German Shepherd Puppy Perched on Chair Melts Hearts: 'The Dangly Legs'

A German shepherd puppy waiting for his food has been deemed the "cutest thing ever" in a TikTok clip that has been viewed more than 350,000 times.

In the video posted by Elin, under the username @e.l.i.n.e.l.i.n, the puppy called Buddy can be seen sitting in front of his food bowl in Sweden. His tail is dangling over the side of a foot rest, and at one point, he's balancing, so his back feet are dangling in the air.

The text reads: "Buddy is waiting for his command to eat, in meantime he sits on the 'stool' and dangles his legs. Such a good boy." As soon as Buddy is told, he walks calmly forward and starts eating.

One user commented: "the dangling paws, the floppy ears, the baby eyes, I'm OBSESSED. he's so cute," while another wrote, "This definitely wins the cutest tiktok ever."

The puppy in this video is one disciplined dog. However, some owners struggle with their pets around food, finding them hard to control.

What Is Food Guarding?

Some dogs may exhibit a behavior known as 'food guarding' or 'resource guarding.' This is when they act aggressively around their own food, not wanting another animal, or a human, to touch it.

This behavior in the wild is used to make sure they hold onto their hard-earned food. While not necessary for domestic dogs, your puppy or rescue dog might have an instinctive tendency to protect their food.

VCA Animal Hospitals experts advise that you might need to "teach your puppy that you are not going to take away the food and not give it back." They suggest that you could try handling the bowl while your puppy eats, "and praise your puppy, give a special treat and every now and then lift the bowl, place in a special treat, and return it."

If your puppy can learn that it will always have enough food, and no one is going to take it away from them, then they are less likely to food guard as adults. The young dog may also learn to associate people approaching its food might result in a treat.

With rescue dogs that may have had to fight for their food, a similar tactic could be employed, but it may take longer to see results, and a vet's input might be useful.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests standing away from your dog while they eat from a bowl on the floor: "Do not move toward your dog." Its website also suggests saying, "'What have you got there?' in a conversational tone. At the same time, toss a special treat toward the bowl. Continue to do this every few seconds until your dog finishes eating his kibble."

Newsweek has reached out to Elin for comment.

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