Two little dogs born to the same mother a year ago, recognised each other after they were reunited by chance on a beach.
Smudge and Betsie the Cocker Spaniels, were born on January 6, 2022 but had not seen each other for more than 11 months when they met on Christmas Day as their families watched a Christmas swim at the same beach in Co Kerry.
Smudge's owner Noel McCluskey, told DogsLive: "We had a Christmas miracle on Fenit Beach beside our house when our dog Smudge and another dog randomly start playing with each other.
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"The two sets of owners noticed similarities between the dogs and we start chatting to each other only to find out find that both dogs were born on the same date in the same place and were sold by the same registered breeder to two separate Dublin families.
"We checked through our photos and discovered the same parent pics on our phones to and realised the dogs had to be from the same litter. Betsie's owner lives in Tralee and we have just recently move to the area from Dublin.
"So the dogs were reunited on the beach as we went down to watch the Fenit Christmas swim. They really got on well and seemed to recognise each other. It was fantastic and we just loved the coincidence of how it all came together.
"Now we'll be seeing each other a lot because we both use the same beach so there will be plenty more fun for Smudge and Betsie on the sand."
Research shows it is possible for dogs to recognise their littermates and it is believed to be linked to their strong sense of smell which they use to identify other dogs and recognise familiar scents.
When dogs are born, they are exposed to the scent of their mother and littermates which helps them to recognise and bond with their family members. And as they grow and develop, it is believed dogs may continue to use scent as a way to identify and recognise their littermates.
In addition to scent, dogs may also use visual cues such as facial features and body language, to recognise their siblings. And as dogs develop strong social bonds, they have the ability to form close relationships with other dogs, so it is likely that they are able to recognise their littermates throughout their lives.
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