Are dogs conscious?

Dogs have been mirror-tested, and dogs don't pass. Because they're not smart enough to recognize themselves in a mirror, the presumption is they can't think of themselves as unique individuals, so they aren't part of the self-conscious elite in the animal kingdom. read more

Dogs were previously listed as non-self-aware animals. Because, traditionally, self-consciousness was evaluated via the mirror test, scientists can confirm that an animal species possess some sense of self. But dogs, as many other animals, are not visually oriented. read more

And to no dog lover’s surprise, they exhibit a level of awareness that will force us to reconsider the ways in which they’re treated. By specially training dogs to lie motionless in an fMRI scanner, neuroscientists have finally taken a look inside the mind of our favorite companion animal. read more