Dog Thinking He’s ‘Hiding Really Well’ to Surprise Owner Delights Viewers

Dogs are fully of fun and joy, and never fail to cheer us up with their goofy personalities and unique quirks.

One such animal making his owner, as well as more than 1.1 million viewers on TikTok happy, is a dog who believes he is really good at hiding.

In the video, posted by TikTok user @insideout949 five days ago, the owner can be seen walking down an autumnal forest trail, while his goldendoodle waits ahead of him on the path. The dog stays entirely still until his owner gets close, when he leaps up as if he believed he had been successfully hiding up until that point. “My dog thinking he’s hiding really well and then trying to surprise me down the trail,” reads the text.

Many users in the comments speculated as to why the goldendoodle was playing this particular game. “Apparently dogs understand laughter as a sign of play and will sometimes intentionally be funny to make their owners laugh,” commented one.

Many studies have shown that primates have a sense of humor, with the most-famous being Koko the gorilla, who not only learned over 2,000 words but also played practical jokes. However, do dogs have a sense of humor, too?

“It’s possible that this so-called sense of humor is really an evolutionary necessity that comes from wolves, the modern dog’s ancestor,” reports the American Kennel Club (AKC). “Like primates, wolves live in hierarchal packs, where it’s essential to know one’s place in the pack and to avoid angering the alpha.”

Dogs need to adapt their behavior to survive, so it’s possible that they have learned that silly or humorous behavior is a way of getting human attention, the AKC adds.

“Consider positive reinforcement: your dog does something you want her to do, she gets rewarded,” the AKC says. “She rolls on the floor, with her tongue hanging out and a goofy expression on her face and you laugh and giver her affectionate rub. It’s possible she’s now learned that this behavior elicits a desirable response from you.

“Researchers at the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum (LAREF) suggest that an animal may display what we think of as a sense of humor to get a response,” the AKC adds.

Users on TikTok loved the funny video. “Hey certified vet here!! He’s actually like really good at that,” commented one.

“I love him he’s the best hider ever,” wrote another.

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