Rescue Dog Remains 'Apple of His Grandparents' Eye' Despite Misbehaving

A former racing dog has recently discovered what being a pet is all about after he was adopted by a family who loves him like a human member.

Bruce, the greyhound, was adopted by his owner Joy in May and has since developed a "special" relationship with her parents, who also live in Australia.

"He was used to a different life, as these greyhounds would be taken from the kennels to the racetrack and have never experienced any type of normal 'pet life.' Now, he is living his best life relaxing, sleeping and just learning how to be a dog again. Bruce is the apple of his grandparents' eye," told Joy.

In April, a Pew Research Center study revealed nearly all U.S. pet owners say their pets are part of their family. This couldn't be more true for Joy and her family as her "parents treat him like their only grandchild."

"My parents own a furniture store in Sydney, so they take him to the shop to help out with the customers!" Joy told Newsweek. "He is getting quite famous and makes sure all the furniture is greyhound quality approved before customers buy anything."

Recently, a video of Bruce at the store gained a lot of attention on TikTok as the canine can be seen relaxing on one of the showroom beds. Shortly after, he is lifted off the bed by his granddad.

Joy has added the following on-screen text, it said: "Grr grandpa said I had to leave the bed because customers would not be happy."

The man shuffling around the bed holding the 66-pound dog. But the next clip shows that Bruce makes his own rules as he lying on the bed again.

"When we first got him he was incredibly shy and not confident, but slowly he has become more lively and curious," Joy told Newsweek about the clip shared to a page dedicated to the dog @brucedynastythegreyhound. "When he's shy or cautious he tends to 'freeze' (it's a known phenomenon of greyhounds) just like in the video. We have no choice but to carry him as he won't move otherwise.

"Freezing can also happen during the middle of the street, which is not fun. Although It's one of his most endearing qualities."

Freezing is a stress response where the canine will stop moving in an attempt to understand more about a particular situation, according to Australian animal shelter, Greyhounds As Pets. Fear and anxiety are common traits for this breed so they require an owner who is able to support them during a freezing episode. This can be done by taking them out of the situation and recognizing the triggers.

So far, the video has delighted thousands of users, and some people have commented to vouch for the canine.

One said: "Tell Grandpa you're doing important quality control work!"

Another asked: "How will the customers know it is greyhound approved?"

Joy responded: "hahaha exactly! Can proudly confirm it's 100% greyhound authenticated."