Researchers, through a recent study, claim that they have a scientific proof to prove that canines and many other animals have canine, which means that they actually know who they are.

According to the researchers, the only proof of having a consciousness of self is evaluated on the individual’s ability to use his/ her own reflection to notice and touch the presence of a mark applied under anaesthesia or during a period of distraction on face, head or other parts of the body.

The researchers, for their study, carried out a test known as ‘mirror test’. The same experiment has been done many times with children and chimpanzees and they easily identify themselves into the mirror and touch the mark left by the investigator on their body.

But so far, dogs never showed any interest in looking in the mirror. The new study conducted by Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, associate professor at Tomsk State University in Russia, showed that when the ‘sniff test of self-recognition (STSR) was applied on multiple individuals living in groups and with different ages and sexes, it provides significant evidences of self-awareness in dogs.

Gatti conducted the test on four dogs. He collected their urine samples and divided and stored them in containers relative to each dog. Further, he submitted the animals to the STSR. He repeated the tests four times a year, at the beginning of each season.

He was surprised to see the results that all dogs spent more time to smell the urine samples of others dogs rather than their own. This behavior confirmed the hypothesis that dogs seem to know exactly how they smell.