Hysterics at 'Annoying' Rescue Dog Used to Test Fosters for Aggression

A dog foster family in Connecticut has shared its unconventional yet effective method of testing canines for aggression—by employing the services of one particularly annoying 10-year-old Chihuahua mix named Thor.

On TikTok, @the_misfit_pets shared a video of Thor in action as he attempted to engage Copper, a dog available for adoption. "The Misfit Pets" consists of five senior rescue dogs owned by Anne Dennen and her husband, Matt Narel, in Fairfield County, Connecticut. They foster dogs from Happily Furever After Rescue (HFAR), a foster-based non-profit organization.

Thor's adorable and relentless enthusiasm for playtime is clear as he jumps up and paws at Copper, all while furiously wagging his tail. Despite Thor's best efforts though, Copper remained cool as a cucumber—if a little confused—earning him a pass on the aggression test.

"Thor has always struggled with doggie boundaries. Knowing this, they introduce their foster dog to the others first before incorporating Thor last and with great caution," Dennen told Newsweek. "If their foster dog can tolerate Thor, they know they are not aggressive or reactive."

In the video, it was put a little more simply with the humorous text overlay: "We use Thor to test foster dogs for aggression." It is followed by: "Because he's really annoying."

Copper came to be in the care of Happily Furever After Rescue when his owners split up and could no longer care for him. A 2-year-old border terrier and Norfolk terrier mix, he has been left struggling since the loss of his family and struggles with abandonment issues.

However, there is good news for the dog: "Copper is currently pending adoption, thanks to a viewer of that video, and we are so excited for him," Dennen said.

While Thor may be a handful, his antics serve an important purpose in ensuring that potential foster dogs are a good match for their new homes.

"Anne and Matt began fostering Thor in August 2021, but they quickly fell in love with his goofy and snuggly personality, so they decided to adopt him and made Thor a permanent member of their family," Dennen said.

In the caption, @the_misfit_pets said, "Thanks for your service Thor," and with more than 11.4 million views, the video has captured some serious attention.

Among over 4,780 comments, viewers shared their reactions to seeing Thor and Copper and the test.

"Dude may not have had a reaction but he's on his last straw," wrote Kenny, while Riley posted: "No aggression, but LOTS of judgement."

Others felt an affinity to Thor and his excitable disposition. FlippityFelts commented: "I think I am the human equivalent of Thor!"

WellReadBlkGrl2.0 wrote: "He's not annoying! He just takes his job seriously."

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.