The German Shepherd, the Baby Boar, and the Science of Why Dogs Befriend Everyone

A viral video of an unlikely walking companion has melted the internet — and it turns out there's a genuine reason dogs are this generous with their friendships

By Helen Cooper

Somewhere, a person looked out of their window expecting nothing more thrilling than the bins, and instead saw a German Shepherd taking a wild baby boar for a walk.

That, more or less, is the entire premise of the video currently doing the rounds online — a confident shepherd padding down a country road with a piglet trotting earnestly at his heel, like a small bristly intern shadowing a very serious manager. The footage, picked up by PetHelpful this week, has already racked up the kind of comment-section adoration usually reserved for royal babies and competent bin men.

"Not just a friend, but a superior protector — that is one smart little pig," wrote one viewer. "Piglet has a bodyguard," said another. A third declared it "the best security detail Wilbur could have."