Hysterics Over Dog's Reaction to Trying Lemon for the First Time: 'Spicy'

The internet has been left in stitches at a dog's hilarious reaction after trying a lemon for the very first time.

With more than 116,000 views, the video shared by Luz owner Maria, from Romania, on December 4 captured the moment Luz tentatively approached the citrus fruit.

"Why is it so spicy?" asked the caption on TikTok, then almost instantly, her reaction was one for the books. She shook her head in apparent shock, licking her lips as if trying to rid herself of the unexpected sour sensation.

"It was her first time trying it," Maria told Newsweek. "I was just cutting up some lemon for a salad dressing and I heard her sniffing from behind me so I gave her some to try."

The comment section of the TikTok video was flooded with amused viewers sharing their own canine lemon encounters. One user humorously said: "Mine will run at the sight of a cut lemon," while another took a comedic approach and said: "Gotta let him lick the salt and take the shot first! lol."

The brave young pup doesn't just try it once though, she even goes back for a second taste, but the next try confirms she definitely isn't interested.

"The last reaction though," laughed one TikTok user, and Luz's owner said: "Hahahaha. Yes that was the last time she touched it."

"We're always recording her," said Maria. "Especially when trying new stuff because she always has the funniest reactions."

This Dachshund's reaction to the sour fruit is likely for very similar reasons that humans might pull a face when eating a fresh lemon. Dogs have taste receptors for the same tastes as humans, including spicy, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty foods. They generally avoid all but the sweet treats.

It is thought this could be due to their natural instinct to avoid potentially harmful or spoiled foods. While the video was undeniably amusing, it also serves as a reminder that lemons are actually toxic to dogs.

The citric acid and sugar content in lemons can pose health risks to dogs, leading to potential issues such as rash, skin irritation, weakness, drowsiness, nervous depression, confusion, and diarrhea.

A concerned viewer cautioned, "Just so you know, lemon is toxic to dogs if they have too much, so don't make a habit of this; otherwise, your sausage will get very poorly." The original poster promptly addressed the concern, assuring, "Yes, we would never give her more than what she had in this video; she barely licked it a few times. Thanks for pointing it out!"

This isn't the first time an animal's reaction to the sour fruit has gained viral attention. Last year, another dog left people in hysterics when he got into a fight with a lemon.

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.

Update 12/12/23, 11:00 a.m. ET: This story was updated with a new video, image and comment.

Update 12/14/23, 05:00 a.m. ET: This story was updated to remove video and image.