Puppyhood is basically one long adventure powered by curiosity. At that age, exploring the world usually feels much more important than listening, even when the puppy happens to belong to a very smart breed. And to be fair, those tiny troublemaker moments are part of their whole charm.
Whether they are chewing on fingers with their little needle teeth, pretending not to hear when it is time to come back inside, or tearing through the house in a full zoomies performance, puppies have a special talent for keeping their humans on their toes.
But every now and then, a playful burst of energy can turn scary in a heartbeat. That is exactly what happened when Zoro, a fourteen-week-old Australian Shepherd from New Jersey, raced across the yard and suddenly launched himself straight into the backyard pool.
His dad, Matthew Santiago, stood frozen for a second, completely stunned, before rushing toward the water. He feared the worst, but then Zoro stunned everyone in a very different way.
Scared Or Proud?
Matthew Santiago, a New Jersey owner, and his friends couldn’t believe their eyes. He knew that Zoro had never experienced swimming before, which made his leap into the pool even more surprising.
Yet, this pup’s jump looked so determined, as if he had done it a million times before.
Matthew immediately rushed to the edge of the pool, ready to jump and save his little pup, when something completely unexpected happened. As it turned out – Zoro, still being a baby, knew how to swim like a pro!
The video caught by his friend’s security camera shows this little Aussie casually paddling to his dad, as if nothing major just happened.
Santiago, who went straight from scared to proud, decided to share Zoro’s first swimming experience on Instagram, not realizing his “surprise splash” would soon become a total hit.
“Apparently he comes from a Michael Phelps bloodline,” the video description reads.
In just a few days, the video garnered thousands of views and reactions, followed by hilarious comments praising Zoro’s “brave and experienced swimming session.”
“He been in that pool before, y’all just didn’t know it,” one person joked.
“He’s just showing you what he learnt when you were asleep,” another added.
One user emphasized the importance of Zoro’s owners being near him just as a precaution: “It’s cool how owners were actually around and caring.”
A Few Months Old, And Already The Best Pup
Matthew and Zoro have been together for only a few months, and they’re already inseparable.
Zoro loves meeting new friends of all kinds, including other pups in the park. His social skills are just beyond amazing, and there’s no doubt his dad loves him for it.
On the other hand, Zoro isn’t lacking obedience (his pool incident aside).
In the video posted by Matthew on Instagram, Zoro can be seen as a fantastic student in obedience class.
He’s already learned how to sit, stand up, jump, give high fives, and he’s not intending to slow down. Sure, Zoro still has a long way to go and many experiences to gather, but for now, there’s no doubt that he will be the ultimate, perfectly behaved companion!
Good luck, Zoro! And happy swimming!