Have you ever wondered if dogs are self-aware? Do dogs recognize themselves when they look in the mirror?
When we look in the mirror every day, we know that what we see is our reflection. We gain this ability as infants at about 20 months of age. And what about dogs?
Research has been done and dogs have failed the mirror test.At this point we can say that dogs are unable to recognize their reflection in a mirror. Dogs do not use mirrors to refer to themselves as we do.But is that enough to conclude that dogs are not self-aware?
Even though dogs can’t recognize their reflection in a mirror I believe they must be self-aware.They have to be selfaware to navigate the world.They have to be self-aware to know that this is their paw or tail.Above all, they must be self-aware to recognize the consequences of their actions. When I do it, I get it.
In addition vision isn’t a dog’s primary sense.Dogs rely more on their sense of smell than their sense of sight.When walking your dog, have you ever noticed that he marks all the places where other dogs have left their urine but not his own? They can use their nose to recognize their own scent.
When we talk about self awareness let’s not put it on the human level.
Mirror test:
Secretly mark the dog’s body (can be a very small yellow sticky dot) then give it access to a mirror. Will your loved dog touch the mark while looking in the mirror? Just observe his reaction.
CAN YOU SPEAK DOG 