While jogging through Long Beach, California, Alyson Aguerrebere spotted a small white dog up ahead on the sidewalk. At first, she grew concerned—the pup didn’t have a leash, and it looked as though she might be lost.
“She just looked like she didn’t belong,” Aguerrebere later told . “She was watching me from about 40 feet away as I got closer, and I didn’t notice the sign until I was right next to her.”
The little dog walked toward her calmly, and that’s when Aguerrebere noticed a large sign planted in the front yard. On it was a photo of the dog along with her Instagram handle. The sign read: “I’m Harper. I live here. I pretend to be lost so you’ll stop and pet me.”
It became clear that Harper wasn’t really in distress—she was just cleverly staging her own scheme to get extra affection from strangers.
“The sign cracked me up,” Aguerrebere said. “It hit me that she pulls this trick on everyone. So I sat right down and ended up petting her and giving her belly rubs for about 25 minutes.”
Harper, a three-year-old rescue pup, has found her forever home with a loving family, but she clearly can’t get enough love and attention. Her owners let her hang out in the front yard so she can soak up all the affection from neighbors and passersby, while keeping an eye on her to make sure she stays safe.
About half an hour into their cuddle session, Harper’s owner came outside and laughed. “Did she trick you into giving her love?” she asked, explaining that Harper pulls this routine several times a day and never wants to go back inside because she enjoys the constant attention so much.
Harper certainly proved her point. She eagerly rolled over for more belly rubs and even climbed into Aguerrebere’s lap. The unexpected encounter brought joy to both of them.
“I absolutely love her,” Aguerrebere said. “She completely made my day.”