My dog loves to look at herself in floor length mirrors, she even looks at her reflection in the glass on the tv stand and watches the microwave because she can see our reflection in it. She is always trying to move the mirror out of the way to see if there is a dog behind it. It is adorable when she does this and funny so we kind of laugh but I don't know if we should because I think it encourages her and I was wondering if it should be something we should discourage her from doing. Anybody have dogs that do this or have strange behaviors like this. My fiance says she takes after her mommy and spends alot of time infront of the mirror lol
2006-12-01 04:22:15 · 15 answers · asked by Megan B 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
She is not threatened about the dog in the mirror, she actually sits down infront of it with her ears perked up. I think she is almost more interested that she sees us in the mirror. The first time she did this we tried to call her away and said her name and patted our legs but she thought the people in the mirror called her i think because she actually walked into it. She doesn't fall for it anymore tho.
We have tried opening the closet door to show her there is no dog but she still does it.
2006-12-01 04:40:29 · update #1
She is not threatened about the dog in the mirror, she actually sits down infront of it with her ears perked up. I think she is almost more interested that she sees us in the mirror. The first time she did this we tried to call her away and said her name and patted our legs but she thought the people in the mirror called her i think because she actually walked into it. She doesn't fall for it anymore tho.
We have tried opening the closet door to show her there is no dog but she still does it. I always wonder what she is thinking.
2006-12-01 04:42:53 · update #2
This kind of reminds me of the OCD behavior that some dogs have when they see a laser pointer or a flashlight. They get crazed and often can't "un-focus" from the stimulus of the light. I don't believe what you have is *that* serious (can you get her to go do something else, interact with you, play games, do tricks etc to get her away from the mirror?) Your description doesn't sound like you're having that problem, but rather just enjoying an odd personality quirk. It'd be fun to put this behavior on cue - saying something like "Hey! WHO is that BEAUtiful DOG over there!" and have her rush to the mirror to admire herself! That'd be a big crowd pleaser.
2006-12-01 04:28:51 · answer #1 · answered by Misa M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While it may be cute and funny to you, I'm sure it's not to your dog. I doubt this is a case of vanity, but rather as you said, she thinks there is another dog in the house.
In a dog's mind, an intruder is a threat and this probably causes her some mental anxiety.
When my dog exhibits this behaviour, I take the mirror up and show her there is no dog behind it. Eventually, she has learned to expect her reflection in certain places. On occassion, if her behavior changes from curiosity to obsession, I have had to move or cover up the reflective surfaces.
Obsession is never happy or healthy for a dog. Having said that, I would not scold or punish her for this behaviour, just try to help her see there is no threat.
2006-12-01 04:30:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Her little brain cannot work out that its a reflection of her ??Thats why she looks behind the mirror to see if there is another dog behind it. Funny to watch though..
2006-12-01 04:26:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
she might think it is another dog without noticing it is her reflection so that is why she looks behind the mirror lol
2006-12-01 04:32:27 · answer #4 · answered by brian 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i wouldnt be too worried about it. maybe she thinks shes another dog and is attracted to it lol.
get her some nice toys to play with and maybe it will take her mind off it :]
2006-12-01 04:25:16 · answer #5 · answered by capturemeagain 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The dog believes he/she is a good looking dog let him/her enjoy their looks.
2006-12-01 04:24:59 · answer #6 · answered by shage 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She thinks that it's her dog friend that she's looking at. Don't discourage her, otherwise, she'd be lonely.
2006-12-01 04:32:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think she is lonesome and anxious to have another dog to play with.
Peace!
2006-12-01 04:25:16 · answer #8 · answered by carole 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dogs aren't very self aware. so she thinks she's looking at another dog. not herself.
2006-12-01 04:32:35 · answer #9 · answered by nobudE 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She's not hurting anything by doing that...she's just curious and VERY cute
2006-12-01 04:24:51 · answer #10 · answered by Emily B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋