Parent filmed dogs watching 'The Lion King' — their response as hyenas chase baby Simba is melting hearts online
Anyone who has ever been around dogs or watched a movie with them knows they can be surprisingly invested in TV. That’s what happened in a recent video from the YouTube channel Luna The Pittie (@heymynamesluna), where two dogs, dressed in cute and comfy clothes, gave one of the most emotional reactions to "The Lion King" movie. The video shows the pair seated next to each other, relaxed at first, simply involved in the story. But the moment the film shifts into one of its more intense sequences, their posture changes instantly. When the hyenas appear, and baby Simba faces danger, both dogs spring to attention. Within seconds, they’re at the TV screen, ready to fight the villains themselves. Their parent simply kept the camera rolling, and the internet has been grateful ever since. The clip has now crossed 49 million views, gathering thousands of amused and affectionate comments.
Many viewers related to the dogs’ instinctive need to “help,” and some couldn’t resist imagining what was going through those furry little heads. In a comment that perfectly captured the playful spirit of the scene, @AlexAndra-iy5zu wrote with the point of view of the dogs, "I don’t care if I’m wearing my floral pajamas, I’m gonna go kick some ass!" It echoed what many saw in the video: two dogs dressed adorably yet immediately ready for battle to rescue Simba.
Another viewer, @Lady-Shun94, focused on the dogs’ protective energy through the entire sequence: "Those babies were ready to kick some hyena a**! Then the little whimper like they're telling Simba to run! Too cute!" That tiny whine did seem like a warning, almost as if they were urging Simba to flee before they stepped in. Others were more amused by their confidence. @Optimus77Prime joked, "Bros ready to protect Simba like gangsters in that floral pajamas. Dogs can smell bad intentions." And @msantosh184 summed up the moment with a sentiment many pet parents swear by: "They also know who is villain and who is hero."
The video’s charm also invited interest in a fascinating question: Why do some dogs react so strongly to things on a screen? According to research published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science in January 2024, dogs see the world in a way that is similar to our own. Their eyes contain more rod photoreceptor-dominated retina, which helps them see better in dim light, while a band of cone-rich cells (the “visual streak”) sharpens their daytime vision, similar to what the human macula does. They also have a higher flicker fusion frequency, meaning older or low-resolution screens may seem to flicker to them, yet they still recognize movement, and they pay more attention when what they’re watching feels biologically important. A baby animal in danger ticks that box perfectly.
Whether the dogs understood the plot or simply sensed tension, their instinctive leap toward the screen made millions of strangers smile.
You can follow Luna The Pittie (@heymynamesluna) on YouTube for more dog content.