Do Dogs Understand Mirrors and TV Screens? What Science Says
Watching a pet's reaction when she looks at the mirror or when barking at the TV screen will often amuse pet parents. Naturally, this leads to wonder, "Do dogs understand mirrors and TV screens?". Let us see what science says on this. How Dogs React to Mirrors When facing the mirror for the first time, most dogs treat their reflection as another dog. The initial reactions would be to: bark or growl sniff and try to check behind the mirror tilt their head in confusion. This may go on for the first few times. Over time, many dogs lose interest in their reflection in mirrors because the reflection has no smell and it does not respond like a real dog. So, the fact is that unlike humans, dogs generally do not recognize themselves in mirrors. Do Dogs Recognize Themselves in Mirrors? According to studies, dogs rely more on smell than sight. Unlike animals like chimpanzees and dolphins, dogs cannot identify themselves in mirrors as their brains are wired to identify more throug...
