While many dogs enjoy splashing around in the water, not all share that enthusiasm—like Ruby, a clever puppy who will do anything to avoid swimming.
On January 3, a TikTok video featuring Ruby and her American bulldog companion, Moose, went viral, amassing 1 million views. The footage highlights Ruby’s ingenuity: Much smaller than Moose, who weighs 80 pounds and stands tall enough to comfortably wade through water, she resourcefully uses her larger friend as a makeshift float.
Perched atop Moose’s back, she stays dry while he remains “so unbothered,” according to the clip’s caption. The overlaid text humorously says, “When your life vest isn’t enough, you must use your brother as a flotation device.”
Newsweek reached out to @mooseandrubyyy for comment via TikTok and could not verify the details of the case.
The American Kennel Club says American bulldogs like Moose typically grow to 22 to 25 inches in height and are described as “well-balanced athletic dogs that demonstrate great strength, endurance, agility, and a friendly attitude.”
Moose perfectly fits this description, but Ruby’s breed remains unclear, but she is noticeably smaller. Despite the size difference, the two demonstrate that bonding transcends physical stature. American bulldogs are known for being good with other dogs and children.
Andrii Gorb/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Interestingly, research suggests that dogs may be aware of their own body size. In a study, researchers tested this by observing how dogs navigated openings in a wall of different sizes. The results showed that dogs took longer to approach openings that were clearly too small, and they didn’t try to force their way through. For medium-sized openings (just large enough), their approach times were between those for large and too-small openings.
This behavior suggests that dogs have a sense of their body size and can adjust their actions accordingly in new situations. Like Ruby, who managed to find a solution to avoid swimming.
TikTok Reacts
So far, the video has more than 195,000 likes and 140 comments.
“Brother seemed more than happy,” said one user.
Another wrote: “Not [her] brother laughing at him struggling balancing,” referring to Moose’s smile as he is being mounted by Ruby.
“That was adorable!!” said a third commenter. A fourth user was able to relate, writing: “This is me. Being in the water is not for me.”
It turns out she isn’t alone. According to the 2019 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll, conducted by Gallup through more than 150,000 interviews across 142 countries, a significant majority—55 percent—of people 15 and older reported being unable to swim without assistance. While swimming ability is limited worldwide, women account for a disproportionate share of those unable to swim.
Nearly 6 in 10 men (57 percent) said they could swim, compared with just 1 in 3 women (32 percent).
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
