People online have been left scratching their heads over a viral video showing one dog owner's footage of her rare breed puppy Pluto, who bears a striking resemblance to a Rottweiler, but is actually another breed altogether.
Ash Monson, Pluto's owner, posted the lighthearted video of her three-month-old pup alongside a humorous caption: "Help what do I do?!" The on-screen text read: "When your 'Rottie' puppy starts looking less like a Rottweiler." The video quickly captured attention, gaining over 14.4 million views.
But there was a catch—Monson knew all along that Pluto was not, in fact, a Rottweiler. Instead, he is a rare French breed known as a Beauceron, a breed that remains relatively unknown to many dog lovers.
"I made the video because he is often mislabeled as a Rottie or a Doberman mix and I thought it was funny to make light of that. I don't mind people misidentifying him as I know Beaucerons are a pretty unique breed," Monson told Newsweek.
The Beauceron is one of France's oldest dog breeds, with a lineage dating back centuries. Originating from the plains of La Beauce near Paris, the breed was developed for tasks like herding cattle, guarding livestock and hunting.
Recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2007, the Beauceron remains relatively rare in the U.S., ranking as the 109th most popular breed out of the 202 breeds the AKC recognizes. The AKC describes them as "a Border Collie's brain in a 100-pound body."
At up to 110 pounds and 27.5 inches tall, the Beauceron is one of the best guard dogs, but they equally make faithful and gentle family pets.
As more people stumbled on the video of Pluto, the comments poured in.
"I don't know what a Beauceron is, but it looks like a Lab with Rottie paint job," joked creamygoodness44. "You got yourself a gorgeous dog regardless of breed!" said TikToker kdog.
While Viewer Nyx Free🇵🇸🇨🇩 said: "Lab results came back 100 percent cutie patootie."
"I knew immediately he was a Beauceron. Lucky you... one of the best types of dogs anyone can have," fan of the breed Suzanneinfrance wrote.
While Jaq-Joy Kerrys and Tarantula's added: "Beauceron puppies are soooo cute."
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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About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more