Owning a pet is a fulfilling experience for many. There’s never a dull moment with our furry friends, and they are always full of surprises. For his woman, her Belgian Malinois puppy’s creative reaction to a gate in her home was one of many ways that have kept her on her toes.
TikTok creator Kristine Lewis (@kristine_lewis) has posted snippets of her adventure with her female rescue Belgian Malinois named Rook, and it’s been an interesting one so far. She shares a 10-second installment of her “life with a 6-month-old Belgian Malinois.”
“People have been asking how it’s going with my new Belgian Malinois rescue puppy,” the content creator says, walking through the gate and snapping it shut behind her. “And this is how it’s going.”
Then, Rook approaches the gate and effortlessly swings it open with her paw.
“Yup,” Lewis remarks as her puppy climbs the stairs.
‘She Opened It Like She Pays The Bills’
Lewis’ snippet racked up over 475,000 views, leaving many thoroughly impressed.
“At least she opens the gate. I expected her to parkour over it,” one viewer commented.
“Perfect! I can’t even open the gates half the time lol,” another stated.
“She opened it like she pays the bills,” a third remarked.
Meanwhile, those with Belgian Malinois were not fazed, citing their own dogs’ antics.
“Oh yeah, rescued my Belgian Malinois, and the first day I got her she jumped my 6ft fence from a sitting position. And she’s insanely smart. Love her to pieces,” one commenter recalled.
“Yep!!! Looks about right. Mine watches me do stuff. I thought it was cute until he turned my kitchen sink on. He’s almost a yr old,” a second shared.
How Intelligent Are Belgian Malinois?
Essentially, extremely. In 2023, the University of Helsinki tested 1,000 dogs’ cognitive abilities across 13 breeds, in which the Belgian Malinois ranked No. 1. On top of that, they’re hardworking, loyal to the core, form deep connections with their humans, and are a bundle of energy. However, certain traits may be difficult for prospective owners to handle.
Like any dog, Belgian Malinois are a lifetime commitment, but a devoted one as well. Because these canines are wired for work, they require daily mental stimulation and exercise. And it’s not the basic light walk or the occasional fetch. According to Petful, they need at least 30 to 60 minutes of mental stimulation (games, drills, and training, to name a few) and 90 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise, such as biking, hiking, herding, etc with their person.
When they’re deprived of this, let’s just say a bored dog is a destructive one. To cure this, they seek their own entertainment by destroying furniture, gnawing on personal belongings, wreaking havoc on the house, and digging holes, according to PetMD. Therefore, how interactive and engaged you are with these breeds can make or break the experience.
Subplot reached out to Lewis via TikTok comment and direct message.
Update:
During an interview with Subplot, Lewis recalled how she found Rook.
“I found Rook while looking through shelter dogs online. I was looking for an athletic dog that could hike and backpack with me. She was at the Fresno Humane Society l, and something about her immediately caught my attention,” she recalled via TikTok direct message. “I drove down to meet her and ended up bringing her home that day. She was about six months old.”
Although this gate was originally installed for her other dog, it didn’t keep Rook out. However, this wasn’t the first time Rook had bypassed the gate. What the content creator captured was the first time she had witnessed how.
“It was not the first time but it was the first time I saw how she did it. We had had her home only a few days when I would go upstairs and she would magically appear upstairs a few minutes later. I was surprised to find the gate open. At first I assumed she jumped it,” she recounted. “I decided to walk up the stairs slowly and caught the perfect video of her opening the gate. I was cracking up rewatching the video of how she opened it just like she had seen me open it. I knew I had to post it.”
While this wasn’t the first time her dog has figured this out, Lewis has learned a lot about her.
“She’s constantly figuring things out. She’s extremely observant and very good at problem-solving, which is both impressive and occasionally inconvenient! She pays close attention to how things work, so I’m quickly learning that if there’s a loophole in one of my plans, she’ll probably find it,” she said. “I am working with her every day to try to make sure she’s learning things that will ensure she’s a good companion and won’t do things that might be destructive or dangerous. We’ve started working with a trainer as well.”
As of now, the content creator has enjoyed her newfound journey with her Belgian Malinois.
“It has been a learning experience in the best way. She’s incredibly smart, energetic, curious and very attached to me. They’re definitely not a breed you can expect to entertain themselves quietly all day,” she shared. “She needs training, exercise and mental stimulation, and I’m learning right along with her. But she’s also funny, affectionate and has so much personality. I completely understand why people fall in love with the breed.”
She continued, “One thing I’d love people to take away from the video is that there are some amazing dogs sitting in shelters. Rook wasn’t a dog I bought from a breeder — she was a six-month-old shelter puppy looking for a home. I had no idea when I adopted her that a six-second clip of her defeating a baby gate would introduce her to so many people. It’s been really fun watching everyone fall in love with her personality along with me.”
