Laughter at Saint Bernard Whose Favorite Hobby Is 'Looking for Trouble'

An adorable Saint Bernard is delighting dog fans on social media with his mischievous new hobby.

In a video posted to TikTok, Kingsley's owner, Alistair, shared a compilation of clips showing how his canine's new favorite pastime appears to be "looking for trouble."

The post was shared under the handle kingsley_st_bernard and shows how the dog has taken to picking up things he definitely shouldn't be, before turning to look at his owner, seemingly daring him to react.

Kingsley can be seen picking up sneakers and couch cushions in an attempt to get a reaction from his human companion.

"He's on the go most of the day and is constantly looking for trouble," Alistair told Newsweek. "Other dogs steal things and randomly run about, but Kingsley does things that's different. It's like he's planning it. He choses a target to annoy you and get a rise then taunts you with it until he gets a reaction to try and get you to chase him."

Kingsley may well see these acts of rebellion as something of a game, which might explain why he's so keen to do it and why his owner might consider indulging this particular behavior.

In a 2003 study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, researchers identified a correlation between games with dogs that involve lots of physical contact and a reduction in the amount of separation-related behavior among the canines studied.

Kingsley might be simply seeking the contact and connection that a game of chase around the house might bring. If it's attention that he wants, then he's certainly getting it on social media.

"I started uploading videos of Kingsley to social media during lockdown and he suddenly became a go-to for people that were struggling with it all and needed a video to get them through the day," Alistair, who lives with Kingsley in Ayrshire, Scotland, told Newsweek.

"He's a genuinely funny dog and has an amazing personality. Fellow Saint Bernard owners around the world often say he's a total one-off, which I would agree with."

This particular clip of Kingsley has certainly got fans talking on TikTok.

"He is just so cute and loves to entertain us all," one viewer wrote, with another commenting that there's "never a dull moment when Kingsley is about."

Alistair says part of Kingsley's desire to engage in games of chase is that he's a super-active dog.

"He loves going to the beach and sprinting through the water and laying in the middle of rivers," he said. "He totally breaks the mold for Saint Bernards. They are supposed to be slow, clumsy, can't catch, can't run and sleep up to 18 hours a day. But he can match and run faster than breeds half his weight, his coordination is amazing and he can catch everything from balls to frisbees, which is unheard of in the breed."

Kingsley's lust for life may also be motivated by the fact that he very nearly died not too long ago.

"Three months ago he got bloated and a twisted stomach which usually kills a dog," Alistair revealed. A frantic search to find a surgeon who could operate on Kingsley ensued, with the brave Saint Bernard left waiting "over four hours."

"The day after, his surgeon told us that he should have been dead waiting all that time, but by some miracle Kingsley managed to pull through."

Now Kingsley is back to full health and busy doing what he loves best: causing mischief and making millions of people on social media smile every day.

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