In an Instagram video from @nosybeau, a dog named Maja achieves two things at once: crawling across the bed and thereby winning over the internet in the process. She is first seen stretched out on a bed, looking perfectly settled, until her owner starts tapping the blanket to beckon her closer. However, this German Shepherd turns the call into a slow-motion production. One tap, and Maja’s ears perk as she glances around at her owner. Thus begins the dog’s dramatic crawl on the bed, as if she needs permission before taking each step toward her owner.
Video shows dog wants to be close to owner, so she crawls across the bed
After the first tap in the video, the dog needs another one to crawl forward on the bed. Tap again, she scoots closer. And by the last tap, Maja closes the distance and offers her paws, letting her owner hold and gently caress them. The video’s on-screen caption labels it “The German Shepherd crawl.” Meanwhile, the caption under the video reads, “The way she’s looking at me?” as it notes the most affectionate stare a dog could give.
Viewers loved the exchange. One commenter joked, “i didn’t realize this was a built-in feature,” while another described the negotiations perfectly with, “More? Okay… More? Okay… More? Okay…” Others said their dogs do the same “sneaky” shuffle, with one highlighting, “They make it seem like such a chore.”
If you have a Shepherd-type dog, this behavior might feel familiar. German Shepherds were bred to work closely with humans, so paying attention to tiny cues, such as a hand tap on the bed, comes naturally to them. And that inch-by-inch crawl with a lowered body can be Maja’s polite and appeasing way to approach her owner, especially when the dog is not totally ready to hop up and reset her lounging position.
Judging by how willingly she places her paws in her owner’s hand in the video, this crawl across the bed is not reluctance so much as a sweet way of preparing her owner to shower all her affection on the dog.
