Dog Who Holds Guinness World Record Blows Internet Away With New Trick

An incredibly talented cocker spaniel who holds a Guinness World Record has captured the hearts of the internet as he recently showed off a unique new trick after special training helped him recover from an illness.

Five-year-old Leo lives in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, with owner and professional dog trainer Emily Anderson, 33, and her two other dogs, spaniel Phoebe and toy poodle Katie.

And to say he’s a smart dog would be an understatement.

Cocker spaniels are generally considered a clever dog breed and easy to train, with the American Kennel Club (AKC) describing them as “a people-pleasing breed.”

“They want to be ‘good’ in order to please their people, and they are generally sensitive and responsive to correction and a disapproving tone in their owner’s voice. Harsh means of correction are not usually warranted, nor are they productive in the Cocker,” AKC states on its website.

This is certainly true in the case of Leo, who has amassed a major online following—and even a Guinness World Record—for his unusual tricks.

Anderson shared a video to TikTok earlier this week via her @trickspaniel account, which showed Leo expertly building a tower of toy blocks.

In the clip, Leo picks up a green block in his mouth and carefully brings it to a tower over a dozen blocks high. Very carefully, he places the green block on top of the tower, and then nudges it into place until it’s sitting perfectly on top, before Anderson can be heard shouting: “Yes! Good boy Leo!”

The viral clip has been viewed more than 3.6 million times since being shared, with TikTok users utterly blown away by Leo’s talents.

And proud owner Anderson told Newsweek that while “all dogs can learn and hugely benefit from doing tricks,” there’s something special about Leo.

“Leo is incredibly special and definitely can take tricks to the next level,” she said. “He’s so far beyond the dog I ever dreamed of getting, so much he does I didn’t even think was possible.”

His stacking blocks trick came about in a totally random way, and he didn’t even need proper training for it as he simply knew what to do, Anderson added.

“I was in Home Bargains on his birthday and spotted some blocks that were cheap so thought I’d get them as an extra birthday present for him. I wasn’t sure if he would be able to use them. In true Leo style he immediately did it when I set them out for him!”

Leo can do almost anything: hopscotch, ping-pong, painting and scent work, and even holds a Guinness World Record for putting 23 coins in a piggy bank in one minute—smashing the previous record of 18 coins.

Anderson said Leo is “at his happiest when he’s figuring new things out,” and revealed that training helped Leo get back to himself after an illness.

“Leo became seriously unwell when he was 11 months old in March 2020 and mentally really struggled to recover,” she said. “Not helped by the fact we went into lockdown two weeks after he took ill. He became anxious about everything and was struggling to cope with daily life—he developed severe separation anxiety and would get upset if he heard noises outside.”

Leo “always enjoyed training,” but during the lockdown the pair were extremely limited in what they could do together—so Anderson took things into her own hands and bought a small agility set for the garden.

This made him “incredibly happy, not only while he was doing it but also for a couple of hours after,” she explained.

But she quickly realized that working too hard at agility training could cause Leo physical injury and put a strain on his joints.

“So that is when we seriously started doing tricks. We both got addicted and still haven’t stopped,” Anderson said.

TikTok Users React

Anderson and Leo’s special relationship, and his incredible tricks have made him a hit online. Thousands of TikTok users rushed to comment on his tower block trick, with many jokingly comparing him to their own pets.

“My dog eats my bed sheets,” one TikTok user commented, while another posted: “In the meantime my dog thinks the TV is a window where people visit sometimes.”

One TikTok user joked: “I looked at my dog and sighed,” and another admitted: “My spaniel hides from police dogs on TV.”

Others simply praised Leo for a job well done, with one user writing: “The little nose boop at the end to tap it down. Clever boy!!!”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.