My understanding is that it’s broken into grades like school. Humans are part of the “self aware” grade.

Pet dogs, when born, are not self-aware, however through interaction with humans, they often achieve self awareness early as puppies during training. We call this “imprinting” but it is essentially what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden.

Self awareness is associated with the activation of the solarplexus chakra. Whenever dormant chakras are activated, there is a component of the spirit body shaped like a serpent that moves as part of the chakra activation process. This serpentine component of the spirit body is magnetic in nature and when it moves, it moves in coincidence with the spine.

Magnetic fields induce current flows in wires and in like fashion, when this serpentine component of the spirit body moves upwards, it induces electrical signals in the spine which creates an intense and sometimes pleasurable sensation like pins and needles.

When the pet dies, it would then reincarnate into the self-aware grade as a self-aware species.

The next step up for us is angelhood, lowercase g godhood, interdimensional alienhood, etc. There are various human terms that encapsulate our spiritual upperclassmen.

It’s like Rumi said:

“The angel is free because of his knowledge, the beast because of his ignorance. Between the two remains the son of man to struggle.”