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Canine Reactions to Mirrors
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 SW845 |
Canine Reactions to Mirrors |
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Posts: 21504 07/03/09 3:46 PM Professional Trainer/Owns Board |
Sarah Wilson
Your dog can change but you have to change first. |
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Isis2x |
#1 | |||
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Posts: 3980 07/03/09 3:57 PM |
I have no clue... Dezi used to play with the other puppy in the mirror at my mom's when he was younger. I don't think he does anymore. But take the
stickers off the oven window? Yeah, he'll sit there and whine cause he wants that Sheltie to come out and play... goof.
 The stickers are on there in the
first place because he breaks my heart when he does it!
My other two have never bothered with reflections.
~Thia (my
site)
Tai, Russ, Dezi, & the Kitties    
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packopeebs |
#2 | |||
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Posts: 5207 07/03/09 4:07 PM Trainer |
It's that whole 'sense of self' arguement. The dog doesn't recognize the reflection in the mirror as himself therefore he reacts like it is
another dog. FWIW, Spirit loves making eye contact with me in a mirror.
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 sheltienose |
#3 | |||
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Posts: 2517 07/03/09 4:20 PM |
I'm reluctant to conclude that they don't recognize their reflections, because they only ever goof around like this when they're feeling playful.
Mine see themselves in mirrors all the time and act just like I do when I get a glimpse of myself in a mirror--look, then "eh." But Bunny in
particular, if she's in a frisky mood, will often play a game with herself with the mirror in the bedroom, running along the bed and pouncing at it, then
jumping back and repeating. This is something she does not do--ever--with other dogs. She's perfectly calm with other dogs. In fact, she
doesn't play with anything else the way she plays with her reflection. It's a unique game for her.
I don't know for sure that she knows it's her reflection, but she certainly understands that it's something benign that she can manipulate if she feels like it.  
Byrdie and Bun Bun |
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KellieB |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 4814 07/03/09 5:30 PM Senior Member
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Indy jumped half a foot when in our first Rally trial he encountered a wall of mirror unexpectedly. At home he ignores mirrors, but when in New Hampshire in
the hotel, he was able to relax on the bed and not follow me to the bathroom, because the wall opposite had a mirror that he could watch me from, so he does
recognize reflections for what they are I *think*.
Some is better than none.
~Kellie
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CriticalCat |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 2216 07/03/09 6:42 PM Senior Member
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I would guess it's just the confusion of signals- the image in the mirror has no smell and makes no sound, but it has explicit "body language" so
it's attention-getting, especially when novel. Just one more odd thing in a world of odd human things that dogs live in.
All the dogs I have ever owned have approached mirrors with a lot of head-tilting and figuring-stuff-out behavior- a few play-bows tossed, maybe, and then after that it's "eh". I'm also with SN in not being necessarily convinced a dog playing with a mirror image doesn't realize it's a reflection- I remember playing games with the images in my house's full-length mirrors for half an hour at a stretch as a kid, and I certainly understood it wasn't another kid... |
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SW845 |
#6 | |||
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Posts: 21504 07/03/09 7:34 PM Professional Trainer/Owns Board |
So the dog with the pig's ear is growling at himself?
Sarah Wilson
Your dog can change but you have to change first. |
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Dunbartonlass |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 350 07/03/09 8:15 PM |
No, he is growling at the other dog that wants the pig's ear exactly as much as he wants it - lol!
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CriticalCat |
#8 | |||
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Posts: 2216 07/03/09 8:19 PM Senior Member
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I don't necessarily think all dogs figure out that it's a reflection quickly or even at all ever- to me that really did look like he was in a battle
with a strange non-smelling other dog. How he kept averting his gaze and then looking back to finding out the "other" was STARING AT HIM AGAIN OMG
was interesting to watch.
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SW845 |
#9 | |||
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Posts: 21504 07/04/09 5:17 AM Professional Trainer/Owns Board |
That's my read as well.
As for play, same thing. My bet is (and that's all any of us have for now) is that the dog sees another dog play bowing at them - or doggish form - doggish ghost really. Eventually, as you say, most come to ignore it as they ignore the TV, radio, etc. And yes, some dogs do learn to respond to people they see in the mirror. Mostly, I think "ghost" considering how surprised and frightened many dogs are when they first see "the other."
Sarah Wilson
Your dog can change but you have to change first. |
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herdndog |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 3928 07/05/09 8:04 AM Senior Member
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Amuses me when they do. Tanker the dal used to stare at himself for extended periods of time, in the hall closet mirror we had when he was a wee pup.
Think I have a photo around here of that but darned if I can remember where. BTW Radar was a tad concerned over the dog in the second video. Tried hard to figure out where the growling was coming from...
Last Edited By: herdndog 07/05/09 8:28 AM.
Edited 1 time.
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Amy |
#11 | |||
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Posts: 2702 07/05/09 8:29 AM |
No reaction from Bailey at the dog in the mirror. Used to have one on the floor in the hallway going into the bedroom. Didn't bother her at all.
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- Problems and Solutions: Ask away!
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