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By Maria Azzurra Volpe
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German shepherds are among the most intelligent dog breeds of all, but sometimes they can have questionable moments. A dog owner has left the internet in stitches after sharing a video of her dogs playing in the sand... their own way.
In the clip, shared on TikTok in February, under the username brittanylaulu, her German shepherd and Rottweiler-mix dogs can be seen enjoying a day at the beach on Pearl Beach in eastern Australia.
One of the pups can be seen digging a hole in the sand, chucking heaps of it behind him with his hind legs as he digs, while the other one can be seen standing behind, getting all the sand in his face, even trying to snap at it with his jaw... and not realizing he could just be moving away.
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The viral clip comes with a caption that says "My dogs share one brain cell" although some users don't necessarily agree. PlanetNASA commented: "Bold of you to assume there is even a single brain cell."
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It has been estimated that the average dog is as smart as a 2-year-old human child. They can learn signs and gestures, and they also have the ability to learn around 165 words.
A previous Newsweek article on the smartest dog breeds found that border collies, followed by poodles and German shepherds, topped the list.
The study, published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, put 1,002 dogs through a series of intelligence tests to assess the performance of 13 different dog breeds. A series of 10 tests examined exploratory behavior, impulsivity, social cognition, spatial problem-solving, logical reasoning and short-term memory.
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 899,500 views and 143,200 likes on the platform.
One user, Shelby, commented: "Just be aware of sand impaction! Dogs that ingest sand can get it impacted in their stomachs and can cause a blockage."
Ally said: "STOPPP the way the sand kicker LOOKED BACK to make sure the other one was behind them before they started kicking more sand."
Another user Erika added: "Yes! Vet tech here and we had a tech's dog hospitalized for a few days after sand ingestion. Beach is a blast but just be cautious."
The American Kennel Club warns that any sand a dog swallows becomes wet and, if there's too much of it, can block the intestinal tract. The AKC offers the following suggestions to prevent this from happening:
- "Watch your dog closely at the beach. If you see them gobbling up the sand, tell them to "leave it."
- When you go to the beach, consider taking toys that won't absorb as much sand as a tennis ball, like a flying disc.
- Take plenty of fresh water and be sure to make it available to your dog at all times. Don't allow them to drink the salt water. In addition to swallowing sand, they're at risk for developing saltwater poisoning.
- When you leave the beach, bathe or hose off your pup as soon as possible. This will remove the sand from their coat and feet, prevent them from licking it off."
Newsweek reached out to brittanylaulu for comment via TikTok comments.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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