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THE ARENA — It's well documented that dogs are a gift to humanity.
They've performed extreme acts of loyalty, they've made us laugh until we cry, and they've rescued us physically and emotionally. And we love to rescue them back.
Now it's time to meet one dog who champions many things we adore about dogs.
Baron Kratu von Bearbum, or Kratu, is a Carpathian-Mioritic mix rescue dog from Romania. He is an assistance dog for British woman Tess Eagle Swan, who received and trained Kratu to help with her autism and mental health, according to a Bustle article.
"Kratu succeeds where the system fails me," Eagle Swan said in the article. "Where I was isolated, lost, and lonely, he has brought companionship. Motivation to look after him and his welfare makes me face my issues and get through them as his well-being is vital to me."
In this video, Kratu is competing as an invited guest at the agility course at Crufts, an international dog show and competition.
In the agility course, Kratu is supposed to run through tubes and jump over hurdles in a certain order as quickly as possible. But the dog has other plans.
We know Kratu has some intense training to be able to assist Eagle Swan navigate large crowds safely, but his training doesn't exactly shine at the agility course.
Kartu clearly sees the course as one big game, and his comedic personality comes out in full force. Sure, he'll go through the tubes, but he'll come out whenever he wants. And while he's curious about the hurdles, there's no way he's jumping one; he'd much rather dismantle them.
Basically, if dogs had class clowns, Kratu would be the king of them all.
Kratu first appeared at Crufts in 2017. His personality instantly made him a crowd favorite, and he was invited back for three more years. You can read all about the story of Eagle Swan and Kratu in a new book, "Incredible Kratu," which is scheduled to be released this month.