# Do Animals Know What They Look Like?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-know-what-they-look-like/526215>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 24, 2010, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-know-what-they-look-like/526215 "2010-01-24T09:06:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-know-what-they-look-like/526215/21 "2010-01-26T05:42:45Z")

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> [@Markxxx](#):
>
> For instance, every once in awhile at night, my dog would see my cat outside in the yard. He’d look and growl and run toward it (the cat wan’t scared, 'cause she knew it was the dog) and then the dog would stop and turn around, as if to say “Oh wait a minute, I know that cat and it belongs to me.”

Possibly because the cat recognized the dog first. Because cats have better eyesight than dogs (especially in the dark). Dogs get even by having better noses.

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**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-know-what-they-look-like/526215/22 "2010-01-26T09:40:35Z")

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> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> .It was for her own good and kept her cooler.

This is a common and dangerous myth. Dogs regulate temperature through the act of panting. Cutting a dog’s hair in summer is a bad thing to do, and can actually cause the dog to overheat as it takes away the insulating layer of fur and exposes the dog to extremes of temperature and the skin to direct sunlight. Any vet will tell you not to do this.

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**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-know-what-they-look-like/526215/23 "2010-01-26T16:06:59Z")

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> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> My parents learned the hard way that dogs are aware of their looks.
> 
> One hot summer, dad gave our Cocker Spaniel a buzz cut. The dog ran into the house and crapped on the living room rug. No question she was getting even. She acted weird and hid the rest of the day. She did the same thing the next summer. This dog was house broke and never soiled the rug except after haircuts.

I don’t see how that indicates that the dog cared what she looked like. It does not sound from your story that there was a mirror nearby for the dog to see herself in. She probably was reacting to the sensation of the haircut.

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