Some dogs get really protective of their owner when they’re hurt or injured, but not Usnavi the pup who found a way to make himself the main character instead.
Dog owner Alexia Guzmán was recovering from surgery on her foot which meant she had to keep her leg elevated and get plenty of rest. So naturally, her dog named Usnavi took it upon himself to also injure his paw and require lots of bedrest too. Someone’s got to take one for the team.
Guzmán, of Buffalo, New York, shared a hilarious video on TikTok (@astoldby_alexia) of herself resting at home, only to be joined by Usnavi being “so dramatic.” The cheeky pup could be seen laying on his back with a bandage over his paw for added effect.
The caption layered over the clip jokes: “That time I got foot surgery and my dog hurt his paw the same day.”
Internet users can’t get enough of Usnavi’s main character energy, leading to more than 5.5 million views and over 1.4 million likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
There’s no denying that dogs have extraordinarily strong senses that allow them to pick up on specific changes. The website PetMD suggests that dogs can detect emotional and physiological changes, as well as environmental events, allowing them to notice when their owner is injured, sick, or maybe just in a bad mood.
In fact, when they notice something new, they may even choose to imitate it. That’s because a study revealed in 2013 that canines can copy human behavior up to 10 minutes after observing it. It’s considered a mentally demanding ability, something that was previously only known in humans and apes.
Of course, this doesn’t just have to mean copying their owner when they’re injured, but it can be a useful training tool. The ability to imitate can be used to help dogs learn actions such as fetching the mail or carrying something outside.
The Online Reaction
The video shows Guzmán being brought some food, so she didn’t have to move her foot, all the while Usnavi had another couch all to himself as he sprawled out. The four-legged patient even had his own pillows and blankets to help him get comfortable.
Usnavi’s owner couldn’t help but laugh at his performance, as Guzmán joked on TikTok: “Seriously though, he’s too much.”
In the days since the video was shared online, it has amassed over 2,000 comments as TikTok users lauded Usnavi’s theatrics.
One comment on the post reads: “dogs being dramatic is my Roman Empire.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “He really said, how do I make this about me?”
Another person joked: “The way his paw is even elevated like your foot.”
While one commenter added: “he couldn’t let you get all the attention.”
Newsweek has contacted Guzmán via Instagram for comment. We could not verify the details of the video.
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