Owner Discovers Service Dog Trained to Get Her Water Has Secret Snack Habit
Service dogs are usually trained to help their owners with specific needs, but one TikToker has gone viral after showing how her pup went beyond his training.
In a video posted on April 2, TikTok user @serviceaussiebailey showed how she caught her service dog, Bailey, stealing a cheese slice from the fridge after getting her a bottle of water.
Bailey's owner said in the clip that she kept finding cheese wrappers near his kennel. Curious to see how they got there, she set up a camera by the fridge and caught Bailey in action. After getting her a bottle of water from the fridge, as he is trained to do, Bailey goes back for a cheese slice, which his owner finds him eating in his kennel—as if rewarding himself for the good job he's done.
The owner wrote in the video's caption, "Word of advice—do not teach your incredibly smart Aussie how to open the fridge."
Newsweek has contacted @serviceaussiebailey for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
Service dogs help disabled people live more independent lives by performing specific tasks as required by their owners.
"The task the dog performs is directly related to the person's disability," the American Kennel Club said on its website. "For example, guide dogs help blind and visually impaired individuals navigate their environments. Hearing dogs help alert deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to important sounds."
There are about 500,000 service dogs in the U.S., Dogster reported, although people in need of a service dog may have to wait up to five years before they get one.
The video of Bailey's caper quickly went viral on TikTok, receiving more than 758,200 views and 122,200 likes on the platform.
One viewer commented: "I mean he's got some amazing discipline to only take one. Such a smart buddy!"
"Having a smart dog is a blessing and a curse," another added. "My aussie lets himself out of the crate for dumpster diving time when he knows the trash can is full."
Another user wrote: "It's clear that her tongue also acts as a thumb to get that wrapper off! good girl getting her cheese tax and not eating plastic!"
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