Puppy Playing in the Dark Discovers Shadow—Owner Can't Cope With Reaction

Newsweek

2 days ago

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Internet viewers have found a new superstar in the form of a dog who has discovered his shadow.
TikTok user Lee, who posts under the username @lee_401, is the proud owner of two dogs: Gracie the "gentle giant"; and yellow Labrador retriever Max, who joined the family in 2024. Max is still very much in his puppy phase, and a video of the Labrador discovering his shadow has gone viral—because he was determined to make friends with it.
In a clip posted on July 28 and already boasting more than 1.4 million views, Max's owner stands outside, looking at where Max is playing in the yard. It is dark, and the porch lights are casting his shadow huge against the opposing wall. And Max thinks he has found a new friend, as he runs backwards and forwards, left and right, jumping toward all sides, as his shadow copies his every movement.
Max tilts his head, looking confused, but his tail continues wagging as he does the play bow, indicating he wants to be friends with the mystery dog. His owner captioned the sweet video: "Max made a new friend named 'Shadow'."
And TikTok users instantly fell in love, awarding the video close to 250,000 likes in a matter of days, as one commenter wrote: "Your black lab is just as fast as your other dog."
Another suggested the interaction would "make a great Pixar short," as a third posted: "I also thought there was another dog there, don't worry little guy."
That user wasn't the only one, as another said they "legit thought he was playing with a larger black dog," and a third agreed: "It took me a hot minute to realize there was only one dog."
Max chases his own shadow, trying to play with it.
Max chases his own shadow, trying to play with it.
TikTok @lee_401
Some commenters worried chasing shadows was not a good sign: while young dogs may do it for play, or out of curiosity and excitement, some canines can develop compulsive shadow-chasing in the form of Compulsive Canine Disorder, similar to OCD in humans, according to a vet-reviewed report by Dogster.
However, Max's owner assured one concerned commenter that Max is just "being a puppy."
"He has a sister he plays with all the time, he goes to doggy day care, and he goes and visits one of his littermates," Lee said.
Newsweek has contacted @lee_401 via TikTok for comment on this story.
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