Cognitive ability and conscious of time.

Books that I had read consider dogs to live by the moment. However, I had been observing my 2 chows chows greeting behaviour and have come to a conclusion that they do have some a sense of times.
when I return home from work, greeting from them consist of a mild wag of the tail and they just crowd around waiting for a pat, and will return into the house after a pat, nothing spectacular.

Greeting when I return a from a trip is boisterous. Santa our 1year old will jump up to greet me and try to lick my face,Layback Teddy will bring my house slipper or her toy and leave it at my feet. It requires a few body hugs and rubbing of their heads to calm them down. They will follow tightly around me to my room, with their excited panting waiting for me to change. When I relax on the soft, Santa and Teddy will jump on the sofa  and sandwiching me in between and start to click my hands, legs or any part of my body that they can come into contact with.

My son returns from the University every weekend, he will received the same boisterous greeting, and the 2 dogs will follow him into his room, it will be  a while before they come out off the room.

I have been pondering on this difference in greeting. Do dogs have the ability to detect that the person that they love  have been away for sometime.I had been observing this greeting behaviour for over a year, and I have to come to a conclusion that they do have cognitive ability and  a sense of understanding who are in the pack. They do miss a person if he or she is away for sometime.

It is this warm greeting that makes dog owners love their companion dogs. The uncanny way our dogs showered their love touch our heart deeply.