my gsd viciously attacks...himself in the mirror. - Page 1

WTF in a furniture store and a mirror was leaning against the wall it was about 1 foot wide and 6 foot long. the base was on the floor. my dog stopped as i was walking him past it and pulled the leash out of my hand before i knew what wad happening.

he postured up and attacked it. furniture flying everywhere. he kept running behind the mirror trying to get a scent.

he is not particularly dog aggressive but he lost his nerve and went nuts.


is this normal. dogs think a mirror image is another dog? do they realise ever it is not? Do they learn it is themselves?


What is going on?



Oh and i will never shop there again, how embarrassing .

Btw when an aggressive dog approaches he stands his ground and might posture but has never had to fight thank god so he doesn't know what a fight is.

friendly dogs approach he plays with them.

Hehe. Pretty funny vk4.  My first 3 dogs all barked angrily at their own image in the mirror until the figured it was no threat.  

My current pup had a different approach.  He never thought it was a problem but used it as a long distance communication device to tell me he had to go out.  Instead of coming to my side and nudging me, he would position his stare at me from across the room and wag his tail when I looked up and saw him.  

 

Either way, mirrors and dogs are great fun. 

Come to think of it prolly the first time he seen one. the only mirror in my shack is about chest height above a sink.

So they learn its. not a threat or they know its themselves.

my dogs only association now is a fight.....his first fight i might add and he lost.

Most dogs get the mirror thing out of the way while still young

puppies.  Like anything else that's a delayed reaction, it isn't

really surprising your lad sent the surrounding furniture flying,

cos he is a big dog now and any effects get multiplied !

Guess that just taught you another lesson about giving an all-

round education to small pups,     and in not letting

your guard drop / forgetting to have control of him in less

'normal' situations.  Surprised actually that the store lets you

take dogs in;  most here wouldn't allow it  (and if they are going

to attack their goods, you can see why, its not all about lifting

a leg ! LOL ) and I'd got the impression Aussie stores are similar ? 

It was more of a large compound half indoor half outdoor. as long as no food is being prepared for sale many private businesses will bend the rules. i get privileges anyhoo as i guard some of these same premises.

still a weird thing i never thought about before.

I am always surprised at a puppy's/dog's first reaction to seeing themselves in a mirror...I also think it's funny (no matter what the reaction)...The other thing that's always interesting to me is when a dog sees one of those "Auto Opening" doors...

I like to see a dog's reactions to new things and always take note...It's like when we moved from Florida to the frozen tundra of Michigan...My young dogs had never seen or experienced "Frozen Pavement"...and it was interesting to see them react to the road/drive-way being iced over...

~Bob~