An adorable video of Zander the 3-year-old Great Dane searching for his best friend has gone viral on TikTok, with more than 1.4 million views.
In the clip, which contains language that some viewers may find offensive, Zander can be seen bounding through the door to meet his best friend, Leo. Upon finding he’s not there, Zander frantically searches the front yard. The caption reads: “When my bestie showed up to the house without my dogs bestie.”
“Me and my best friend met three years ago at the veterinary hospital I work at,” Zander’s owner Alexis Peña, a 26-year-old from Massachusetts, told Newsweek. “She and her dog Leo have been a huge part of raising Zander, and he considers Leo his best friend. They first met when Zander was only a few months old, and Leo was about a year-and-a-half.”
Courtesy of Alexis Peña
Peña explained that her friend had come over to have lunch with her and hadn’t brought Leo. “Zander was distraught, looking for his friend,” she said, “He checked the car, and we even had to open the door for him to look inside. He checked the driveway, my car and didn’t settle down until we went inside.”
Peña added: “Life with a Great Dane is a lot. It’s a lot of laughs, it’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of money, but most importantly, it’s a LOT of love. He’s definitely my baby.”
Animal behaviorist Dr. Wailani Sung wrote in an article for animal-advice website PetMD: “It is not an uncommon finding to see pups extend dog companionship to preferred playmates and also have other dog friends hang out with, very similar to human behavior. Based on studies of animals living in natural conditions, we know that social animals can develop bonds with other pack or herd members other than their mates.”
Courtesy of Alexis Peña
Many people and experts believe that two dogs are often better than one, due to the strong bonds they can forge. It also takes some of the worry away from the owner when the pets need to be left alone.
“I would love to have a second Dane, I mean, dog!” said Peña. “I’ve heard many dog enthusiasts say that life doesn’t change all that much when transitioning from one to two. I just want to be prepared to give the next addition the best life I can, so we are waiting for the right time. For now, Zander enjoys life with his besties, and he seems pretty content with that!.”
Users on TikTok were delighted by the video, with one commenting, “He’s like ‘come out man! Come out bro…it’s not funny anymore…’.” Another wrote, “the way you can clearly tell he’s looking for the other dog lol [laugh out loud] so cute.”
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.