The Truth Behind ‘Cute’ Walking Dog Viral Videos and Why You Shouldn’t Share Them

It seems that more and more these days, people are liking or sharing animal-related videos that may be marketed as “cute,” but sadly come at great cost to the animals involved. Unfortunately, many unusual animal videos are in fact made by coercing an animal to perform certain “tricks,” or react to a stimulus in a way that uninformed viewers might consider to be “funny.”

For example, when the infamous YouTube clip “Tickling Slow Loris” went viral, many were quick to laud how sweet and funny the video was, however, International Animal Rescue (IAR) launched a campaign to draw attention to the hidden cruelty behind this video through their Tickling is Torture Pledge, and suddenly, we all learned that there was nothing cute about the situation.

The most recent viral “cute” animal sensation are videos of dogs walking on their hind legs, like humans. You’ve probably seen one and didn’t think twice about what was really going on in the video.

In the videos, dogs are seen walking like humans, so instead of walking on all four legs, the dogs stand upright and walk only on their back legs. Usually, the dog also has some type of outfit on, making them look like a young child. 

In this viral “cute” walking dog video, a dog is seen bobbing up and down on two legs, with a backpack on. One might even think they are watching a toddler go to school, but when the dog turns around, you realize it’s a dog forced into the abnormal outfit and made to walk like a human.

At first glance, it’s easy for any animal lover to instantly say “Aww!” as the dog parades around in an adorable outfit, especially since the dog appears to be perfectly happy. The key word here is “appears” because sadly, the dogs are abused to perform this silly trick for cheap laughs.

Dogs Walking Like Humans Isn’t Natural

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype, but when you take a minute to think about what’s really going on, the truth becomes apparent. Dogs don’t walk like humans and it isn’t natural for them to do so. Dogs have four legs for a reason, just as humans have two. So how is it that these particular dogs have learned to walk on only two legs? Well, the shocking footage below shows this is established with nothing but fear and intimidation by humans.

One video shows a poodle standing on his or her hind legs against the wall, visibly cowering and shaking in fear as the owner threatens to hit them with a slipper. In another clip, a dog is once again beaten if he even attempts to stand on all four of his legs.

It is not worth abusing a dog just so people can film a 15-second video of a dog walking like a human.

To make matter’s worse, this cruel trend isn’t new or only seen within a minority of dogs. Doing a simple search on YouTube yields many videos of dogs walking on two legs. Not only that, but there are even videos teaching people how to train their dog to walk on their hind legs. What is the point of teaching a dog such a meaningless behavior, if not to exploit them?

Many of the dog’s guardians claim that they did not train their dogs to walk on their hind legs, but instead, the dogs do so by choice. But it seems highly doubtful that so many dogs would oddly decide to walk like a human with a child’s outfit and a backpack on. Claiming an animal would choose to do something so completely unnatural to them is just a shameful excuse to try to cover up animal cruelty.

Here at One Green Planet, it goes without saying that we love cute dog videos. The videos of dogs teaching their baby humans how to crawl might actually be the sweetest thing, ever. We love seeing pups play with other animals, and we admire the many creative talents of dogs, such as when they break their dog friends out of a crate.

But the difference between genuinely cute dog videos and the sensation of walking dog videos? The dogs in these videos are forced to walk on two legs, instead of choosing to do it. Dogs are exceptionally loving, playful, and loyal and deserve to live their life with love and respect, just like all other animals. The least we can do for these amazing animals is treat them with dignity.

How You Can Help

If you suspect an animal is doing something against their will, chances are, you’re right. If a friend shares one of the walking dog videos on their social media channels, be sure to politely comment on why the video is not okay. More than likely, they didn’t know the cruelty behind the video.

And please be sure to report the “cute” walking dog video for animal cruelty if you do come across one. There is nothing truly funny or cute about forcing an animal to perform unnatural tricks for the purpose of human entertainment.

Image source: Lara Darwish/YouTube

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