Rescue Chihuahua Wants to Join Siblings’ ‘Sound Off,’ But There’s a Problem
A senior Chihuahua was desperate to join in with his fellow rescue dogs during a good old-fashioned bit of barking.
However, he evidently had neither the energy nor the inclination to get up from his most snuggly of snoozing spots to join in, so he decided to do something akin to a dog's version of remote working, minus any unnecessary video calls, of course.
When Pumba and his brother Pablo first arrived at the care of John Zav, out in Toronto, some seven years ago, he was a very different Chihuahua.
Zav runs Ruff Riders Animal Transport, a not-for-profit rescue animal network and transport entity focused on helping move rescue dogs across Canada to regions with more adoption demand.
"Every dog you save gives you a reason to save more ," Zav told Newsweek. "Pablo and Pumba came together as puppies. One day someone asked if I wanted to foster the two of them and the rest is history." That foster care ended up being a little more permanent—Pablo and Pumba have been with Zav ever since.
Zav said Pumba was initially a little nervous about his new surroundings but that quickly changed. "He was a little shy at first but now that I've had him over seven years he is a very confident little dog," he said. "I often say he is the real boss of the pack. He keeps everyone else in line."
Pumba loves going for walks, getting snacks and cuddling up in his bed or on a couch, and is especially happy if a blanket or some pillows are involved as they provide an opportunity for a bit of burrowing.
"He is a very big fan of naps," Zav said. "He's eight years old so he still plays hard but also sleeps hard. He always sleeps under blankets or under the little dog bed or really under whatever he can."
That work hard, sleep hard mentality was on display in a clip Zav shared to Instagram and TikTok earlier this week under the handle and respectively.
In the clip, Pablo and a couple of Zav's other dog companions can be seen barking away. Pumba, who is snuggled up in a nearby bed, soon catches on to what is going on and joins in, in his own unique way, without getting up.
"When the other dogs start barking he joins in, he just does it from where he is laying," Zav said. It makes for quite the scene.
Zav's caption accompanying the clip summed up the hilarity of it all: "When it's time to sound off but you're cozy."
"I just found it funny," Zav said. "Like who does this dog think he is barking like that? If you're going to make all this noise, at least stand up!"
Dr. Amy Stone, DVM and clinical associate professor at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, previously told Newsweek that dogs tend to prioritize sleep over almost everything other than food.
"Dogs should sleep anywhere from 10 to 14 hours during the day on average," she said. "Dogs listen to their bodies more than humans do. When the signals to the brain tell them to sleep, they do."
Whatever the case, the comedy of it all was not lost on TikTok where the clip has been viewed over 172,000 times so far.
One user imagined Pumba was saying, "Just making sure I'm in the conversation."
Another praised the pup for demonstrating "0% effort 100% efficiency."
A third user described the scene as "a work from home situation."
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This story was originally published October 6, 2024, 3:00 PM.
