Dalmatian Fakes Injury Out of Sympathy for Dad and It's Such a Riot

When it comes to their perception of humans, dogs seem to have really good instincts. In fact, I'd say that my dog is a better judge of character than I am; she always knows how to pick a good, gentle person out of a crowd. That's why it's always such a compliment when a dog decides they like you, after all. Many of them are also very in touch with their human's emotions; somehow, my pup always knows when I'm having a bad day or when I'm sick and provides comfort and plenty of cuddles to help cheer me up — and yes, it works every time.

The dog in this TikTok video seems to have so much empathy for his human that it's kind of hilarious. If his dad is experiencing an injury, then this dog is putting himself in that same headspace.

This video from @tfe375 showed what happened when one very sweet Dalmatian decided that he was going to show his sympathy for his dad in the only way he knew how. Since his leg was in a cast and he was using crutches, this pup is following him around, doing a limp of his own. How cute is that?

Commenters were mixed on what they thought of the dog's behavior, though. While some agreed that it's a sign of sympathy, others thought that maybe it meant that the dog was mocking his dad. LOL!

This also isn't the only dog known to exhibit this kind of behavior, of course. One fellow pup parent commented, "I sprained my ankle years back and my dog acted the same way, we had to bandage her foot and prop her leg on pillow like mine."

Okay, that might be the cutest thing I've ever heard!

Why Dogs Copy Their Humans

If you've noticed that your dog copies you, rest assured that while it's very sweet (and funny), it's also very normal.

As Dogster points out, research has shown that dogs have a natural tendency to mimic their humans , and some will even pick up their favorite person's personality traits, which is pretty cool.

Apparently, it all comes down to the fact that they are pack animals and will naturally want to copy what their pack leader is doing, and in the case of domesticated dog, they see you, their faithful human, as their pack leader. If the leader is limping, then so are they — no questions asked.

Fortunately, this is a very safe behavior, too, so you don't need to worry about anything being wrong if your dog does start limping after you. But of course, if it seems like they might be limping for a different reason, a visit to the vet can't hurt!