A dog has quickly learned that, to get what he wants, he needs to speak politely.
Four-year-old pit bull mix, Link, has become an overnight social-media star after he was recorded understanding exactly what was asked for him, and even replying. "He's very vocal in expressing his needs," Karly Johnson, a teacher from Oklahoma, told Newsweek.
A clip shared to Johnson's TikTok account @mskarlyhope on November 26 proved this description of Link beyond all doubt, and has catapulted the rescue dog into viral fame, as it quickly amassed over 3.8 million views. The footage is captioned: "Link gets jealous when his dad holds the cat. He's learning to speak up for himself instead of barking."
In the video, Link's rescuer, Johnson's boyfriend Casey, sits on the couch with a black cat settled on his lap, as Link can be heard grumbling. Johnson then tells the pit bull: "Tell him, 'I need you to put the cat down, please.' Ask him nicely."
And, incredibly, Link does just that: he turns back to his dad, and grumbles at him in what sounds like words, almost in the same tone as Johnson told him to.
And to make it even better, as Casey and Johnson start laughing, the cat moves off Casey's lap—as if she understood.
Johnson said: "In the video, he wanted to chase the cat, but he's learned he's not allowed to do that!"
"This is a regular occurrence," she added. "He tries to speak when he wants to engage someone in play, wants a treat, or doesn't get his way with the cat.
"We didn't think much of his chatter until we posted that video, and viewers had a big reaction."
Because, as Johnson said, TikTok users responded in a huge way, liking the video almost 800,000 times in less than a day, and thousands leaving comments.
One wrote: "I think the cat understood him also," as another pointed out Link "did ask nicely."
"Even the cat was like 'woah, ok then I'll leave,'" a third commented.
And a fourth posted: "Don't make vet appointments around him, he'll call back and cancel!"
Dogs have multiple ways of communicating with their voice, from barks and whines to howls, and certain breeds can vocalize differently, according to the American Kennel Club.
Some dogs will even "purr" to show their contentment; the sound is described as a cross between a low rumble, loud purr and grumbly growl.
Johnson said Link was a great pup full of quirks, including his favorite pastime: "To drag his dad through the neighborhood on his skateboard.
"He's like a Southwest sled dog," Johnson added.
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.
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