Warning: This video contains some NSFW language.
They say you should never run away from an aggressive dog. The movement can trigger a chase instinct, compelling it to run you down when it otherwise might have licked your hand.
Apparently that rule doesn’t just apply to humans, but dolphins as well. In this video, a very excitable German shepherd named Maverick watches eagerly as dolphins surface near the bow of the boat. Finally, the lure is too much to resist, and Maverick jumps into the water, presumably to pursue his new friends.
Dolphins are extremely curious and intelligent mammals, and it’s common for them to “escort” ships, keeping pace with the boat while they jump in and out of the water. Dolphins have also been known to assist humans that are in danger, and are one of the few species on earth that have been known to mate for pleasure.
It’s lucky that Maverick was brought safely back onboard, as one of the fishermen mentions that there is already chum (essentially fish guts) in the water. Which means that Maverick might have found himself running from the ocean’s dog: a shark. And without any fins, that’s a race that Maverick would lose.
