Silly Dog Doesn’t Like Climbing Stairs, So He Fakes A Limp Every Time He Sees Them

"We knew he was loving and friendly, but we had no clue how stubborn he was.”

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• December 13, 2020

Dogs aren't necessarily known for being drama queens, but that doesn't mean some dogs and puppies aren't expert actors worthy of taking home an Oscar. Titan just may be one of those dogs.

Titan’s family adopted the dog from Furry Friends Animal Refuge in Iowa at the end of August, and they can all agree that it was great fun getting to know their new dog. They’ve learned that he is absolutely the friendliest dog they’ve ever met. And the most stubborn.

“He has to say hello to EVERYONE when we go out,” Natalie Bretey, Titan’s mom, told the reporters of her sweet but silly dog. “Everyone is his friend. While he does love being a big, friendly baby, he is also severely stubborn. He will frequently halt on walks until we go the way he has decided or to stop and watch cars and people go by. We knew he was loving and friendly, but we had no clue how stubborn he was.”

Exhibit A, Titan the Dog:

Titan adores going on long walks, and he hates when the time comes for them to end. The determined dog often attempts to make his strolls last longer, and he already had many standoffs with his owners about that.

“He walks as if he has never had a walk before in his life,” Bretey told the reporters. “Which, at first, may have been the case!”

A dog's face insisting he's totally innocent looks like this:

The 7-year-old dog does have several health issues, including allergies, chronic ear ulcers, and mild hip dysplasia. The ear issues are being actively addressed by his parents. Luckily, his hip dysplasia isn't causing any problems for now— but they were concerned it might start to act up the very first time Titan would encounter stairs.

"We realized he wasn't a fan of stairs the very first day," Bretey told the reporters. "We got back to my boyfriend's apartment and quickly realized that Titan had no intention of walking up the stairs. We started panicking; was this because of his hip dysplasia?!"

Titan's owners were concerned that his dislike for the stairs might be because it was causing him pain. They quickly realized it was simply because he didn't feel like climbing them.

Every time Titan gets near the stairs, he tries to persuade his owners to carry him up. He'll even fake a limp every so often, just to look more convincing. And, miraculously, as soon as they reach the top of the stairs and put him down on the floor, the limp simply disappears, and he starts running around.

"Titan pulls his limp trick at least once a week," Bretey told the reporters. "This past week, he tripped on his new jammies going up the first step and stumbled back. He held his paw in the air and looked at me with the most pained look he could muster. I called his dad to come carry him up the stairs.

Since he had stumbled this time, I was worried he wasn't faking it for once! His dad came down and said, 'He's probably faking it again' and hoisted him into his arms and up the stairs. Before we even reached the top, Titan was wiggling his way out of the set of arms and onto the floor. His limp was gone, and he jogged to the front door. We just laugh. He is a great actor!"

Titan’s owners believe that he’d never come across stairs before, and they confuse him. They are paying close attention to any signs of actual pain and frequently carry him up the stairs, even though they are well aware that he is just messing with them.

Since his adoption, his owners have absolutely loved seeing him come out of his shell and explore the world. They want to enable him to have a full life, and this stubbornness of hiss only makes them love him more.

“We try not to think about all the things he went through, but have had fun watching him learn how to ride in a car, enjoy pup cups from coffee places, go on walks, and interact with everyone,” Bretey told the reporters. “His big heart has made every hard moment worth it.”

Damjan