In a video posted to TikTok on October 10 by user @phoebelabradoogle, the clever canine can be seen shaking her butt and jumping around happily with her owner and her dad.
Named Phoebe, the party pup’s moves have been viewed 4.7 million times in just 24 hours.
Can Dogs Really Dance?
Scientifically speaking, dogs can’t dance. According to a 2009 paper published in Current Biology, dancing is defined as “synchronization to a beat.” The only creatures that have proven they can move in time to the music are humans and a parrot called Snowball, the feathered star of the study.
Snowball had been dropped off at an Indiana animal shelter by a family who was concerned he wasn’t getting enough attention. However, it was quickly discovered that the parrot had a unique skill. Whenever he heard the Backstreet Boys’ track “Everybody,” he’d dance, astonishing shelter workers.
Word of his parlor trick reached scientists at the Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla California, who put the bird’s moves to the test. They filmed Snowball’s response to sped-up and slowed-down versions of the track, and found he danced in time to the beat 25 percent of the time. Although he missed the beat more often than not, researchers still determined this was enough to class Snowball as a dancer, giving him points for effort.
They might not have a sense of rhythm, but dogs still enjoy “dancing” with their owners. Canines can be trained to perform moves, just like any other trick, with PetMD describing dancing as “the perfect bonding activity” for pets and their owners. If you polish your pooch’s skills enough, they can win competitions with their routines.
‘Dancing Queen’
In the video, Phoebe is gently pulled to her feet by her owner before joining them in dancing to rapper Pharrell Williams’ 2013 hit “Happy.” She enthusiastically wags her tail while bouncing about on her hind legs, all while looking up adorably at her owner.
TikTok users couldn’t get enough of the labradoodle’s moves, with user Rocky describing her as “absolutely adorable.”
“A dancing queen,” said Audrey Fan.
“The widdle hoppy hops” wrote TEFLmom, along with several heart-eyed and crying emojis.
Jodi McGregor called Phoebe “the cutest live teddy bear” she had ever seen, while MykoMushroom described the clip as “BEST DANCE PARTY OF ALL TIME.”
Phoebe isn’t the only dog whose moves have wowed the web. Earlier this year, a dog interrupting their family’s attempt at the “My Name Is” TikTok challenge had viewers in hysterics, while a Labrador performing the “funky cha cha” was viewed thousands of times.
Newsweek has reached out to @phoebelabradoogle for comment.
