Most dogs will charge headfirst into a lake, bark at the mailman with unshakable confidence, and defend the living room from falling leaves. But show them a cardboard cutout of themselves? Suddenly, it’s a horror movie. An Instagram video capturing three Dobermans’ hilarious reactions to lifesize posters of themselves shows that even the toughest dogs can’t handle a surprise face-to-face with their paper twin.
Instagram video shows how Dobermans react to large cutouts of themselves
The now-viral clip, posted by user @suavexavier_, starts with a behind-the-scenes look at the prank setup. The owner is seen assembling lifesize cardboard posters of his three Dobermans — Knox, Junior, and Bear. Once the cutouts are ready, he lines them up in the hallway, creating what looks like a squad of stoic doppelgängers.
First up to meet the lookalikes is Knox. The reaction video shows the dog cautiously creeping toward the lifesize posters, tail low and nose twitching, clearly unsure about this silent trio. After a moment of study, Knox lets out a growl, barks at the posters, and then decides it’s safer to bolt. Next comes Junior, who takes a tentative step into the hallway, spots the cardboard crew, and immediately makes a U-turn without much investigation.
However, it’s Bear’s reaction that caught viewers most off guard. Known for being the more assertive of the three, the Doberman surprises everyone. The moment he catches sight of the cutouts, he spins around, barking furiously as if warning his owner about an intruder. It’s clear that the poor pup is completely unaware that the “strangers” are just himself and his brothers.
“Bear handled that WAAAYYY different than I expected,” one viewer wrote, pointing out the surprising lack of aggression from the typically bold dog to the lifesize poster. Others chimed in about the clear differences in personality among the pups. “Love their different dogsonalities,” one said. Another added, “I bet they’re ripped up now!” imagining what happened to the cardboard cutouts after filming ended.
