Hysterics at Puppy Tries To Get Upstairs, Is Confused by One Crucial Detail

Newsweek

27-06-2025

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Animal lovers were left in stitches by a puppy who couldn't figure out the concept of a glass staircase.
German shepherd dog Sniper is now 6 months old, and has a dedicated TikTok account, @sniperonduty, where he has recently gone viral. The pup's owner shares plenty of moments of life with Sniper to the account, from walks, playtime, dressing up, and even him trying to soothe his teething on a laptop.
But one particular video sent millions to Sniper's page, as his owner shared a throwback to the dog as a younger puppy, who "can't figure out glass stairs."
In the video, viewed more than 4.2 million times since being posted on June 21, a woman stands on a flight of glass stairs, looking down at the puppy below, who is staring up at her, looking confused.
"You've got to go up the stairs," she says—but Sniper instead lets out a series of high-pitched barks and runs out of the room, trying to find a way up to her but unable to figure out the entrance to the stairs.
@sniperonduty
Sniper as a puppy still trying to figure out the glass stairs 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ he's 6 months now and still skeptical. German shepherd puppy. ♬ original sound - SniperOnDuty
The owner calls him back, and tries to direct him to the staircase, but Sniper instead runs every way except up the stairs—even as he stands right beside the bottom step.
"Come on, Snipe," the woman tells him. And while Sniper looks at her expectantly, the video ends with him standing at the foot of the stairs, as he still hasn't quite figured out how to walk on them.
The poster wrote in the caption: "Sniper as a puppy still trying to figure out the glass stairs. He's 6 months old now and still skeptical."
TikTok users had a big reaction, awarding the clip close to 300,000 likes. One commenter joked, "He thinks you're floating in the air," and another posted: "I'm on the dog's side! Lol [laugh out loud] those stairs are pretty but they look sus [suspicious]!"
Some theorized that Sniper may genuinely have not been able to see the stairs due to dogs' eyes working differently to human ones: canines' vision has evolved to help them see in low light conditions, and they are more focused on movement than fine details.
This means dogs may have issues with colorless glass, and may be reluctant to go through a glass door, even if it is opened.
Sniper the puppy stands at the bottom of the glass staircase, unable to figure it out.
Sniper the puppy stands at the bottom of the glass staircase, unable to figure it out.
TikTok @sniperonduty
Other commenters worried the glass staircase could be dangerous, or that Sniper would always be fearful or confused by it—but, in response, his owners shared a follow-up video showing the pup now, sprinting up the staircase without missing a beat.
"Sniper was 4 months old when learning to go up the stairs. He's perfectly fine and can go up and down no problem," the poster wrote in the follow-up clip, adding: "If you own a German shepherd, you know they are just dramatic!"
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