[Raising Roman]

Hi All

Roman has newly discovered his reflection in shop windows when we go walking of a morning. He clearly doesn't realise it is his reflection and thinks it is another dog. He gets quite upset & worked up and will bark and cry and try to get to this 'dog'. He then runs around the corner to try & 'catch it'. It's kind of cute, but like I said he gets a bit worked up.
Getting him to focus on me at this point is hopeless, so I've just kept walking & after a brief attempt to pull back he gets over it.

I am just wondering if this is just normal (I know they get so overwhelmed sometimes when they discover new things!) & it will pass after he gets used to seeing it or if there's something I need to do to help him get over it?

TIA

 

[kiya]

I've never had a pup bark at the reflection, I have seen them figure out how to watch you by looking in the mirror. I had one dog that always looked at me thru the mirror. I caught one of my dogs sitting infront of the mirror looking. Im sure he'll realize it is himself (eventually)!

 

[cassadee7]

Oh mine did that, he thought the puppy in the mirror was his "friend." It was so cute (see my avatar picture of Toby). But I had a mirror in my bedroom so he got to check it out as often as he wanted, and eventually lost interest.

 

[Raising Roman]

Haha Kiya @ one of your dogs looking at themselves in the mirror! How funny.
Cassedee, your avatar photo is too cute! I might get a mirror to have around the house so he gets over it too.
Thanks

 

[Lesley1905]

Hehe Brody did that too...it's so funny and cute

 

[jressler]

It takes some advanced cognition for animals to recognize their own reflections... Dogs, cats, even baby humans (under 18 months) cannot pass the "mirror test." Great apes, some monkeys, elephants, dolphins, orca and European magpies all recognize their own reflections.

See wiki

 

[Montana Scout]

lol, right before dusk when the shadows fall in front of you (depending on what direction your facing of course) my pup will play with his shadow and start barking and "fighting" it... kinda funny

 

[jakeandrenee]

Jake looks at me in rear view mirror when I am driving I will look in my mirror and say something to him and looks right into the mirror at my eyes....it's odd, however sometimes his own shadow or reflection confuses him.

 

[Raising Roman]

Haha, Lesley1905 it is cute. And so funny!

jressler, that's very intresting!

Montana Scout, that is funny that your pup fights his shadow!

jakeandrenee, Roman hastarted doing that to me in the rearview too. It's scary that he's big enough to do it already!

 

[KaiserGSDLove]

My puppy tries to fight his own shadow too! He saw his reflection on the hardwood floors and went crazy. He thought it was another dog

 

[shannonrae]

My female GSD used to sit in front of a mirror and look at herself while cocking her head from side to side. Kind of like the canine version of making faces at herself in the mirror.
She knew exactly what she was looking at, and she knew she was hot stuff!