An unlikely friendship between a horse and a puppy has melted hearts in a video with over 1.7 million views on TikTok.
The adorable bond between the NRPS horse named Prince and a Bernese mountain dog puppy has gone viral since it was posted over a month ago. The horse’s owner, who goes by @nrps.prince on social media, captioned the post: “Prince is in love.”
The clip features a series of sweet interactions of the horse and his new canine friend.
During what looks like their first encounter, Prince inquisitively sniffs the puppy, who seems comfortable to make the horse’s acquaintance. Taking their friendship to the next level, Prince holds the dog’s lead in his mouth while they patiently wait to be walked.
The duo are later seen trotting side by side, and in the showjumping arena, Prince and the puppy start to get more familiar with each other.
Prince’s gentleness with the puppy sees him sniffing his new four-legged friend, who obliges with a delicate touch of his nose. The pair even begin engaging in a little game of tug-o-war.
A baby Bernese mountain dog, 5 months old, stands on grass. The young puppy in the viral video had a particularly fluffy coat.
Photographer and Illustrator
Thousands of adoring comments poured in for the unlikely pair. “It’s just one small puppy with a really large puppy,” one TikTok user posted.
Another wrote how affectionate Prince was toward the puppy when he was giving him belly scratches, calling it “illegally adorable”.
“Horses can think things are cute like elephants,” one TikTok user commented, adding that he probably thinks the puppy is just as adorable as humans do.
While it is not uncommon for horses and dogs to get along, the animals have distinct ways of communicating and interacting.
The NRPS (Dutch Riding Horse and Pony Studbook) breed is particularly known for their calm and intelligent demeanor, making Prince the perfect match for his playful new friend.
Bernese mountain dogs have an affectionate and good-natured temperaments, and are often described as friendly giants given that males can grow to stand 25 to 27.5 inches tall.
When introduced carefully, horses and dogs can develop strong, affectionate relationships—just like Prince and the puppy.
Newsweek reached out to @nrps.prince for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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.
