'Stubborn' Rescue Dog Tries Out New Device To Help Legs, Internet Obsessed

A rescue dog's peculiar reaction after trying out a new device to help heal her legs has left viewers online in stitches.

Barbara, a Maltese, had been strapped into a hydrotherapy machine, in the hope that it will eventually help her regain strength in her back legs. To her owners' surprise, the canine started helping herself to the water below her legs in an attempt to stay both entertained and hydrated. The hilarious moment was captured by Barbara's owner, Christine Lu, and shared to Instagram under @babblinbarb on November 9. The clip, which has garnered over 554,000 likes, has sparked plenty of amused comments from viewers online.

"My husband and I adopted Barbara from the local shelter in the San Gabriel Valley where I was volunteering," Lu told Newsweek. "Just a couple of months after adopting her, she suddenly became paralyzed due to a spinal contusion."

From left: Maltese rescue dog, Barbara, at a hydrotherapy session; and at a photoshoot. The rescue dog has a way of staying entertained, and hydrated, during her exercises. @babblinbarb

Since the injury, Barbara has made remarkable progress but still requires hydrotherapy at Buddy in Studio City, California, to strengthen her weaker back legs. Hydrotherapy, a type of physical therapy conducted in water, is particularly beneficial for dogs with mobility issues. It allows them to perform exercises with reduced strain on their joints and muscles due to the buoyancy provided by water.

"During her treadmill walking at hydrotherapy, she always likes to drink the water she's in," Lu added. "Jazz, her hydrotherapist, decided to improvise and use a floating device that is typically used to keep ears out of the water, and it did the trick!"

Viewers were able to see Barbara standing in the water while strapped into the hydrotherapy machine and held up by her hydrotherapist, a small float rested around her neck for added support. The practice had been selected to help the Maltese rescue regain strength in her back legs, but, instead of focusing solely on exercise, Barbara took a liking to drinking the water that she was supposed to be walking in.

An overlaid text on the video read: "The problem...Barb won't stop drinking water during hydrotherapy."

The post had been captioned: "Barb is probably the most stubborn dog you'll ever meet. I remember her adoption listing said that she was bossy and that she has to have it her way which is 1,000 percent true."

Viewers have flooded the post with comments expressing their amusement at the dog's clever way to have some fun during her session.

"I love her personality! You got this Barb," one viewer said.

Another added: "That is so funny. That hard work was making her thirsty. The collar will do the trick."

"It's Barb's world, we just live in it," another said.

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