A dog has come up with a foolproof way of getting out of playing with his owner's puppy whenever he feels zapped of energy.
Kristi from Texas took to TikTok, posting under the handle krist.mc2, to share footage of her 6-year-old old English sheepdog Winston lying stock-still on his owner's carpet.
Daphne, one of Kristi's other dogs, can be seen sniffing at Winston, evidently checking for signs of life. There's nothing wrong with Winston, though. He's just carrying out a dastardly plan to try and avoid playing with the young pup. He's playing dead.
"Winston gets tired of playing with his sister so he plays dead so she will leave him alone," Kristi told Newsweek. "He just started doing it, so I think he has caught on to what works. His sister is very active and wants to play all day."
You can watch the video here.
Daphne is a relatively new addition to the family. Kristi adopted her as a rescue back in April 2023. Though Winston has done an excellent job of helping her to quickly feel part of the family, her high-energy exploits appear to have left him feeling a little fatigued of late.
Winston can be forgiven for wanting the occasional break though and it's important to acknowledge the potential positive impact his efforts in playing with Daphne could be having in helping her adjust to her new home.
A 2022 study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior highlighted that exercise of any kind with other dogs can have a calming effect on anxious pups. Researchers reached the conclusion following an analysis of 1,308 dogs, including 273 that struggled with a generalized anxiety disorder of some kind.
The findings said that anxious dogs taking part in sporting activities with another canines were three times more likely to show signs of an improvement in their overall mental state.
Though what Daphne's life was like prior to adoption is unknown, the experience of entering a shelter and spending an extended period of time there is likely to have left its mark on her.
In the meantime, his avoidance tactics have left Kristi in stitches. Posting the clip of Winston playing dead while Daphne sniffs around him, she captioned the footage: "never any peace around here."
"It's so funny he's figured out how to get her to leave," she added in the text accompanying the video. Winston might be enjoying a little respite now, but it might not be long before Daphne works out what is going on.
This isn't the first time one of Kristo's dogs has gone viral.
A few weeks ago her Havanese, Clover, was racking up millions of views after Kristi discovered her special spot where she goes to contemplate life.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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