A tiny Chihuahua with a less-than-thrilled expression is capturing hearts online, after a short video clip left viewers debating what loyalty really looks like.
On TikTok, user jackalynn.joans shared a video which features the small dog sitting beside the woman as she pets and handles him while he stares ahead with visible reluctance.
“My grandma has dementia and forgets my dads’ dog hates to be petted. But he tolerates her,” text overlaying the video said.
A Grumpy Face, A Patient Pup
As the video begins, the elderly woman can be seen petting the chest of the Chihuahua as her appears to sneer with its teeth out.
The creator’s grandmother then stops petting, prompting the petite pooch to put its teeth away and look back at her for more petting.
As the grandmother moves her hand back closer to begin petting again, the dog is seen once again making the same face, appearing annoyed.
‘Trying his best’
Despite the dog’s expression, he stays put. That contrast between how the Chihuahua looks and how he behaves provoked a wave of reactions.
“He’s mad, but he has a heart,” one TikTok user remarked among almost 4,000 comments in six days.
Another added, “he knows her heart is kind and her intentions are pure, so he allows it.”
Others saw the dog’s stillness as effort rather than irritation.
“He’s trying his best,” a fan offered.
Meanwhile, some pundits used the moment to push back against long-standing perceptions of the breed.
“Chihuahuas are considered mean, but they truly are the most loving,” an individual praised.
Chihuahuas are a breed often talked about on social media in part because of their outsized personalities.
“The Chihuahua is a tiny dog with a huge personality,” the American Kennel Club states.
“A national symbol of Mexico, these alert and amusing ‘purse dogs’ stand among the oldest breeds of the Americas, with a lineage going back to the ancient kingdoms of pre-Columbian times.
“Chihuahuas possess loyalty, charm and big-dog attitude.”
‘The sweetest compliment’
Newsweek reported on a viral social media video showing a well-behaved Chihuahua defying their breed’s feisty reputation and enjoying attention from the vet.
“Tapioca is calm and absolutely loves people. He does get nervous at the vet, but even then, he never snaps or acts out—he just patiently waits for it to be over,” the dog’s owner previously told Newsweek.
“Every vet we have been to always mentions how well-behaved and sweet he is. Our usual vet even said all Chihuahuas should be like Tapioca, which is the sweetest compliment and something I am really proud of.”
Newsweek also covered a TikTok video which left the internet in stitches after it captured a blind and elderly Chihuahua with just three teeth, that appeared to hate, “literally everyone.”
Newsweek has reached out to jackalynn.joans for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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