Doberman Hilariously Tries To Jump in Driver's Seat: 'I Called Shotgun'

A video of a dog appearing to refuse to get in the back seat of a car has gone viral on TikTok, where it received 5.9 million views at the time of this writing.

The video, shared by TikTok user @iceskatie, was posted with a caption that read: "My dad sent this video in the family group chat this evening...#dumbdog #pets #dog #dobermanpinscher."

The video shows a man opening the back seat of a car for a Doberman Pinscher to hop in.

Seemingly oblivious to the open door, the dog is seen jumping up towards the window of the front car seat, also known as the "shotgun" seat, and slamming itself against the door.

Appearing to be in sheer disbelief, with hands held on his head, the man later laughs and tells the dog: "The door is open, man!...come on," as the confused canine eventually gets into the back seat.

Taking a closer look at where the dog had jumped on the door, the man could be heard saying: "Holy crap," before the clip ends.

As illogical as the dog in the latest video may have appeared to be, Doberman Pinschers are a "sleek and powerful" breed known for their "keen intelligence," as well their "magnificent physique," according to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the world's largest purebred registry.

The AKC says: "This incomparably fearless and vigilant breed stands proudly among the world's finest protection dogs."

Do Dogs Have Common Sense?

Dr. Melissa Bain, a professor of clinical animal behavior at the University of California (UC) Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, told Newsweek back in October 2021: "There is no evidence that certain breeds lack 'common sense'.

Some breeds aren't 'expected' to be smart, so those owners may not spend time training them, therefore, they 'aren't smart'."

According to Bain, large dog breeds have bigger brains and have shown some evidence of higher executive functioning, but not intelligence.

Larger breeds have also been shown to have greater short-term memory than smaller breeds. "While statistically significant, it probably is not clinically significant," the professor said.

Types of Dog Intelligence

According to Professor Stanley Coren at Canada's University of British Columbia, dogs are capable of solving complex problems.

Speaking on the topic of "how dogs think" at the American Psychological Association's 117th Annual Convention back in 2009, Coren said: "Their stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity are reminders that they may not be Einsteins, but are sure closer to humans than we thought."

Coren said dogs' mental abilities are close to that of a child aged from 2 to 2.5 years old. He explained that the intelligence of different types of dogs does vary and the breed determines some of these differences.

According to the professor, there are three types of dog intelligence:

• Instinctive (what the dog is bred to do)
• Adaptive (how well the dog learns from its environment to solve problems)
• Working and obedience (the equivalent of 'school learning')

According to Coren, data from 208 dog obedience judges from the U.S. and Canada showed the differences in working and obedience intelligence of dog breeds.

"Border Collies are number one. Poodles are second, followed by German Shepherds. Fourth on the list is Golden Retrievers, and fifth, Dobermans, while Shetland Sheepdogs sit sixth and finally, Labrador Retrievers," the professor said.

The latest viral video has amused several user on TikTok.

In a comment that got 15,400 likes, user Sumrlovn wrote: "Sometimes when one door opens, another window does NOT."

In a comment that got 73,500 comments, user8841221664792 wrote: " That dog is going places...not the front seat but places."

In a comment that got 6,098 comments, user dwine1973 said the dog must have been thinking: "I called shotgun, I'm going shotgun."

Some users were more concerned about the state of the car than the dog.

Johnny Walker wrotre: "lo [laugh out loud] l I'm not worried about the dog how's the window [crying laughing emojis]," while Augh wrote: "I was worried about the car not the dog."

But both the dog and the car are "fine," the original poster said.

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment. The latest video has not been independently verified.