SerpApi.Org
They say you become like the company you keep, and this tiny Chihuahua named Pluto is living proof. The Elenis family says Pluto was raised alongside two Great Danes, and the pint-sized pup has adopted their confidence, attitude, and apparent belief that he's the one who's in charge.
Watch as Pluto confidently tries to show a dog at least three times his size who's boss. The giant, meanwhile, couldn't be less impressed, even letting out a big yawn at one point as if to say, "Are you done yet?" Viewers are cracking up, joking that neither breed seems to have any idea how big—or small—they actually are.
The Elenis Family joked in the caption, "In his mind, he’s just a pocket-sized Great Dane." Pluto definitely has that big dog energy!
Commenters got a kick out of the tiny pup, joking about his confidence. @DeAnne pointed out, "The way you can tell the Chihuahua is getting mad because its mouth isn’t big enough lol!" @Matilda added, "100% attack 0% damage."
@scarlettefever joked, "Little guy opening his mouth as wide as he possibly can and the big guy barely opening his is killin' me!"
Another commenter pointed out, "The big dog's like, 'Can you please be careful, I almost inhaled you.'"
Related: This Stray Dog Grew Up Around Cows—and Now He Literally Moos
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Dogs Often Learn Behaviors From the Dogs They Grow Up With
We've all seen dogs that grow up with other breeds, or even other species, pick up some of their traits and behaviors. We recently shared the story of a stray dog raised alongside cows who didn't bark at all...he mooed instead!
Experts say that's not as unusual as it sounds. Dogs learn through social learning, meaning they watch and imitate the animals around them. The American Association for the Advancement of Science notes that a dog's breed explains less than 10% of the behavioral variation between individual dogs.
They list the following factors that often play a much bigger role in shaping a dog's personality:
- Age
- Sex
- Life experiences
- Environment
The researchers found that one of the traits most strongly influenced by genetics is biddability, or how readily a dog responds to human direction, but even then, individual dogs vary widely. They add, " Other behaviors, like aggression — a trait unfairly linked to some breeds, like pit bulls — has more to do with the environment in which a dog is raised than its genes."
As for Pluto, he may have Chihuahua DNA, but after growing up with Great Danes, it's safe to say nobody remembered to tell him he's supposed to be the little guy.
