A senior husky rolled back the years after coming across an unexpected four-legged guest in his owner’s backyard.
Burger might be in his twilight years at 16 1/2 but, as the saying goes, “there’s life in the old dog yet.” That’s certainly proven true in Burger’s case, as a video posted to TikTok by his owner, writing under the handle @xoxomika213, shows.
Not all dogs get to live the kind of life Burger has enjoyed. A 2024 study published in the journal Scientific Reports, based on a data set of 584,734 unique dogs that spanned over 150 different breeds, the median life expectancy of the average dog was 12 1/2.
Burger has already defied that expectation and, if the footage shared to social media is anything to go by, appears in good enough spirits that he might well keep going for some time to come.
TikTok/xoxomika213
Not that it’s immediately obvious when the video starts. If first impressions were anything to go by, you might suspect Burger was the worse for wear, given the way he seemingly struggles to get around the garden.
But looks can be deceiving. A moment later, Burger springs into action, evidently buoyed by the sight of something on the grass. It soon becomes apparent that he’s spotted a small furry interloper and is in no mood to mess around.
A second ago, Burger was ambling around on the grass. Now he’s tussling with what we later learn is a mole. It’s a battle that only ever has one winner.
The accompanying caption sums up what’s just unfolded perfectly: “You think your 16.5 year old husky’s best days are behind him,” it begins. “Until he reminds you he has still got the heart of a hunter.”
His owner’s surprise at what unfolds is clear to see and hear. Burger’s initial attack on the mole is greeted with audible shouts of “oh my God” from his human watching from behind the camera. Eventually, the owner is forced into action with the camera work suffering as a result while she tries to remove the terrified mole from her husky’s mouth.
You can watch the entire saga play out here:
According to an accompanying caption, she had just given Burger “a bath outside and was calling him to towel dry him some more” when the incident unfolded. The wellbeing of the mole following the incident is unclear.
What is clearer, however, is just how much Burger’s video appeared to resonate with viewers, many of whom delighted in how the husky was able to roll back the years.
“He still has the dog in him,” one wrote, with another commenting: “Yeesss go Burger go!” A third quipped: “what a spicy burger you have there,” with a fourth noting that he: “Still has that teenager instinct!”
Newsweek has reached out to @xoxomika213 for comment.
