From the archives: This story was last updated in September 2019.
Perhaps one of the most quintessential sounds of summer is the tinny musical jingle of an ice cream truck while rolling through the neighborhood or parked along the side of the road. For kids, it’s an irresistible sound that conjures up visions of a delicious cone or popsicle, but actually, there are some pets that feel the same way.A viral video from the summer of 2016 shows one four-legged friend begging for ice cream. It’s no kid, but rather, it’s a friendly pit bull.
The video begins with a Donkey Kone ice cream truck, one of the main companies selling ice cream in a Toronto, Canada, neighborhood. The truck is parked by the curb, serving a customer and playing its joyful tune; meanwhile, someone is filming the whole scene from the sidewalk. Then, along comes a pit bull, tail a-wagging, that knows exactly what’s inside the truck.
The dog looks back pleadingly at someone straggling behind who seems to be the dog’s owner. To its credit, the excited pooch waits patiently in line without barging in front of the human customer who is being served first.
Seconds later, we see a woman who appears to be the pit bull’s mom approach. She calls the dog, and it sits politely, waiting its turn in line. It appears that this is not the pooch’s first time waiting in cue for ice cream, as the pup seems to be well practiced in the ritual.
Good things definitely come to those who sit in line like a good dog!
Then, the woman in front gets two vanilla cones and walks off. It turns out she’s got a little canine of her own cradled in her arms—definitely a dog’s day out that day.
At last, it’s the pit bull and its owner’s turn! They get their vanilla cone, and the well-behaved dog finally gets its reward ... and it demolishes the whole ice cream cone in under two seconds. Scrumptious!
Witnessing this, we'd say that this dog definitely could teach the neighborhood children some lessons about ordering etiquette.
Yet, while the pup enjoys the well-deserved treat with gusto, it’s important to remember that for dogs, just like children, there is such a thing as too much ice cream. This may come as an unpleasant reminder to those, human or canine, with a sweet tooth, but for furry friends in particular, it can be a problem.
Besides the milk factor, the high amounts of sugar aren’t great for your best friend’s health (or yours!) and can lead to extra weight gain. Small amounts are okay, but long-term, there are much healthier options out there.
The best way to treat your dog is with a non-dairy ice cream with bananas, pumpkins, peanut butter, or other natural substances that pooches just love.
