Dogs too have a conscience

Your pet dog and probably many other animals have a conscience too, according to a surprising new study that found the canines know who they are.

The ultimate proof of possession of a consciousness of self, of one's body and one's own identity, is evaluated based on the individual's ability to use his 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.

This test is known as the mirror test and many have often observed experiments with children or chimpanzees that easily identify themselves into the mirror and touch repeatedly the mark left by the investigator on their body .

The new study conducted by Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, associate professor at Tomsk State University in Russia showed that the sniff test of self-recognition when applied in multiple individuals living in groups and with different ages and sexes, provides significant evidences of self-awareness in dogs.