A golden retriever puppy from Chicago has been caught on camera acting like a predator in action, and internet users can't stop laughing at the hilarious clip.
In a viral TikTok video shared on Friday by @chicagosgoldenboy, the puppy, Benson, can be seen stealthily walking toward his owner, like a predator in the wild stalking its prey, before jumping onto her with his fluffy little paws.
"The most dangerous predator in town. Don't let the fluff fool you, I bite like a shark!" read the caption.
Every dog owner thinks of their pup as a sweet angel who couldn't hurt a fly, but as descendants of the wild wolves, all canines have innate predator instincts—though these are stronger in some breeds than others.
In an article published by Vet Advises, Dr. Harunur Rashid wrote that despite being domesticated for thousands of years, our pups still possess their ancestors' natural hunting abilities—including keen senses, the ability to chase and capture prey, and sharp teeth to attack.
However, these ancestral predatory instincts have been influenced by evolution in several ways. Domesticated dogs have adapted their jaw shape to be able to consume a more omnivorous diet. They have also shifted their social patterns, and have increased their learning abilities.
Some dogs have a higher prey drive than others. These include border collies, greyhounds and German shepherds, among others. Their favorite prey are usually squirrels, rabbits, birds, and rodents.
Surprisingly, even golden retrievers, like little Benson in the clip, who are often described as being the most gentle breed, have a natural instinct to chase prey.
Predatory instincts can be a lot to handle when you are out on a walk with your pup and they get distracted by critters, and sometimes recall training alone is not enough to get them back on track. But there are other ways to deal with this.
As reported by the American Kennel Club (AKC), you can address this particular unwanted behavior with "predation substitute training," which instead of taking the fun away, redirects it, protecting the local fauna.
Teaching your dog predation substitute games will allow the pup to discover new ways to channel and control their prey drive in a safe and controlled environment, without resulting to punishments that only make the situation worse.
It's also important to teach your dog an emergency cue to use only when you really need it, always paired with the highest-value reward.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 4.6 million views and 900,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Allpuffnotuff, commented: "Moves so slow, he's imperceivable to the human eye."
Yakov said: "Has the department of defense been contacted?"
Gigi added: "That's a land shark. very dangerous."
Newsweek reached out to @chicagosgoldenboy for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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