A dog’s attempt to catch a squirrel has gone viral, with viewers cracking up over the unexpected twist at the end.
Avery Cross (@averyhcross), 20, shared the moment her pet nearly caught a squirrel after years of chasing them. In the footage captured by a security camera, the dog goes full throttle after the critter, which scrambles to escape through a gate. But just as it seems she might finally succeed, the dog simply stops to watch as the squirrel momentarily gets stuck, before slipping away.
“My dog when she’s been chasing squrriels all her life and never caught one and now has the chance to,” Avery, from Texas, wrote in the video’s on-screen text. In the caption, she added, “Like she’s flung herself into the window before trying to catch one.”
For many dog owners, the scene is all too familiar. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), dogs are naturally drawn to creatures like squirrels due to their prey drive—a deeply ingrained instinct from their wild ancestors. They chase squirrels, rabbits and even birds because it’s a self-rewarding behavior; every chase is a little victory, even if they never make a catch.
Still, while it may be entertaining, it’s not always safe. As Pupford explains, allowing dogs to indulge in their prey drive can lead to dangerous situations, especially near roads or unfamiliar terrain. Training techniques like recall commands, redirection and impulse control can help reduce the urge to chase.
TikTok viewers flooded Avery’s video with comments, with many dog owners relating to the notion of chasing and not catching.
“She’s about the journey, not the squirrel murdering. Very mindful, very Demure,” said Tyler Woerner.
“She realize it was the chase that she was chasing afterall,” another user wrote.
One commenter shared a similar story: “We moved my German Shepherd to 18 acres after the suburbs for a year. he would chase the deer and they always took off and got away. one time… he ran full speed and it didn’t run fast enough. he flew into it. they both fell and just looked at each other.”
“My Great Dane does this too he runs up on them like it’s war and then he does nothing,” posted Kara.
godrick/iStock / Getty Images Plus
Another TikTok, Jess, said: “My whippet chases birds and makes them fly, one he ran at some pigeons and one didn’t fly but he was committed and running at it, realised it wouldn’t fly, tried to stop and skidded into the pigeon. They both got wiped out and he was so confused lmao.”
“My dog (she was a basset hound RIP) was the same with cats. Would always chase them and one day the cat didn’t move, she didn’t know what to do. She was mortified,” wrote Phil.
“She just wants to play! no violence in her heart, just fun to run. I imagine she’d be happy if the squirrel chased her back,” said TikToker Kana.
“It’s only fun to chase. I don’t want to eat one mom,” quipped another user.
Newsweek reached out to @averyhcross 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.
