A video of a herding dog’s instincts taking over while at work quickly went viral on TikTok, with his determination to guide the “sheep-shaped” co-worker melting hearts.
In a September 27 Instagram video, an Australian kelpie named Bats was at work with another dog. To Bats, this smaller, white dog looked eerily similar to a sheep, and drawing from instincts, he knew he needed to herd the animal.
While the origin of the Australian kelpie is disputed, an article from the American Kennel Club says that the breed came to Australia from Scotland to help as sheep numbers drastically increased. These canines, thought to be of a collie type, have been developed to work in the conditions of Australia—heat, dryness, rough terrain, dust storms and vast distances.
Wagging his tail with excitement for performing his job, Bats cornered the small dog against the door. The tiny canine tried everything in his power to avoid eye contact, unsure why he was being targeted, but Bats kept coming up, making sure he wasn’t going to move from the spot.
The caption reads: “When HR won’t provide sheep… so you improvise.”
Controlling Herding Behaviors
Several dog breeds are known to be herders, but when not performing that duty, pet parents need to fulfill and engage with these natural instincts to avoid unwanted behaviors.
Signs of herding behaviors include circling, staring, chasing, barking, nipping, pouncing, stalking or biting. To manage these actions, an article from Rover suggested teaching commands to train impulse control, such as wait and recall, using positive reinforcement and offering suitable outlets through toys.
Viewer Reactions
The Instagram video reached more than 4.6 million views, 427,000 likes and 330 comments as of Monday, with viewers cracking up over the dog’s determination to herd the other canine, saying, “If not sheep, why sheep shaped?”
“He’s like, ‘Well damn, this is one stubborn sheep,'” joked one user.
A second person commented: “Lol!!! All bats wants to do is play!! Fluffy is so mean.”
Others pointed out how the small dog was not thrilled: “Bro like, ‘You already got me cornered. Where else do u want me to go?'”
Newsweek reached out to @batsthekelpie via email last week for additional information and comment.
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