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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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When you describe a German shepherd, the word scared doesn't usually spring to mind. The breed, frequently used to assist law enforcement in combating crime, is usually associated with courageous and confident, but that doesn't ring true for the dogs in this viral video.
The TikTok clip shared by @michele_n_durmond shows the moment two German shepherds were reluctant to go down the stairs because a cat was in the way.
The dogs are too afraid to pass the cat, no matter how many times their owner says "come on" from behind the camera.
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The hilarious moment has racked up 5.9 million views and over 681,000 likes.
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A domestic cat usually weighs around 9 to 11 pounds. The dogs in the video appear to be puppies, but they are still much bigger than the feline.
According to a pet care blog on Pawlicy Advisor, an 8-month-old German shepherd puppy weighs 137 to 146 pounds, which is over 10 times heavier than a cat. So it's no wonder the owners and social media viewers were surprised by their behavior.
The American Kennel Club says the breed is "considered dogkind's finest all-purpose worker" and is a "large, agile, muscular dog of noble character and high intelligence. Loyal, confident, courageous, and steady."
While dogs and cats are often portrayed as archenemies, they can get along and even become friends. An August 2020 study in the online journal PLOS One said most dogs and cats living together show different mutual interactions.
The study found that more dogs lick a cat, and more cats ignore a dog, than vice versa. However, most dogs and cats play and sleep together at least occasionally. Questionnaires collected from 1,270 people with both pets confirmed that they can live together peacefully.
That may not be the case for the dog duo in the video. They may have had a negative experience with a cat's claws, but with time they might learn to forgive and forget.
So far, the popular video has more than 10,000 comments. One user said: "The cat: Don't let them hype y'all up."
Another commenter, with 42,900 likes, said: "That cat been standing on business."
"The cat got them trained quite well," wrote another person.
A fourth commenter said: "Cat said: I dare you."
This isn't the only time Newsweek has written about a cat scaring a dog. Previously, a canine was left trembling after meeting a feline for the first time.
TikTok user @michele_n_durmond refused to comment via TikTok and declined Newsweek use of the clip.
Update 01/08/23, 3:58 a.m. ET: The embedded video has been removed.
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