Professional Dancer Trains Dog to Perform New Skill: ‘Coming for My Job’

Pet parents have become pretty creative when it comes to teaching their dogs new skills—building blocks, grabbing a beer from the fridge—the possibilities are endless. A dog recently captured the internet’s heart for his ability to pick up on a dancing skill.

Mackenzie Davis decided it was time to pass on some of her talents as a professional dancer to her fur baby. If she could dance, her dog should too. And what better way to show others you’re a dancer than doing an arabesque? This dance move happens when a dancer stands on one leg and the other leg is turned out and extends behind the body and up in the air. Both legs are held straight.

In her December 7 TikTok video under the account @mackenziedaviz, her dachshund came walking over with his tail wagging in holiday attire, ready to show off his new skill. She pointed to his back leg and said “arabesque.” Right on cue, he stopped moving and pointed out his back right leg.

Performed to perfection, the caption reads: “He’s coming for my job.”

His performance wasn’t a coincidence either. She told him to perform the trick again and once more, he proudly pointed his foot back out just as the professionals do. Instead of performing with a smile, he kept wagging his tail, a true sign of stage presence.

At first, it seemed like he wanted to show off his new dancing skills and how he was on the verge of becoming a better dancer than his owner. But after performing his trick, he gobbled up a treat, revealing why he listened: he’s only in it for the treats.

The TikTok video amassed over 291,000 views, 54,000 likes and 142 comments as of Tuesday. Viewers were stunned by the dog’s skill, making them reevaluate their dancing abilities.

“That dog does a better arabesque than me,” said one TikTok user, while another added: “Juilliard next and all you ballerinas have a LOT to learn from that.”

A third person pointed out: “His attitude on point.”

Others cracked up at the thought of what their dogs do. Instead of arabesques, they’re all about eating notebooks, flipping food bowls to demand meals or chewing on items they’re not supposed to.

Newsweek reached out to @mackenziedaviz via email for additional comment.

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