Is the Sense of Wonder Restricted Only to Humans?

[MineralMan]

16. Self-awareness in dogs.

My lab rescue beagle, Sam, does an unusual thing. When sniffing urine marks left by other dogs, he often sniffs his own parts to check whether he left that mark. We've heard from other owners of lab rescue beagles, and some of those also do that. Our beagle/basset, Dude, doesn't bother with that. If in doubt, he appears to think, "Oh, piss on it. Who cares?"

Not Sam, though. If he finds a mark he left, he doesn't add to it. So, he checks himself, just to be sure of identifying his own marks. Keep in mind that he lived in a small cage the first three years of his life, in a room full of other caged beagles.

Clearly, though, he is aware of the reason for marking, and does that check to avoid remarking when it's not necessary.