15lb family dog proves she's in charge, mischievously keeps 190lb human brother in check

Animals are known for sensing emotions and fiercely protecting their loved ones. Sometimes, this leads to what feels like sibling rivalry for attention. Recently, a Shih Tzu named Lucy went viral for keeping her owner’s brother on edge in a hilariously feisty way—quite unexpected for her small breed. Lucy, who is 14 years old, belongs to Samantha Snyder, known as @samsnyds on TikTok.

In the viral footage, Lucy barely acknowledges Samantha’s brother as he tries to shower her with affection. She quickly gets annoyed, refusing his touch and even threatening to bite the 190-pound man, leaving viewers in stitches. The text on the video reads, “When my 27-year-old, 190-pound brother is scared to pick up our 15 lb dog that we've had since he was 12.”

The dog acted normally around Samantha and never really scared her with the not-so-usual reaction. The 11-second clip ends with the man finally accepting that the dog is not in the mood to extend the same courtesy to him as it does to Samantha.

The footage, captioned “He’s so brave,” aiming to poke fun at Samantha’s brother, has managed to garner around 7.8 million views. Among the reactions, several online scrollers termed the dog as being “not friendly,” while others claimed Lucy is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Meanwhile, @elwayandscrappy referred to it as sibling rivalry. “Having beef with a family dog, as if they're a sibling, is so real,” they wrote.

“Your mom isn't moving at all because she's used to this,” @kaylaraexo_ added. “The middle finger has me (in stitches),” remarked @lukehemmingswife, pointing out the parting moment between Lucy and Samantha’s brother. The woman from Florida later posted a follow-up video addressing the concerns raised by the viewers.

This time as well, Samantha’s brother seemed helpless as Lucy was relaxing in the bedroom. Lucy accepted a hug from her owner but chose to scare the man again. "It's actually just brother/sister beef y'all wouldn't get it," the dog mom said, addressing those pointing fingers at the old canine for being “aggressive.”

Furthermore, Samantha responded to the claims that Lucy bit her brother. “He’s perfectly fine,” the video creator responded to the trolls. This time around, the text overlay on the footage read: “People trying to tell us how to treat the dog we’ve owned and loved for 14 years.” The owner added an amusing background score along with her holding Lucy, suggesting that Lucy is calm and playful.

Sharing a different perspective, @joeystikt0k wrote, “I love senior citizen Shih Tzus; one of mine is 16, and they get sassier with age.” Adding to it, @poserlores asked, “Seriously, people need to chill.” Samantha did not post any further update on whether the canine chose to mend ties with her mom’s brother.

You can follow Samantha Snyder (@samsnyds) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.