Shock at Jack Russell hunting crabs on beach: “Terriers gonna terrier”

A dog’s hilarious behavior at the beach has left the internet in stitches.

In a video with over 690,000 views, TikTok user sophdexx shared how she took her boyfriend’s family dog to the beach and was stunned by what she saw.

In the video, Basil the dog runs around on the sand sniffing out crabs before digging at the ground so she can chase them.

Paula Stewart, managing director of animal casting agency The Animal Talent who has wide experience of animal behaviors, told Newsweek: “Basil is finding playtime on the beach; for him the hunt for crabs is fun and satisfies an inherent quality of his breed traits.”

The Jack Russell terrier is considered one of the best ratters, with catching small animals one of their key instincts. Originally bred to be hunting dogs, they have a strong prey drive, and dogs that like to hunt often won’t let anything stop them.

“Originally bred for fox hunting, the Jack Russell terrier has been a hunting dog since the 1790s. For over 200 years, these behavioral traits have formed part of the breeding pattern to the point that hunting is instinctive for them,” explained Stewart. “They have a physical desire to pursue that is ingrained in them; terriers were bred for this trait and for them, satisfying this need and in-built urge is paramount. Importantly, they prefer the chase to the capture; in fox hunting times, the goal of the dog was to chase the fox, but not kill it—thereby ending the chase for the hunters.”

In hundreds of comments, viewers of the video shared their joy at Basil’s funny beach behavior.

“Terriers were bred for this,” said one commenter. “And that’s the closest thing to a mouse or rat you can get on the beach.”

“Terriers gonna terrier,” joked another TikTok user. “I love those instincts though.”

Another viewer pointed out that the dog being able to use its instincts was likely very positive: “Such good enrichment for them,” they said.

“I love to see a dog’s natural behavior in action; it’s important for them physically and mentally,” said Stewart. “Dogs are sturdy beings that have survived centuries without our interaction and this behavior is normal, but for the concerned owner, you can replicate these activities at home in the garden—without any crabs being harmed. For example, you can provide a sandpit for digging, use a flirt pole for chasing, and so on.”

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