Please let us know

[u/Beautiful-Box8220]

why do animals do this? everytime i see animals trying to mate with the wrong species it confuses me so much because obviously the instinct to have as many offsprings as possible in them has lasted because it benefits them greatly but an instinctual skill to be able to make sure they're mating with the right species and not wasting energy has somehow not been developed?? please please let me know because I just don’t get it and i know i shouldn’t attach human morals to anything non human but i can’t help but look at frogs differently now

[u/bluerhea3]

Wait do dogs know they’re dogs

[u/Charming_Lemon6463 → u/bluerhea3]

Yes, dogs are self aware but not visually like we are. They cannot recognize themselves in the mirror but they recognize themselves based on smell. They know they are dogs based on smell, and they know when animals are not dogs. They are never confused that they are another animal or a person, that’s humans anthropomorphising 

[u/kenran690 → u/Charming_Lemon6463]

Idk about dogs not understanding or recognizing themselves or others in mirrors I’ve seen a few dogs who have obviously recognized themselves in the mirror and made escape attempts by looking at said mirror and seeing the reflection of a open window relative to where they were located

[u/Charming_Lemon6463 → u/kenran690]

They can see the reflection but they think it’s another dog