A mini Golden Retriever named Ruby found herself in the middle of one of the cutest backyard standoffs imaginable when a bold squirrel wandered right up to her over a leftover slice of pizza.
The sweet encounter happened earlier this month and quickly caught attention online after Ruby’s family shared video of the unlikely face-to-face meeting.
In the clip, Ruby stays almost perfectly still as the squirrel inches closer.
And closer.
And somehow even closer.
The little squirrel appeared far more interested in the pizza than in the fact that a dog was just inches away.
Ruby, meanwhile, looked completely fascinated.
Instead of barking, lunging or trying to chase the squirrel, she simply watched with huge, curious eyes as her unexpected visitor moved around in front of her.
Then came the moment that made viewers nervous.
The squirrel walked right up to Ruby’s face and appeared to touch or “boop” her nose.
Ruby barely reacted.
For a few seconds, it looked like both animals were trying to figure out exactly what the other one was doing.
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Viewers admitted they were waiting for the squirrel to leap onto Ruby or for the dog to suddenly pounce.
Neither happened.
Instead, the strange little meeting stayed surprisingly calm.
That is especially notable because dogs can vary dramatically in how they respond to small animals.
Some dogs have a strong prey drive and will instinctively chase squirrels, rabbits and other fast-moving animals. Others are more relaxed or have learned to stay calm around wildlife.
Ruby clearly chose curiosity over chaos.
Her social media account describes her as a “mini Golden Retriever,” but that term can be a little confusing.
There is no officially recognized miniature version of the Golden Retriever breed in the way there are different size varieties of Poodles.
Dogs marketed as mini Goldens are generally mixed breeds created by crossing Golden Retrievers with smaller breeds such as Cocker Spaniels, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or Poodles.
The goal is usually to produce a smaller dog that still has some of the Golden Retriever’s appearance and friendly personality.
Ruby certainly seemed to have the friendliness part covered.
Even with a squirrel practically touching her nose and pizza sitting nearby, she stayed patient and gentle.
Maybe the squirrel was brave.
Maybe Ruby was unusually polite.
Or maybe they both simply decided that pizza was more important than starting an argument.