A rescue dog has been breaking hearts online after footage of his attempt at making friends with two other dogs ended in rejection.
In a video posted to TikTok under the handle @dawson_da_dog, a pet owner shared a clip of their “socially awkward” dog trying, and failing, to ingratiate himself with two other Shih Tzus.
The video shows Dawson, the brown-and-yellow dog in the clip, approaching two other black-and-white Shih Tzus, in an apparent effort to make friends. Sadly, however, neither pup appears to be in the mood for socializing, preferring to walk away without engaging the sweet pup.
“He struggles to make doggy friends but he loves humans,” Dawson’s owner, who did not share their name, told Newsweek. “He just has a big personality and, sometimes, doesn’t read the signs of a dog not wanting to play. He is the sweetest boy, though, and if there’s a dog who’s friendly, he loves to play with them!”
Everybody needs somebody and dogs are no different. One 2023 study, published in the journal Evolution, Medicine, & Public Health, even suggests dogs with fellow canine friends had a happier, longer life. The study, based on an analysis of over 21,000 dogs, found routine social interactions with other canines in the household was linked to “better health” outcomes than dogs with less socialization.
Dawson certainly appears eager to make friends and enjoy life. That has always been his way, though. “We adopted Dawson in 2020 off a site called PuppySpot,” his owner said. “He was born in Missouri and was flown to us at just 3 weeks old.”
In truth, you would struggle to find a more-outgoing dog than Dawson. “He loves walking around the mall and stopping into all the stores. He also likes going to the beach and rolling around in the sand,” his owner said. “He is a huge foodie and will eat anything you give him.”
Sadly, though, on this particular day, at this particular moment, Dawson came up against a brick wall when he wanted to mingle. It was a rejection that those watching appeared to take harder than Dawson himself.
“He just has a big personality,” one user wrote. “Aw, did he make a friend?” another asked. The good news is that Dawson’s owner had a positive update.
They said that the footage came from a “Shih Tzu meet up” where “about 50 Shih Tzus gathered to play together.” “We just thought it’d be a good place to bring him because it’s all dogs of the same breed and size,” the owner said. “And he did make a good amount of friends there.”
So, while Dawson may have struggled in that moment, the pup did end up making a few pals that day, thanks to his happy-go-lucky approach; the power of paws-ativity.
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