We can see numerous videos on various social media platforms in which dogs try to cope with their own reflection. So we couldn't let the question go: what really happens in such moments? Do they think they’re seeing another dog?

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In the following, we will examine the relationship between dogs and mirrors; let’s get into it!

The current scientific position is that although dogs perceive what they see in the mirror, they do not recognise themselves. / Photo: welovedogz.hu

Do dogs understand how mirrors work?

What we do know for sure is that dogs perceive what they see in the mirror. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many videos of our little friends reacting to it. Sometimes they get scared, other times they try to play, and at their first encounter, many simply cannot take their eyes off it.

According to Liz Stelow, an animal behaviour expert at the University of California (Davis) Veterinary Teaching Hospital, when dogs look into the mirror, they don’t see themselves, but rather believe they have encountered another dog—who might be a friend or an enemy—and they react accordingly. If they are tense due to the appearance of an unknown dog, they may stiffen or raise their hackles. If they’re in a friendly mood, they might even use the classic play-inviting pose.

“Dogs are very intelligent and adaptable beings who—like many other animals—do not possess the cognitive development necessary to recognise themselves visually, whether in a mirror, video, or photograph,” explains the expert.

Scientists believe our pets do not possess self-awareness because they do not pass the so-called mirror test. Let us give you an example: if a mark is placed on a jay’s wing and a mirror is set before them, the bird tries to clean off the mark seen in the reflection. Moreover, dolphins, elephants, and some primates can do this as well—but dogs cannot. Even humans are not born with this ability; typically, we only begin to recognise ourselves in the mirror at around 18 months of age.

Debate among experts on the mirror vs. self-awareness topic

Even now, experts debate whether the mirror test is truly a reliable measure of self-awareness. The test is fundamentally based on sight, and not all animals rely heavily on visual perception. Therefore, some researchers have also conducted scent-based tests, and based on these, they believe that our four-legged friends may possess a certain degree of self-awareness. Regardless, the current scientific position is that although dogs perceive what they see in the mirror, they do not do so as we do—that is, they do not recognise themselves.

Why do some ignore mirrors?

We might think that if the dog really believes there is another dog in the mirror, then they would surely be excited by it—after all, it's not easy to take them home from the park if their friends are there. But the dog in the mirror does not respond to invitations to play or to growling, and the strangest part is—they have no scent. So although the dog is initially startled by the sight, in the end, they move on. This phenomenon is called habituation: in this case, an animal loses interest in a stimulus to conserve energy and focus on more important things. If the ancestors of dogs had spent their time staring at themselves in stream water, they would have easily fallen prey.

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Some researchers believe scent-based tests suggest that dogs may possess a certain level of self-awareness.

Try it at home!

If you’d like to know whether your pet perceives anything from their mirror reflection, carry out the following experiment. Take a bright blue or yellow sticky note, since these are the colours our pets see better. Then place it on the dog while they are occupied with something; afterwards, lead them to the mirror:

• They might notice the coloured mark in the mirror and try to locate it.
• They might completely ignore it.
• Or who knows - they might be the first to remove the sticky note from themself and thereby prove their self-awareness.