While it's unlikely we'll stumble into a long lost sibling in the street, there's a huge possibility that dogs will come face-to-face with their littermates in the park.
One third of dog owners in the UK got their puppy from a breeder last year, meaning hundreds of siblings could potentially be living nearby.
We know how clever canines are, but can they really recognise a relative later in life? Does their shared DNA mean they've got an everlasting memory?
Canine Cottages has teamed up with accredited dog trainer, Joe Nutkins, to find out once and for all if it's possible.
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Do dogs remember their siblings later in life?
Depending on when the pup is rehomed, dogs can recognise their relatives later in life.
If puppy littermates remain together for the first 16 weeks of the puppy's life, the chances are they'll spot their relatives later on, at least for a few years.
But there are exceptions - pups that are rehomed before the 16-week mark are less likely to recognise one another later on.
And even if pups did live together for the full time, if they don't meet each other for the first six or seven years afterwards, it might result in them not remembering.
Joe explains: "Littermates develop a very close bond in their first few weeks together and it takes a great deal for that bond to be broken.
"When families have two puppies from the same litter, they can do everything with the puppies separately, but they will still gravitate to each other at any opportunity and a big part of this is because of their close bond since birth."
Do parents recognise their offspring later in life?
It’s less likely sires (the father) and pups will recognise one another as they don’t spend much time together during the pups’ crucial formative weeks.
If the pups are able to stay with the dams (the mother) for the first 12-16 weeks of their lives, it’s likely they will remember their mum into adulthood, maybe even further than that.
The longer they stay together, the better the odds of them recognising one another are.
If they are rehomed sooner, they might not be able to remember their mum and forget her scent.
Joe said: "A sire and dam would be able to recognise their offspring after a few days apart.
"In fact, a mother would be likely to recognise her offspring up to a few years, and the puppies would recognise their mother’s pheromone scent for years.
"For male dogs, they are more likely to associate a puppy with the mother’s scent so a puppy that has been apart from both mum and dad for a period is less likely to be recognised by the sire, or vice versa."
How do you know if dogs recognise their relatives when they meet?
The chances are that if you dog recognises a relative, they will be smelling them more, and most likely be more relaxed than they would be with other new dogs.
Joe said: "Signs dogs recognise their relatives can often include playful nuzzling, sniffing each other’s faces and mouths and circling with friendly body language such as play bows, tail wags and small barks.
"If dogs used to play or interact in a certain way previously, they will often revert straight to this upon meeting again.
"You might find that a dog recognises a sibling, parent or puppy from a distance and so may stand still and watch quietly while they are subtly scenting the air to really use their olfactory system which will help with recognition."
What might come as a surprise is that dogs can recognise other dogs they met during the formative 16-week period, whether they are relatives or not.
In fact, they're just as likely to recognise this dog as they are their siblings.
Do you have a dog story to sell? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
