Mirrors

[Kaitee and Orwell]

What do your doodles do when they see their reflection in the mirror? I've been wondering about this for a while because Orwell does not really react and I've seen a ton of dogs clearly react. This has led me to believe that he may have a higher intelligence than some dogs. He's passed the common doggy IQ tests with flying colors. I know that a mark of intelligence in the animal kingdom is being able to recognize oneself. For example, elephants can tell the difference between themselves and their community members if given a picture. 

The reason why I don't think Orwell's lack of reaction is a fluke is because I've showed him to himself multiple times and with every other dog he sees he's gets excited just by the possibility that I would let him go play with that dog. His ears perk up and he wags his tail profusely. He tries to maintain a good walk, but sometimes he pulls a little bit. So, I know I'm not imagining his excitement to see other dogs and his over abundance of apathy when he sees himself. 

I know this is kind of a weird topic, but what are all of your thoughts on this? 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Luca used to react to himself in the mirror but he grew out of that. He will look at himself in the mirror sometimes. Calla doesn't show any reaction to the mirror just as she is oblivious to the TV.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack has no reaction to his reflection in a mirror. His two predecessors didn't either, nor do I recall any of my fosters ever having any reaction to their reflections. I don't know if the fact that all were either purebred GSDs, Poodles, or Poodle mixes has anything to do with that. 

[Kaitee and Orwell]

It'd be interesting to do a study across all breeds. I never tried with my yellow lab, but I think she may have reacted even though she was supposed to be smart, lol.

[Stella]

My very confident F1 LD just admired himself the first time he saw himself in a mirror!! He doesn't react to his reflection at all now. Chase, who has a multitude of anxiety and behavioural issues, completely freaked out the first time he saw himself in a mirror - barking, growling, snarling as if it was a strange dog. After a lot of work on his behaviour relating to strange dogs, he doesn't do that anymore!!

[Amy and Annabelle]

She will stop to look at herself in the mirror once in a great while, for a few seconds, then moves on. She doesn't really give a reaction. I have wondered what she thinks. I know she doesn't think it is another dog, or there would be a reaction. But whether she knows it is her or not, I am not sure. Sometimes I think she knows.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

Honestly, if I was a doodle, I would want to look at myself in the mirror all the time and appreciate how cute I looked.

[Wendy and Myla]

Exactly - even if I was half as cute as a doodle, I'd be looking in the mirror all the time!!

[Wendy and Myla]

Myla doesn't react at all - we have wall to wall, sliding mirrored closet doors in our bedroom and her bed is right in front of them.  She sleeps with her butt to the mirror.  We had a kitten a long time ago who would jump up on our bed and leap at her reflection in the mirror, bang into the mirror, shake her head and do the same thing over again - every night for at least a month!  Not a quick learner at all!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

When Ned was a puppy, he reacted to himself the first time or two when he saw himself in a mirror.  After that, nothing. 

[DonMarie and Picco]

I can't tell if Picco recognizes himself. We don't' really have mirrors for him to see but he does use window reflections and seems to understand them.  Sometimes we will put photos on the TV of him and his dog friends and he seems to know who they are by reacting differently than seeing other dogs/animals on TV.  But does he know himself in a photo or reflection?  Not sure on that.....now you got me wondering how to test him!

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I'm going to watch the Westminster Dog Show with Orwell this year on the big TV (normally I watch things on my computer with headphones). Sometimes he likes watching TV, and sometimes he doesn't. The problem though is that I know he knows that they are just images and not real. When he was little he used to whine at the TV, but he doesn't anymore. 

[DonMarie and Picco]

Picco watches TV alot!  And any animals get his attention, herds running, a dog on commercial, photos. He has tried to look beside or behind the TV to find where they ran of to.