Social media followers are calling an adorable Maltese an “innovator” for the clever way he offers his human mom his paw. The pup, known to followers as Kenny, shows his out-of-the-box thinking in a sweet video shared to social media.

In the video captioned “a paw’s a paw,” Kenny’s mom can be seen offering her hand to hold his paw. Rather than return the gesture by offering one of his front paws, as one might expect, Kenny turns around and saddles up to Mom to offer one of his back paws. Sure, Mom had other plans, but a paw is a paw, and Kenny did not leave his human hanging.

Viewers of the video had a terrific time sharing creative comments on the post, from “your fluffy cloud is so cute,” to “This is Kenny’s party trick.”

“King behavior,” added another. “It is truly his world,” another wrote, “and we are simply living in it.”

“Kickstand Kenny showing off his signature move,” commented another.

Are Maltese Dogs Really That Smart?

While some commenters assumed the precious pup was “confused” or even, gasp, unintelligent, Maltese are actually known for their intelligence. This highly trainable breed is quick to learn and can master both tricks and obedience.

A Maltese’s intelligent nature makes the breed prone to boredom if not challenged and stimulated. That same intelligence also makes them excellent problem solvers with high emotional awareness and the ability to read and understand emotions.

Kenny may not have offered the expected paw, but that may have been the point. This cute canine is likely smart enough to realize his kickstand move is a total crowd pleaser, and clever enough to break out his signature move whenever the camera is turned on.

Related: Kitty Is Deemed ‘Cat Winslet’ After ‘Practicing’ a Leg Injury to Get Attention

🐶SIGN UP to get “pawsitivity” delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends🐾🐾

This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.