People are obsessing over the adorableness of a recent TikTok video that gave viewers a glimpse into how eager herding dogs are to be put to work.
Herding breeds were developed to gather, herd and protect livestock, but their instinctual ability can stretch into their daily lives. Also known as working dogs, these canines will use their herding drive with whatever is available, such as other pets, kids or their owners, the American Kennel Club reported.
Owner Alyssa, known on TikTok as @alyssa_tackett, called on her Australian shepherd to do her a favor, and as a herding dog breed, Winston couldn’t wait to get to work even if it meant no sheep. The dog sat in front of Alyssa and looked up with alertness. His body wiggled with excitement. She asked if he would get his doggy brother, Moose, and bring him upstairs.
Winston sprinted downstairs like he had been waiting all day to do a job. He paused at the bottom to confirm he was doing what she wanted before going out of the frame. Viewers could hear Moose grunt in protest, but Winston wasn’t giving up. He had a job and was determined to get Moose to herd upstairs whether he liked it or not.
The next thing viewers saw was Winston running back upstairs with a giant smile on his face. Moose followed suit, a little less enthusiastic. But the job was done and Winston got his well-deserved praise.
The caption reads: “He loves his job.”
The owner shared in a separate video what the herding process looked like from Moose’s perspective. As it turns out, Moose “hates mornings and is very stubborn about coming upstairs.” If it weren’t for Winston to perform his job, who knows if Moose would ever want to get up in the morning.
Newsweek reached out to @alyssa_tackett via TikTok for additional information.
The clip amassed over 2.8 million views, 473,500 likes and 454 comments as of Wednesday. People quickly fell in love with this dog’s eagerness to get his sibling, but what got them laughing was Moose’s reaction to being summoned.
“I lost it at the grumpy Moose part,” said a viewer.
Another wrote: “The way he sprinted up like he knew you just sent him on a dangerous mission.”
A third person posted: “Oh my God, the way he paused at the bottom of the stairs … “
Stock image of an Australian shepherd sitting inside. An owner asked her dog of the same breed to herd his doggy sibling and he happily obliged.
Carlos Perez/Getty Images
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