In a viral TikTok video, a dog owner revealed what her Bernedoodle did after meeting a squirrel in the streets and internet users can’t stop crying over it.
The heartwarming clip shared in November under the username @squidybernedoodle, shows the pup, Squidy, walking with his owner on his leash when a squirrel suddenly crosses his path—his reaction melted hearts on social media.
“My dog’s trained to sit whenever he meets new (dog) friends. So when he met a squirrel today, look at what he does,” reads layover text in the clip. As soon as he sees the small animal walking in front of him, the pup takes a minute to observe him and assess the situation, then he sits down looking at him. “It’s his version of asking the squirrel to be friends.”
Dogs are often fascinated by squirrels, birds and other small critters, but have you ever wondered why? Experts at the American Kennel Club (AKC) say it is because of their ancestral predatory instincts.
Even though they have been domesticated, many canines still carry remnants of the hunting behavior of wolves. Their vision—though not great for detail or color—is especially tuned to detect movement, which makes darting critters almost irresistible.
Because this reaction is instinctual, training a dog to ignore small animals can be hard. It starts with limiting opportunities to chase (for instance, keeping them on a leash), teaching cues like “watch me” or “leave it,” and rewarding them when they focus on you instead of the critter.
Alternatively, you can redirect that instinct into play: games such as fetch, disc-catching or controlled dog-sports let your dog express its natural drive in safe, acceptable ways.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 150,000 views and more than 32,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Ashlie with an ie, commented: “We taught our dog to sit for pets when we meet strangers at stores and such. Now she stops in front of strangers that don’t even want to pet her.”
Sheree said: “How did you teach him? Because my dog goes feral when he sees anything that moves. Lol [laugh out loud].”
Sherriddin added: “Can you come train my dog? He’s a total degenerate compared to yours.”
Newsweek reached out to @squidybernedoodle for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
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