A retired army dog found a clever way to get belly rubs from his mom whenever he wants, and a viral video of him in action has melted the hearts of internet users.
The hilarious TikTok clip, shared in September by his owner, under the username @mwdrex_and_rider, shows the German shepherd, who served in the army for five-and-a-half years, laying belly-up on the floor, strategically placed in his mom’s path, waiting to receive the inevitable cuddles.
“This is Ryder, he was my husband’s military k9 partner until he got injured and came to live with us. Whenever he knows I have to walk in a certain direction he strategically places himself around the house so I have to stop and give him belly rubs,” a caption shared with the post reads.
The U.S. Department of Defense says there are about 1,600 military working dogs in the army, helping soldiers to keep the nation safe, and they can be found everywhere American troops are, with missions spanning land, air and sea.
Would-be canine troops must graduate from a Military Working Dog Training Program to enter regular military service; this will then qualify them to be dual-purpose dogs that patrol and sniff out either explosives or drugs. The training lasts about five months, and only around 50 percent of pups make it through. To try out, the canines must be free of physical issues, such as hip dysplasia.
In an article shared by the official website of the United States government, 1st Class Regina Johnson, operations superintendent at the Military Working Dog School, says that every military working dog is one rank higher than its handler.
While some say that this is out of respect for the pup and their incredible service, others say it is to prevent handlers from mistreating their canine partners.
A stock image shows a senior German shepherd laying on the floor. A retired K-9 dog found a hilarious way to get belly rubs from his mom whenever she walks by, and the internet users can’t cope.
Getty Images
The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 856,000 views and more than 117,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Shadowwolf94, commented: “Tactical belly rubs lol [laugh out loud].”
Eldenmaiden wrote: “Seems like it’s time again for some belly rubs.”
Jackie/Wife & Mom 1st added: “He banked YEARS of belly rubs he wasn’t allowed to have while on duty. He is now demanding his due compensation, ma’am!”
Newsweek reached out to @mwdrex_and_rider for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
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