Watch This Very Clever German Shorthaired Pointer Trick Her Owner to Snag Her Brother's Food

Austin Cannon
·2 min read
2
dog scratching at the back door to go outside as a diversion to get to her brother's food
dog scratching at the back door to go outside as a diversion to get to her brother's food

Courtesy of imtype01 / TikTok

Dogs are sometimes much smarter than we give them credit for, and that includes this wily German shorthaired pointer's attempt to snag a few bites of her brother's food.

We get to enjoy Ginger's clever exploits via her owner's TikTok account (imtype01). The video posted Sunday shows one of her owners guarding her senior brother's bowl of food. She walks over to the door and presses a button to go outside, getting her owner to abandon his post to let her out.

Instead of heading outside, she jukes around him and snags a mouthful of chow before he can stop her. It's a simple but effective trick my family calls the "bait and switch." Our poodle has spent years barking to be fed, only to snag something off someone's dinner plate while they fetch her food. It's hilarious as long as it's not your food she's taking.

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Ginger's sneakiness has earned the video more than 1.4 million views so far, but it's not an everyday occurrence. Her mom said in a follow-up video that Ginger is actually quite well-trained and also serves as her medical alert dog. The original TikTok idea came after Ginger, who was not under any instruction at the time, stole some of her brother's food after he'd walked away from his bowl. Her owners figured she might try it again, so they set up the same scenario to record the funny TikTok. So yes, it was a little staged—but still a very good little trick.

Normally, her mom shows on video, Ginger will adhere to a "place" cue and sit beside her brother's food with no issues—smart enough to obey the rules and break them when appropriate. Sometimes you just need an extra snack. (Not to worry: Her owner says she's fed plenty.)

Like other GSPs, Ginger seems to be as athletic as she is smart. According to her owner, she runs and swims daily and also enjoys dock diving. I, on the other hand, got tired simply typing that sentence.