Internet users have been left in hysterics after a dog’s protective instincts kicked into gear, but there was just one problem—he was facing up to his own reflection.
The hilarious video was shared on TikTok by @clschwarz showing her chocolate Labrador, Ruger, reacting to the terrifying intruder staring back at him. As he stood in front of the large mirror, Ruger snarled and bared his teeth at the dog, without understanding that it was just his own reflection.
The dog’s antics have left social media users in stitches, leading to more than 211,700 views and 53,800 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Newsweek has contacted @clschwarz via Facebook for comment.
Alongside the viral video, the caption explained that “the only time he ever growls is at himself in the mirror.” Evidently, Ruger hasn’t figured out the meaning of his own reflection.
Various studies have looked into whether dogs have any self-awareness (the ability to think of themselves as separate from what’s around them). While humans can understand this difference, it’s inconclusive as to whether animals do the same.
As a result, the mirror test was developed in 1970 by Gordon Gallup, which involved putting a small mark on an animal’s body before placing a mirror in front of them. It was thought that if the dog knew he was looking at himself in the mirror, he would show some sort of acknowledgment of the mark on his body—like touching it or turning round to see it properly. Researchers believed that would show some semblance of self-recognition.
However, the American Kennel Club highlights that very few animals have passed this test over the years, and dogs weren’t among them.
A 2011 study from the Anthrozoology Research Group at LaTrobe University in Australia tested whether 40 dogs would understand their reflection by placing them in a room with their owner. After the dog became acquainted with its surroundings, a second owner appeared behind them holding a toy, visible in the reflection. Results showed that dogs were more likely to attend to the mirror when their second owner became visible.
In fact, seven of the dogs turned away from the mirror to look toward their owner’s actual location. However, researchers highlight that there was no unambiguous evidence that dogs could use the mirror to locate their owner.
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The TikTok Response
After Ruger’s hilarious reaction to his reflection went viral, his owner has continued to delight internet users with another video of his “mirror affirmations.”
Needless to say, TikTok users can’t get enough of the Labrador’s confusion, leading to more than 290 comments on the viral video so far.
One comment reads: “Buddy beefing with himself.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “He’s gotta remind himself he still got that dog in him.”
“He’s practicing for if there’s a bad guy in the house one day,” joked another response.
While one person said that he’s just “giving himself a pep talk.”
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