Research Claims Some Dogs Can Distinguish Between Twins — Owners Share Real Life Experiences

"I'm married to an identical twin, so trust me when I say, it's not easy to tell the difference between them, at least in the beginning. There's been no dearth of anecdotes in the family as well, when one was mistaken for the other, with hilarious repercussions."

If humans can confuse identical twins, what about dogs? There is research that claims specially-trained dogs can distinguish between identical twins, raised in the same environment. So let's hear it from twins themselves, if their doggos truly know the difference.

• I think my dog is too dumb to realize we are twins and just comes to whoever calls her name because she thinks there is food involved. WaterHizzle / Reddit
• I have an identical twin sister and a dog. My dog is pretty much happy to see everyone but can definitely tell us apart. He will play with her and cuddle, but when we're just bumming around, he hangs around me if she's not calling his attention. The breed is also notorious for having pretty intense separation anxiety.
  She has a cat, and he doesn't really care about either of us. blazzedd / Reddit
• Not a twin story, but I have an adopted brother (who is black) and my dog LOVES him. So, if she sees a young black man-she goes instantly nuts and wants his attention…so to her, all young black men look like my brother. I mean, it's casually wholesome on her part, but what are you going to do? jessdb19 / Reddit
• My fiancée has a twin and my dogs can tell them apart, but only when they are close enough to get a good whiff. They often run over to her twin in an attempt to get my fiancée's special belly rubs (I don't know what she does, but my dogs LOVE them and I can't replicate them). After they realize that it's her twin, they run back over to me with a hurt face (like I'm the one who switched them out) and then immediately go searching for my actual fiancée. Unknown author / Reddit

• Not a twin, but have a pair of friends who are. My dog got so confused last time they were over. He had been put in the yard when one twin came in, and after being let in had of course run to her for loves and attention.
  Then the twin sister came in. 99% sure I smelt burnt toast from his two brain cells frying. He was absolutely flabbergasted. thetexang**** / Reddit
• My grandfather had an identical twin who lived out of state, and came to his funeral. At the house after, all of my grandfather's chihuahuas followed his twin around the house. bcbaabc / Reddit
• Don't have a twin, but my dad has a brother who looks identical except for the facial hair. When my dad shaved, he looked a lot like his twin brother, my uncle. When he came to visit us, our dog bit my dad, mistaking him for a stranger and greeted my uncle instead. AverageReditor13 / Reddit
• I am one of three girls in my family, and we all look freakishly similar despite the age differences. I mean so much so that my brothers-in-law have accidentally came up and kissed me on the cheek or otherwise treated me like their wife before noticing.
  My oldest sister has a dachshund that HATES everyone but her. That extends to me 90% of the time. But at least once or twice when I visit my sister, or she visits me with her dog, her evil wiener dog will come running up to me and leap into my arms like I am her mother. Then comes the realization, a moment later, and she will go snarling before scrambling away from me. Gaby Martino / Quora

• My dog couldn't recognize me when I put on a baseball cap (I don't wear them often). JuRoJa / Reddit
• We know our parent's dog can tell us apart because she'll always do tricks when I tell her, but never for my brother. Something about him makes her just not see him as being able to control her, I guess. PsuedocodeRed / Reddit
• Moved away from home, came back to visit and met my brother's dog, who at first thought I was my brother, came running up super excited and as soon as he was close enough to smell me he FROZE… *Confused look*… *All The barking!!!!*
  And then my brother came out to see what was going on, and the dog started doing that thing where they are trying to get you to see what they're barking at. Like, DO YOU SEE THIS IMPOSTER THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU, HOOMAN. It was very entertaining. Reasonably_Fast / Reddit
• My sister-in-law is a twin. Her dog can tell them apart when they're both present, but if her twin is the only one there, the dog treats her the same way the dog treats my sister-in-law. If she has to take a trip, she leaves the dog with her twin, and the dog doesn't seem to notice having been left behind. However, the dog does get excited when my SIL comes back, as though the dog has just realized she was gone. FluffyHolly / Reddit
• Identical twin here. Our family dog could never tell us apart, despite her living with our family for 12 years.
  I remember days when I'd come home from work, and she'd be furious at me and bark non-stop for no reason. Then I'd find out my twin brother put socks on her feet, which made her slip around the house for the whole day. She was also partially blind, which added to the confusion. DrSalmon / Reddit

• My friend is an identical twin, her sister's dog is a huge mama's boy and hates literally everyone but her sister. He'll get them confused for a few seconds maybe and follow around the wrong twin, and when he realizes he gets really upset and immediately leaves to try to find his owner. genpoedameron / Reddit
• Not a twin, but my brother and I look a lot alike. Bought a house and became friends with neighbors, and their dog. They'd let him come over to my yard during the day because I WFH.
  A couple of months later my brother comes to visit, and the dog came out of the backyard, saw us, and freaked out. He barked, twirled in circles… wouldn't come by me at all… And wouldn't come out of his house until my brother left. After that, dog wasn't as close to me, like he didn't trust me. Theres_A_***_4_That / Reddit
• Actual identical twin here, yes. He liked my brother better than me (FYI, he sees me every day, we play and chill all the time). The 2 days he came to visit, it was like I didn't exist. ObiWanCannoli25 / Reddit
• My golden retriever is very friendly with EVERYONE that he comes in contact with. But once he met my twin, he had a very confused look on his face and tried to keep his distance from him. To this day he does that same exact thing, and I still don't know why he does this, but I think it's because he thinks my brother is trying to impersonate me or something. KP_Official / Reddit
• We got my dog when we were kids and still living together. Most people couldn't tell us apart at that time, so I have no idea how our dog could, but she was able to.
  For some reason, she had respect for/liked my twin and not me. She would bark at me and would never do what I said. No idea what it was, but now she likes me. SleepyChicken4 / Reddit

• My dog can now, but that was not the case when he first met my brother. When I walked through the door after picking up my brother from the airport, Clyde (my dog) was happy to see me. My brother followed shortly behind me and offered my dog his hand to sniff as is customary.
  Clyde's reaction was to bite his outstretched fist. He broke skin with 1 tooth, but my brother ends up no worse for wear. Clyde wouldn't come close to either of us for the better part of an hour, his world seemed shattered. Now they're fine, although my brother jokingly tells everybody my dog is vicious. Crendes / Reddit
• Not twins, but Irish twins, and we can pass as actual twins. Can confirm, doggo thinks it has two moms now. Baby thinks it has two moms now, too. Toddler is skeptical of mom #2. Livliketheverb / Reddit
• My dog was pleased as punch to learn there are two of me. He could tell I was his owner and would only do commands if I said them (sit, stay). He wouldn’t stop cuddling my twin, though, and all night long he would run to her bed and wake her up. haunteddolljewelry / Reddit
• My twin died a while ago and I inherited his dogs. Most of the time things are normal, and I am just me with them.
  But sometimes if I am dressed in certain clothes or let my beard get long, you can see our lab's face light up when I enter until she smells me. The smell gives me away, but it's interesting that her sight sees my brother in me once in a while. They also really miss their dad. s****b***101 / Reddit
• I am dating a twin. My boyfriend went all out to win the affection of my anxious little hound mix. She’s very nervous of strangers, tends to instantly pee.
  Eventually, he was successful. It was months of giving treats from afar, laying on the ground, and gently talking to her. Now she wants his affection constantly.
  After 1.5 years of dating, his twin came to my house, for the first time. My dog SPRINTS for boyfriend’s twin, crying and seeking snugs. Boyfriend immediately went into a rant about how he put in the work but brother reaps the rewards. So yeah, she definitely didn’t know the difference. happy_dance / Reddit

The bond between humans and animals is a beautiful one indeed, twins or not. Here are some cool pet owners who made something memorable for their furry friends and loved the end result.