Stare: The pup stopped its chase for the occasional starting contest
A playful pup has found its match in an unlikely opponent - a crab.
An adorable video, posted on YouTube, captures the moment a two-year-old dachshund makes friend, or foe, with a side-stepping ghost crab on a South Carolina beach.
The energetic puppy, named Madeline, is shown bounding around with her new playmate on the sandy beach in Pawley's Island.
She only stops to stare down her rival, who looks like he'd like to take a swipe at her snout. Instead, the white crab darts in all directions in an unsuccessful attempt to escape Madeline's clutches. But the game of cat and mouse finally comes to an end when the agile crustacean gets close enough to the water that a wave washes him out to sea.
Friends: The ghost crab, pictured, tries to evade the playful dachshund
The rescue dog is left looking toward the horizon forlorn and pensive, missing her new best buddy.
The two minute video could be an advert for the South Carolina island, with the sea sparking in the sunshine and the bright white sand clean and deserted.
The footage was uploaded last year by Madeline's owner, Jason Wheeler, but has gone viral in the past week, clocking nearly 100,000 views.
Cute: Two-year-old pup Madeline, pictured, chases the crab energetically around the beach
Confused: Madeline, pictured, watches as the crab scurries away
Pensive: The pup looks forlorn after her friend rides a wave out to sea
source: dailymail