‘Confused’ Service Dog Doesn’t Know What To Do When Wheelchair Rolls Away

Service dogs are supposed to help their handler manage day-to-day tasks, and to act in emergency situations. But one wheelchair user has left the internet in hysterics after revealing the unexpected problem that left her highly-trained service animal completely stumped.

TikTok user Kyla Greenhut (@kyla.greenhut) couldn’t resist sharing footage of the moment when her wheelchair rolled away, leaving her reliant on her service dog, Myrtle. Unfortunately for Greenhut, things didn’t run smoothly, as the Labrador had evidently skipped that training lesson and was totally clueless.

In the video, Greenhut, who suffered a spinal cord injury in November 2021 that left her paralyzed, explains that Myrtle wasn’t taught how to move the wheelchair, but she hoped she’d be “able to figure out.” It didn’t go smoothly however, as Myrtle “was a bit confused” and just started bringing her handler random objects instead.

The wheelchair might have rolled further away, but Myrtle still tried to make things better by bringing her favorite ball over.

Social media users were left delighted by the dog’s sheer confusion, and the video has gone viral since it was posted on November 11. At the time of writing, the video has gained more than 388,700 views and over 51,200 likes on TikTok.

Newsweek contacted @kyla.greenhut via Instagram for comment.

Fortunately, Myrtle figured it out eventually and realized that she needed to drag the wheelchair closer to her handler. With a little bit of teamwork, the wheelchair was finally in touching distance and Greenhut climbed back in.

Following that unexpected experience, Greenhut plans to discuss this problem with Myrtle’s trainers and see if they can work something out that’s “a little bit more efficient,” should this ever occur in the future.

What Is the Role of a Service Dog?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) explains that service animals are dogs trained to perform a task that directly relates to their handler’s disability. This could include retrieving objects for them if they’re a wheelchair user, reminding their owner to take medication by performing certain tasks, or detecting the onset of a seizure and keeping them safe.

Another example listed by the ADA is a dog that’s trained to lick their owner’s hand to alert them of an oncoming panic attack. Service dogs are allowed inside public spaces, including restaurants, shops, hospitals, schools, and hotels.

How Did TikTok React?

Greenhut often posts videos of her experiences on social media to show people the realities of living with a disability. But after seeing how confused Myrtle was on this occasion, she couldn’t resist sharing it.

After the clip went viral, many internet users praised Myrtle for cracking the code eventually, leading to more than 280 comments on TikTok so far.

One comment reads: “she was trying so hard!”

Another person wrote: “She’s amazing! She wouldn’t give up.”

While another TikToker added: “That’s the goodest girl ever.”

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