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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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A 9-week-old pitbull-mix puppy tried his best to be an imposing guard dog, but once he realized who had returned home, the scary bravado was instantly gone.
Dawn Wood shared the video of Tato, the bulldog-and-pitbull mix barking and walking towards the car that pulled up outside his home in Atlanta. But as soon as Wood's husband, Chris, climbed out of the car, Tato's need to protect turned into a need to play.
Tato's love for both his owners is unmistakable, as Dawn Wood told Newsweek that despite training to be her service dog, Tato adores Chris and "wants all his attention."
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As service dogs have become more commonplace and varied, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has been in place since 1990, notes that service dogs can be any breed and any size. The dog must be trained to perform tasks that related directly to a person's disability in order to be considered a service animal.
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The tasks which service dogs might perform for their handler include retrieving objects for them if the person is unable due to physical disabilities, and some dogs alert their owner when it's time to take their medication. Some service dogs are also trained to sense when their owner is about to have a panic attack or seizure, and then keep them safe throughout.
According to data from Assistance Dogs International, in 2021 guide dogs were the most common type of assistance animal, with 48 percent of the total. Service dogs weren't far behind that though, representing 44 percent of assistance animals.
The most common type of service dog in 2021 was a mobility service dog, 51 percent, and autism service dogs were the second most common, with 22 percent.
Since Wood shared the video of Tato on TikTok (@deedee9595), it has received over 2.7 million views and 310,000 likes at the time of writing. In the caption, the amused owner joked that Tato was "thinking he's tough" as he tried to be protective, before realizing who was in the car.
Wood explained to Newsweek that she was "kind of shocked" to see Tato put on this façade, but it soon faded once he decided he wanted pets from his owner instead.
She said: "He acted all tough at first, which was the first time he'd acted like that. But as soon as my husband called his name, he started wagging that tail and wanting my husband to pet him.
"Tato is a smart, energetic puppy. You'd think he was part husky with how much he talks, but his dad was a bulldog and his mom was a pitbull. As I'm unable to work, Tato is in training to be my service dog. While he is a momma's boy, as soon as my husband walks in the door he just wants all of his attention instead."
Most of the comments on the video have been hugely positive, but unfortunately Wood did also receive some negativity towards Tato.
"We got a couple of negative comments about the breed being aggressive, but I try to educate people that it's the owner not the breed of dog," she continued. "Every dog has the potential to be aggressive, but that's why we train and love our Tato.
"In all, most of the comments have been nothing but joyous about Tato's helicopter tail, and how excited he gets to see his dad. I was shocked and tickled to see how much joy the video brought to others."
Among the hundreds of comments that the video has received, one person wrote: "Yep, so big and bad then turn to mush with one little question."
Another doting person commented: "I love how his tail is wagging so hard he can't walk straight."
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.
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