Bored Panda reached out to Brian, the author of this viral Twitter thread, who said that the idea for a tweet came as his sister’s dog got out one day. “I had to chase it, but it thought I was playing a game and would just run away from me. Instead of coming back home with me,” he recalled.
It seems like the fact Brian’s tweet blew up on social media has a lot to do with how relatable his experience of chasing after a dog really is. “I think anyone with a pet dog understands what it feels like, because dogs love to play around and sometimes they’ll run away to explore when you leave the house door open,” he said.
And although we are pretty sure that no dog wishes to give his owner a heart attack, as all they wanna do is have some cardio fun running errands, it doesn’t mean it’s not stressful to humans.
Brian believes such canine behavior is “to release energy and to explore the outside world or to mark their territory.” “Yet,” he added, “I honestly don't know exactly why they run away from the owners that care for them, it’s odd.”
“I was honestly surprised when I saw it went viral, but I guess a lot of other dog owners were able to relate to the tweet,” Brian commented on his tweet amassing 156K retweets, 24K quote tweets, and 969.8K likes.
Ask a dog owner what they do if they see their four-legged friend running a sprint like nothing else exists. The chances are they’ll tell you they’d chase them without a second thought. But suddenly your good boy and bestest gurl don’t know their names, and frankly, they totally ignore you running and shouting from the bottom of your lungs.
For them, it’s a simple game; for you, it’s sheer hell, a cardio exercise you never asked for. But there are some things you should do to avoid your dog going out of their mind.
First, always have some treats at hand. Whatever happens, those odd-smelling bites taste like heaven to your dog, and they can be the ones that lead your way to sanity.
Second, get creative. If your dog’s running away from you as you try to approach them, try and run away from them. Turning the tables may spark an inner curiosity in your canine, and sooner than you know it, they’ll come straight at you.
And last, try out opening the simple yet super-effective ‘car door’ maneuver. Your dog will instantly associate the door as an invitation for a ride, and nobody likes being left out. This, of course, only applies to canines who already are familiar with car rides and know what kind of fun to expect.