Chihuahua Pretends to Be Injured in Hilarious Viral Clip: 'Shivering Whine'

A chihuahua named Hermes has left online commenters in stitches after a video showing him faking that he's hurt to get his mom's attention went viral on social media.

The video, shared on TikTok this past Friday by the dog's owner, under the username Hermes_and_madi, shows the dog pretending to be injured and howling at his mom. She, in turn, pretended to fall for his play, until she suggested they go for a walk and he suddenly was healed.

It turns out that dogs can actually fake pain. They usually do this when they want more attention or when they want to get their way with something, according to the website WagWalking.

One way to spot the signs that pets are faking an injury is to keep an eye on them and notice whether they start limping or acting like they're in pain all of a sudden. You may then spot them playing with their toys, or walking like nothing ever happened, when you're not seen watching them.

Signs of a fake injury in pets include whining, pacing, whimpering, averting eyes, sudden improvement in an "injury," limping for no apparent reason and sporadic symptoms. Usually, the symptoms begin when they notice you are watching them.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says your dog may also whine when it wants your attention, a reward or a desired object.

The video, which comes with a caption that says "it's the shivering whine for me," has attracted animal lovers from across the platform, receiving over 10.1 million views and 2.9 million likes.

One user, Jackîe, said: "Why are chihuahuas so dramatic." And Jasmin Smith commented: "My chihuahua kept screaming when we touched her and the vet said 'ignore her she's lying.'"

Another user, Robin Gessner, wrote: "My [chihuahua] screams when the other dog moves nowhere near her for attention and then limps over to be comforted for her terrors." Lilitha S joked: "He's saying 'ow' in Australian." And Mar RA wrote: "He's THE DRAMA." MidEvlDed added: "I'm cured!! k let's go."

User Butlikekakashitho said: "My existence is what hurts mom. I'm not ok." And Markula4040 wrote: "'Is Hermes not okay.' 'NOOOAAAWW.'"

Beatsbyskrillah added: "While the whole time he's thinking 'hehehehe got em."

BabyDee joked: "AND THE OSCAR GOES TO HERMES for best dramatic actor in a mini-series!!"

Corinth113 said: "This reminds me of the time my dog limped for a whole day, got excited to go outside and walked fine, REMEMBERED and started limping ON THE OTHER FOOT."

Newsweek has reached out to Hermes_and_madi for comment and could not verify the details of the case.