We live in an exciting time where science is uncovering incredible understandings of the intelligence and cognition of animals and especially dogs.  One aspect of cognition and intelligence has been a test of an animal’s capacity for self-awareness.  Psychologist, Gordon Gallup, was the first to come up with a reliable test for self-awareness, used with children and other animals.  Gallup would place a colour dye mark on the eyebrow of an animal and observe their responses when they looked in a mirror.  Children and many other animals would inspect the mark and figure out that the dye was on their own eye and would attempt to wipe it off.  Chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, dolphins, humpback whales, magpies and an elephant, successfully passed this test.

So, let’s check out Quartz, champion assistance dog in training, who recently went to Sydney as part of his public access training.  Let’s see his mirror induced behaviour.  Do you think he knows it’s him?