When Russell Jones injured his leg during a work accident, he couldn't believe his bad luck. But then things got worse. Because Russell's best friend, a cute Lurcher called Bill, started limping too.
Russell now had a bad leg, an injured pooch, and some expensive vet bills to deal with. In fact, the bill for a veterinary check-up and x-rays was over £300.
The dog was faking it!
So what was wrong with Bill the Lurcher? Well, absolutely nothing. Because Bill was just copying his dog-dad out of sympathy! Russell shared a hilarious video of the pretending pooch mimicking his favourite person, along with this post:
"Cost me £300 in vet fees and X-rays, nothing wrong, just sympathy. Love him."
The clip received over 2 million views, with some viewers describing it as "pure love."
"He's copying you. That's brilliant," wrote another person. "Though you have my sympathy for the vet's bill."
Psychologists refer to it as 'automatic imitation.' It's a well-studied trait in humans, although the first evidence of automatic canine imitation didn't appear until a 2011 study from the University of Virginia.
Proof of a pup's love
It found that dogs often imitate the person they perceive as the pack leader, even when there is no prospect of a reward. Instead, it's a way for dogs to express their emotional attachment to humans.
Russell might have paid £300 for X-rays, but he ended up with something priceless - proof of his dog's everlasting love!
