“Reactive” pit bull falling in love with his new friend melts hearts online

We all know that, if possible, two dogs are better than one, and pit bulls Thor and Athena have proved that theory right yet again in a TikTok video with over 84,000 views.

The video explains: “POV: Your reactive dog falls in love with his new friend.” The footage shows two pit bulls lying next to each other on a bed licking each other’s faces, cuddling on the sofa, and jumping around in the yard together. Other videos reveal that there are three dogs living in harmony together. The caption reads: “They’re a little obsessed with each other.”

Having multiple dogs can remedy a number of common issues such as separation anxiety, behavioral issues, and loneliness. The poster described Thor the male pit bull in this video as “reactive.” The American Kennel Club (AKC) says this is “not aggression, but can escalate.”

“Reactivity is commonly confused with aggression. Dogs that are reactive overreact to certain stimuli or situations. Genetics, lack of socialization, insufficient training to learn self-control, a frightening experience, or a combination of these can cause reactivity, and fear is typically the driving force,” said the AKC.

Their owner is based in the Netherlands and likes to keep a low profile on social media. They told Newsweek: “Thor and Shiva are actually the parents of Athena. It was an accident, and we managed to find amazing homes for all the other puppies with the help of our vet.

“Athena, who was the only girl in the litter, had many health issues as a puppy, and we didn’t want to give her away not knowing what would happen to her,” the owner added. “We were not planning on getting a third dog, but after seeing her interact with Thor and Shiva, we ended up keeping her.

“Shiva immediately treated Athena like her puppy,” their owner said, “but Thor was different. He missed crucial parts of his puppy socialization due to a bad start before we got him. He didn’t know how to deal with her and tended to avoid her.

“But Athena had a different idea of how things should be. She absolutely loved him from the day they met, and she would not leave him alone. She would follow him everywhere, lay in bed with him. She really pushed herself into his life, and it worked.

“Slowly, we started to see Thor not move away when she would crawl in bed with him,” the owner added. “He also started to be more curious about her and even try to play. She gained a place in his heart.”

Getting your reactive dog a companion is not a guaranteed remedy. However, with careful monitoring, it can help. Pet-training advisers Pet Behavior Consultants said: “Adding a second dog into a reactive dog household is quite possible. It takes some planning, patience and organization. It certainly can’t be a whim, but there is definitely hope if your goal is to get a second dog.”

It’s important to remember that you are getting a second canine for you, not your dog, Pet Behavior Consultants added. “Maybe your other dog will benefit, maybe not. It can be on the list of possible bonuses, but it can’t be a primary motivator.” Make sure there are separate spaces in your house to keep the dogs apart at first, so they can get to know each other without any risk, then slowly introduce them.

“Learning how to trust a dog other than Shiva made a huge difference to Thor. Athena really worked her way around him, and now they are inseparable,” said their owner. “Ever since trusting Athena, Thor’s reactivity has improved a lot. Even if he still doesn’t easily trust other dogs, he can go on walks more peacefully without the constant state of stress he had before every time we would see another dog.”

“Two key things to remember,” the owner added, “you want the dogs to associate one another with good stuff, and you need the dogs to know you’re going to keep each of them safe and there’s no need to be defensive.” From there, the owner said, it’s “about patience and organization.”

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