Is there anything cuter than a dog discovering the world and, in the process, discovering itself? In this short but heartwarming video, this little one encounters its reflection for the first time in a puddle: its reaction says it all!

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We found a video on the internet that stole our hearts in an instant. A curious puppy leans over a puddle and notices that someone is "looking back" at him. At first, the little one doesn't know what to make of the situation: friend? stranger? The few seconds of footage perfectly show how innocent and funny discovering the world can be from a little four-legged perspective. It's incredibly cute, click and see for yourself, but be prepared for the cuteness factor to blow your mind!

What do dogs see when they encounter their reflection? Do they understand that they are seeing themselves?

Do dogs know what they see in the mirror?

One thing is certain: dogs perceive their reflection, regardless of whether they see it in a puddle or a mirror. The question is simply whether they understand that they are seeing themselves.

According to Liz Stelow, an animal behavior expert at the University of California (Davis) Veterinary Teaching Hospital, when dogs discover their reflection, they do not realize that they are seeing themselves, but rather think that they have encountered another dog, which could be a friend or an enemy, and react accordingly. Sometimes they get scared, other times they try to play, but they can also behave aggressively or even stare at the dazzling sight.

According to current scientific opinion, dogs do not recognize themselves in their mirror image

We can observe the following reactions

Dogs may bark, scratch, adopt a playful posture, or stare intently with their bodies tense. However, these reactions do not usually last long. As soon as the dog realizes that its behavior does not change the situation, it completely ignores what it has seen.

This is basically an important learning process, the result of habituation. This means that the animal learns to ignore a stimulus that previously seemed important. Habituation actually helps them conserve energy and allows them to get closer to humans. It is interesting, for example, that habituation enables them to ignore people's annoying habits.

The short video above is not only cute, but also educational: it perfectly illustrates how dogs gradually learn to understand the world around them. A tiny puddle and a reflection in a mirror are enough to show us how curious and playful our pets can be.

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