Dog on 560-Mile Train Ride Looks UpâNot Prepared for What's Staring Back
A well-traveled dog was taking the train when she suddenly noticed something very strange looking back at her: herself.
Leya the Staffordshire bull terrier lives in Sweden with her owner, Minette, and has plenty of online followers waiting to see what she will do next. "It was no question that she had to get her own social-media accounts because I take so many pictures and videos of her," Minette, 31, told Newsweek.
Leya's dedicated TikTok account, @staffeleya, is full of the pup's adventures, from walks in the countryside to boat rides and camping trips. One video, shared on November 28, showing Leya on a train ride, has gone viral with over 913,000 views and more than 224,000 likes.
"We love bringing Leya with us everywhere," Minette said. "This summer, we road-tripped to Lofoten, Norway, with her, and hiked the mountains and slept in a tent in the beaches."
Train rides through Europe can showcase gorgeous countryside, mountains and lakes, but in the video, Leya was focused on only one thing: her own reflection.
The short clip shows Leya sitting quietly on the seat, but staring directly upward, unmoving and unblinking. Minette then moved the camera to show what the Staffie was seeing, and it showed her own reflection on the glass above, watching with the same curious expression.
TikTok users went wild for the sweet video, with one writing; "Could it be … the most beautiful girl in the world?"
"Mama, there's a dog on the ceiling," another joked, as a third posted: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"
Minette told Newsweek: "This train ride was almost 900 kilometers [560 miles] long. We went to visit family in the northern parts of Sweden. She behaved so well on the train but found someone looking down on her from above, which was so cute!"
Leya is an essential part of the family, as Minette said not only does she travel with them, but "she also joins us for restaurant visits, cafés, bars and even the cinema."
"She is the sweetest Staffy that loves to sleep in the mornings, cuddle up with humans and run in the forest," Minette said.
The American Kennel Club describes the Staffordshire bull terrier as a dog with a brawling past who can make a mild, playful companion, sweet-natured and eager-to-please with the right training.
UX designer Minette said that she had "always had a passion for dogs and did a lot of dog-sitting before we got Leya," and even set up a canine-training group to help "train their dogs for everyday life."
"For example, being able to bring a dog on a train and them behaving well!" Minette added.
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