As the Top Dog Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’re spotlighting some of the internet’s most joyful canine personalities—dogs who bring laughter, wonder and a whole lot of heart to screens around the world.
One of those dogs is Mendo, a Vizsla whose unusual talents and gentle spirit have captured the attention of dog lovers everywhere. While most Vizslas are known for pointing birds in the field, Mendo has carved out his own very special niche: stalking his ball with intense focus… while balancing increasingly random objects on his head.
Yes, really.
A Pandemic Puppy with a Different Path
Mendo joined his family during the COVID shutdown, originally with a very meaningful plan in mind. His humans—psychologists—hoped to train him as a therapy dog to support their work.
But as Mendo grew, it became clear he was a bit of a shy guy who much preferred spending time quietly with his family.
Rather than working in clinical settings, Mendo found another way to share joy with people: through his social media presence and his delightfully quirky talents.
And those talents turned out to be… quite something.
Not Your Typical Bird Dog
Balancing things is not typical Vizsla behaviour. Stalking and pointing certainly are.
Most dogs chase and retrieve balls. Most pointers hunt and point birds. They’re called bird dogs for a reason.
But Mendo?
The only thing he hunts and stalks is his ball.
And he hunts it while balancing objects on his head.
His family jokes that genetics may have taken a slight detour with him—but honestly, they respect it. Mendo has a quirky skill and he’s an athlete who believes fetch and balancing are the highest calling. He approaches both with total dedication.
He’s been hunting his ball this way since he was a puppy.
The Slowest Stalker You’ve Ever Seen
Mendo has developed a very particular stalking style.
He tiptoes toward the ball like a ballerina, entering what his family calls “sneaky ninja mode.” His focus is intense and his movements are incredibly deliberate.
Sometimes he inches forward millimetre by millimetre, as if he believes that if he moves slowly enough he might become invisible. Other times he stalks a little faster if the ball moves, carefully matching its pace.
It’s a delicate operation.
And the closer he gets to the ball, the closer he gets to the camera—until his nose is almost booping the lens.
Watching him stalk is a bit like watching a high-stakes wildlife documentary where the prey is only inches away.
The Trick That Started by Accident
People often ask how Mendo was trained to balance objects while stalking his ball.
The truth? He wasn’t.
His family says it happened almost completely by accident.
One day they placed flowers on his head for a photo. At that exact moment, Mendo began stalking the ball in his human’s hand—carefully keeping the flowers balanced the entire time.
They looked at each other and thought: That’s adorable.
Then came the obvious question:
What else can he balance?
Turns Out… Quite a Lot
Once they started exploring this unusual skill, Mendo quickly developed what can only be described as an absurd level of balancing expertise.
Some of the things he can balance include:
- Pumpkins
- Sticks (big sticks, small sticks, tall sticks, thin sticks—one of his favourite things to balance, because what dog doesn’t love sticks?)
- Light sabres
- Broomsticks
- A sword—especially when he’s hiking dressed as a hobbit
- Breakfast foods like baguettes, pancakes, waffles, French toast and buns
- Apples
- Toys
- A mug
- A football
And occasionally… even live creatures like butterflies and insects. Mendo is such a gentle boy that they sometimes flutter calmly on top of his head.
Sometimes when they’re outside playing, he even asks to balance. He’ll find a stick and bring it over, tail wagging, as if to say: “Let’s do this.”
The Stick Parade
After a successful balance, Mendo has a very important ritual.
His family calls it the “stick parade.”
He proudly runs around holding the object he just balanced, showing it off like a trophy. For Mendo, the achievement isn’t complete until someone has witnessed it.
And honestly, who could blame him?
He doesn’t hide his excitement. His tail wags wildly, his chest puffs out with pride, and he bounds over for pats and celebration. The transformation is hilarious—one moment he’s a silent, focused ninja… and the next he’s an ecstatic toddler bursting with joy.
A Different Kind of Therapy Dog
Although Mendo didn’t end up becoming a therapy dog in the traditional sense, his family believes he still found his way into that role.
Through his videos and playful personality, he brings joy to millions of people online.
And perhaps the most heartwarming part is how proud he is of himself after every balance. Seeing him light up with happiness is the real reward.
At the end of the day, Mendo curls up—tired from fully committing to his own version of happiness.
And honestly, that might be the best trick of all.
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