Several studies have previously tried to find out if animals are self-conscious.
The most famous experiment is the so-called mirror test, where you draw a dot on the forehead of an animal and see their reaction when they look at themselves in a mirror.
Animals such as chimpanzees, dolphins, elephants and magpies have passed the test.
Now even dog researchers from Loránd University in Budapest wanted to measure self-awareness, this time in dogs.
In an experiment with a dog, the dog's owner, a rug and an object, they have tried to measure this.
The study can show that 27 out of 32 dogs managed the task.
Aware of the "self"
The results from the study, the researchers believe, indicate that dogs are self-conscious.
They can understand where their own body is in relation to the outside world and that there is an "I".
Per Jensen researches dogs at Linköping University and has taken part in the study.
- I think this means that dogs have an insight that they exist in their own body and that their body has an ability to influence the environment, says Per Jensen.
Important for how we treat the animals
Knowing that animals are conscious can make us change our attitude toward them.
- Then we can understand that the animals' experiences may not be so far from our own.
This in turn is very important when we think about how we treat the animals, Per Jensen explains.
Watch The World of Science this summer: "The origins of dogs" on SVTplay already now or in SVT2 Monday 2/8 20.00.