Dog Takes Concept of Playing Dead to Dramatic New Level: 'A Real Joker'

A dog has been showcasing her flair for the dramatic when playing dead with her owner.

Luna Moons, or "Loons" as owner Karen Holland calls her, is an 8-year-old beagle who, along with her canine siblings Lyra, Vega and Captain, helps out with animal-assisted psychotherapy sessions in their native Ireland.

"Animal-assisted psychotherapy utilizes the benefits of the positive effects animals have on us, both physically and mentally, with psychotherapy to help create positive coping mechanisms, self-discovery and understanding and stress relief," Holland told Newsweek.

She said the dogs' distinct personalities "help people to learn more about themselves" through understanding which of her canines resonate most with them and why.

Holland started posting videos of the dogs to TikTok a couple of years ago. It wasn't long before Loons, whom she describes as the "boss" who is "always leading everyone," began to take center stage.

Loons love attention, which is not a huge surprise. A 2019 study published in the journal Animals found that when dogs interact with human companions in a positive way, such as through play, they experience a surge in oxytocin, the hormone associated with positive emotional states.

However, Loons' love of the limelight is probably where her habit of playing dead comes from. According to Holland, it's a habit that started several years ago after Loons suffered a serious injury.

"She quickly realized that she gets attention if she has a 'fall.' When she was younger she would really throw herself down dramatically and pretend she was unable to get up," she said. "More recently, she waits until your back is turned and just gently lies down and waits."

Holland said Loons now likes to play dead on a near-daily basis, though she's added a dramatic twist to proceedings of late, as a recent video posted to social media highlights.

In the clip, Holland can be heard from behind the camera, calling out to Loons to see what's wrong. She's playing dead again, of course, but now there's only one thing that can revive her: CPR. Or rather, a pretend version her owner has dubbed "CPLoons."

Although it takes a couple of "pumps" the CPR does the trick, and Loons is soon back on her feet, much to the delight of her canine sibling Vega, who can be seen celebrating Loons' return to health as the clip ends.

"The CPR thing happened as she sometimes takes quite a while to get up," Holland said. "She is a real joker and likes to keep it going and likes the more dramatic I act, so one day I started the CPLoons and she won't get up without it now."

While these kinds of antics can slow her day down, Holland wouldn't exchange her drama-loving dog for anything in the whole world. "Loons and I are inseparable, so she usually goes where I go and if I can't bring her she isn't very impressed," she said.

Loons has got plenty to look forward to in the coming months. "She adores Christmas because her birthday is in December," Holland said. "She thinks the celebrations are in honor of her and usually assists in unwrapping every present."

Judging from the video, she'd make an amazing charades partner.

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