A 3-year-old Rottweiler's heartwarming reaction to a simple greeting has melted hearts on social media after his owner revealed that people often avoid him.
Dyce lives in the Netherlands with his owner Anouk who captured the delightful moment on TikTok earlier this week when a passerby stopped to say hello, breaking the common pattern of people crossing the street to avoid the Rottweiler due to breed stereotypes.
The text overlay on the video read: "Pov: Your dog is so used to people crossing the street to avoid him, so when someone says hi to him it makes his day."
Dyce's excitement and joy at getting a bit of extra attention and fuss during a walk is clear in the viral video.
"[The] people saw Dyce walking towards [them] because he was looking at them and wiggling his tail. They saw this and wanted to say hello to him; he was so excited that he ran off to them and gave them a hug," Anouk told Newsweek.
Rottweilers, known for their strength, loyalty, and protective instincts, often face prejudices due to their muscular appearance.
"Mostly people are scared of him because of his breed name, so they cross the street without knowing how sweet he is," Anouk told Newsweek, emphasizing that despite breed stereotypes her dog is a friendly and loving pet.
With over 135,000 views and hundreds of comments so far, people shared their reactions to the TikTok video.
"I will never understand people that don't have the urge to smother these babies in love," one TikTok user wrote, while another commented: "I cross the street to say hello to dogs, is that weird?"
A fellow dog owner commented that she and her dog have the same experience: "My pittie goes through this too. Everyone avoids him. All he wants is loving and snuggles. So sad."
One TikTok user wrote that people were missing out: "People don't know what they are missing. I can't imagine crossing the street to avoid your boy. He is so sweet and adorably cute."
Dyce's adorable enthusiastic response proved just how gentle and affectionate the breed can be, challenging the misconceptions.
"People misunderstand this breed because they don't know how Rottweilers really are," Anouk said. "But me and Dyce really want to change the stigma of this breed by showing this kind of videos."
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
