Confused Husky Tries To Chat With Mirror Reflection

Many people are puzzled by the fact that dogs seem to ignore images of themselves reflected in a mirror. Young puppies encountering mirrors for the first time may treat the image as if it is another dog. They may bark at it, or give a little bow and an invitation to play as if they are encountering a real dog and engaging in a social interaction. However, after a short while they lose interest.

This cute clip shows the moment a Husky dog comes face to face with itself after looking into a mirror for the first time and getting slightly confused. Is this husky trying to make a new friend in the mirror? The video shows the dog staring at his reflection and letting little low cries before taking a step forward and touching the glass. He is totally confused that he even tries to sniff at the mirror. He then backs away because he obviously didn’t like the cold, hard touch and rather adorably starts moving his head sideways, entirely unsure as to how to behave in the situation.

The pooch then bravely takes another step forward and touches the mirror once again while letting short barks all along. It seems like this dog can’t come to terms with his reflection and looks around the room calmly while taking a quick break.

When your dog looks in the mirror, what does he see? A playmate, maybe. An adversary, sometimes. But could he possibly recognize himself? For that matter — does a dog have a sense of "self"?