point. How did you not notice that Emma had suddenly grown a paid of balls?
How do you not know your own dog? Come on. I have four shih tzus which is a popular breed. I know every little spot, mark, hair on their little bodies. I can even smell them apart. I would have returned in the first hour (if I wasn't paying attention) but sure as heck not four months. They all have different personalities, they walk different, stretch different, bark different. The way they eat, sit up on the window when driving, get my attention. They arent robots that are all identical. This just sounds like someone who has a dog, to have a dog. Four months! Insane!
Load More Replies... I got the wrong dog back from dog daycare once. I walked out with a happy black lab mix who looked just like our girl, Harvey. I went outside and sat down, waiting for my wife to pick us up, and when I pet her I thought, “Why does her fur feel so rough?” Harvey’s fur is as soft and smooth as a seal. Then I looked a little closer and noticed that my girl dog with a boy’s name was in fact a boy dog with a penis. I walked back in and got my dog back. For that and other reasons, we don’t use or recommend that place anymore.
I'm so confused at how the groomer let both of the dogs be naked at the same time without some sure fire way of telling them apart. If it was me, I would try to never let both of them have their collars off at the same time.
I work in a pizza restaurant. We have procedures to make sure the right pizza goes to the right customer. I'd expect the same for a dog groomer with two identical dogs. Just saying...
This is the groomers fault. If you have two dogs that look the same, you’d think you would take extra precaution to not mix them up. Def get micro chips for all your pets. You never know what can happen.
How do no one notice one has a penis and one doesn’t?
Load More Replies... How bad could the other people be if they paid to have their dog groomed? Not to mention that the other couple inquiring about bumps on the dog is the entire reason they found out the dogs were switched. Seems to me that OP is salty that the "psycho elderly couple" realized they had the wrong dog first
Paying a groomer has nothing to do with good care. Some people views pets as an accessory, they keep it good looking but can't care less about its health and mental wellbeing.
Load More Replies... This just happened to my neighbor last week - except in addition to looking almost identical, the dogs also had the same name! There were three "Mia"s at the groomer, and two of them looked identical after their cut. My neighbor noticed as soon as her husband came home with the dog, but the other lady had their dog for three hours and they had to argue with her to get the dogs exchanged. Wild.
Wow, that's crazy. They need a better system, maybe color tags on the dogs collars or something.
Load More Replies... My friend's dog was taken out of her yard years ago. She walked the whole neighborhood asking, but nobody had seen it. One neighbor had the same breed dog, but she hadn't seen it either... until a few days later it turned out the neighbor's elderly mom had seen "her" dog outside and brought it back home. The neighbor worked long hours that week and never noticed that there were 2 dogs in her house, because they didn't interact with each other until she had time to play with her dog on the weekend and it doubled.
That's actually kind of hysterical. It also ended well, which does make it much easier to laugh about.
Load More Replies... So, you're dredging up stories from 7 years ago? Nothing has happened in the last 7 years?? Nothing? Nothing at all. No one has had anything to say or do, there's been nothing that has happened.....
Apparently they don't know how to sort Reddit properly, probably sorted by "best" + "all time," lol. Should be sorting by "best" + "today" or maybe "this week."
Load More Replies... Why.....does someone keep the wrong dog? I have a cat with a lot of doppelgangers but only mine has a distinct personality and I'd know if it's not him
Bruh. She said MULTIPLE times that her dog gets anxiety when her dad is gone and with her dad gone, assumed that it was separation anxiety.
Load More Replies... I was given a white dog that wouldn't stay out of the junk yard. She was always dirty. So I shampooed her with brown shampoo dye and her hair turned reddish brown. Needless to say a guy drove by my house insisting this was his "red" haired dog. I tried to explain that it couldn't be.. a few days later the dog showed up missing. I hope he kept her when the shampoo washed out.
what "bribe"? it's not like you can sue the groomer for this. it was a mistake, and they can't change the past. all they can do is apologize and the gift basket was a gesture of that. what else could they have done to make you feel better about the whole thing??
The bribe is not to report them or post a negative review that they would have to admit was true.
Load More Replies... So, why did OP refer to the other couple who had Emma as near elderly psychopaths?
Well if you'd read all of the Reddit comments you'd have answered your own question.
Load More Replies... Holy c**p … those poor pups - I would be pissed if someone “Freaky Fridayed” my dog!!!
The groomer made a mistake and tried to make up for it with a gift basket and treats and she apologized and all you could think was this is a bribe? How old are you … 12?
I would consider it a bribe to not report them or post negative reviews. They messed up royally and a gift basket is not an appropriate way to fix that much of a mistake, refunding thier full fee for that grooming and comping the next few sessions while laying out how they will prevent it happening again might come close.
Load More Replies... Sorry to hear about the dogs. Hope they're ok. Seriously, mental health needs to stop being joke material for third rate comedians and start getting credible attention. It's gotten pretty bad when not even pets are immune anymore.
Agreed. But what does mental health awareness have to do with this story? 🤔
Load More Replies... I have been a dog groomer for the better part of 20 years and started grooming from home about 5 years and a couple of years ago, I had a client try and take my dog. Her dog and mine were twins from the same litter and were adopted from the same Petsmart event. I had no idea he had a twin because I wasn’t the one that adopted him. I took him from the guy that did.
Why the hell are you telling a story from seven years ago with fake pictures?
Most of the content on this site is copied from Reddit or other sites. And yes they have been older than even this. Nothing has changed.
Load More Replies... Funny enough. Was talking to someone the other day about how dogs (and other animals) can be confusing if they tend to be of a solid coloring. Of course those with patterns will be easier. But solid ones, you need to have some way to identify them. Like for me, I have a black (mix) dog. But if need to know if she's mine I would have to look at her tongue as she has some spots (like some dogs might have)
Wow, it's wonderful they got Emma back. But I feel for Bear and kinda wish she got to stay with Emma's family too!
Why even bother writing an article when it's just repeating the screens hot comments?
Because it's a clickbait site! They really don't care. They're only interested in selling advertising.
Load More Replies... This is common on all their posts. They also call themselves journalists when all they do is copy and paste stuff and call them articles.
Load More Replies... The groomer did not take enough precautions to ensure there wasnt a mix up. Before they started they should have seen the potential for this exact problem and taken extra steps. Give each dog a colored ribbon or kerchief. Stick names on the holding kennels and leashes. Put the collar back on immediately after the wash. There are lots of precautions that could be taken and it was negligence not to do so
I'm glad my dog obit needs a lithe skip of hair here and there, but didn't have to get left at the groomer - we can do it. I would be devastated if this happened to my dog. I would also be irate. I would try to sue. Short of that, I'd make sure everyone in my town knew what they did. The poor dog!
The posts they copy have been older than this. Doesn't stop people trying to reply to the Redditors who posted them.
Load More Replies... I feel really bad for Bear. it seems like he would have rather stayed with OP than go back to his "real" family.
I would've been back in later that day asking questions. My dog has so many quirks that I would immediately know something was up, even if he looked identical 😉
I do wonder though how they didn't notice the gender being different? I guess I'm only assuming Bear is a male but could have been a female....I've just only ever heard it applied to a boy pup. That's a crazy story though....i think as a groomer myself, i would have expected a call from the owners much sooner just to confirm nothing happened that lead to a brain injury of some kind of trauma! But I'm glad all is well that ends well at least!
So glad I have an uncommon breed. I would know right away because she'd act like a dog, lol.
How can you not know your own dog? Even if the dogs look alike, you'd know your own dog. It's like saying how you can't keep identical twins apart. Their close ones always know.
This is so weird..I know the discoloration in my cats irises and can draw the patterns on his head by memory. It seems so odd to not know the difference.
I would have had to try to convince the other owners I needed their dog now too
Load More Replies... Posts on this site have been copied from even older posts. This is nothing new.
Load More Replies... Bear is usually a boys name. But I'm assuming it was a girl because they would have definitely knew it wasnt Emma then right?
The author said they were twin sisters, so yes Bear was a girl. And many Nuffies are named Bear, both male and female because they all look like fluffy bears especially the black ones.
Load More Replies... LOL This is how uyou know this person didn't train their dog. My dog has hand signal commands and specific whistle that order specific actions. She is also a fantastic catcher, able to jump 8-10 feet off the ground to catch a ball or frisbee. If your dog doesn't have anything that sets it apart, that differentiates it from other dogs of the breed, it's because you're a poor pet owner. Redditors are, traditionally, terrible pet owners. Ask the Vegan Cat owners.
Sorry I do not believe that this post is real. There is no way in hell you can have a completely different dog in your home and not be able to tell. Four days of baffled curiosity and then the penny drops?, yeah, maybe. But four months? Nope, not buying it. Regardless of whether these dogs were identical in looks, dogs are as unique as you or I in all their behaviour and personality. I know the unique swirls on my dogs tail, the look in their eye when they recognise me, the slobber that only happens when bananas are given etc etc. This is a ridiculous story that I don't believe actually happened. Maybe an embellishment on a mix up that took a few days to sort out, perhaps?. Anyone who truly loves a dog knows this story is just silly.
I think you may not be giving yourself enough credit for what a good dog owner you are. Not saying this person isn't, but so many ppl barely even look at their dogs, let alone spend real quality time w them ❤️🐶
Load More Replies... Erm yes. This is Bored Panda, a clickbait site that copies its content, and it has been older. You're surprised?
Load More Replies... Ok… Bear would have a penis? Vet tech here, how did no one spot this for four months?? Male dogs and female dogs urinate very differently (even males not lifting their leg) and there is the penis?! Not buying it… sorry, I’ve worked with identical and identical sibling pets, not even living with them I can tell who is who 🤷♀️ Especially if one is male vs female 🤦♀️
Since you just had to post this twice, two days after this misapprehension has been cleared up multiple times. No, Bear did not have a penis. Bear was a girl. I think you’re overestimating your powers of observation if you can manage to read an entire post and multiple comments identifying Bear as she/her but still insist ‘he’ has a penis. You’re probably a great vet tech, maybe work a bit on your reading skills? Just sayin’
Load More Replies... Twin sister pups, and anxiety. You're obviously illiterate and the a**e hole.
Load More Replies... I've had a dog for 10 years and only have two pictures of her. She does not like pictures, and does her best to avoid them. It can happen. Stop judging so harshly, and work on being literate to understand the words you're reading. They were both female dogs, twin sisters from the same litter. The separation anxiety is why they assumed she was acting different, and bear did indeed respond to emma. Please ..... Don't comment on things you obviously haven't paid attention to.
Load More Replies... "Their dog is my dog's almost identical twin SISTER from the same litter."
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