Groomer Realizes Spaniel Has Unusual Singing Talent—'Want To Break Free'

A cocker spaniel who proved she has the X Factor has gone viral for her singing talent. Ten-month-old puppy Kali showed off her vocals in a TikTok video shared by her owner Zoe Heard (@heardyyyy) on May 31, which has been viewed close to 350,000 times. In the clip, Zoe sings along to Queen's "I Want To Break Free," while Kali watches her with her tail wagging. Just before the guitar solo, Heard cries: "Your turn, Kali!" and the black and white pup obediently begins howling, harmonizing with the iconic instrumental. Heard captioned the video: "She loves a bit of Queen," and told Newsweek that Kali has "good music taste if you ask me."

Heard, who owns Posh Paws Dog Grooming in Minehead Exmoor, U.K., explained she listens to music all day while working, and Kali is often in the salon with her as she works. When the Queen track came on, Kali "woke up from her nap and started to howl and wag her tail," Heard said. Kali has a specific taste in music, too, only howling along to "I Want To Break Free" and '80s track "Your Love" by The Outfield. It's clearly something she picked up from her owner, as Heard describes herself as having a love for "80s rock music." The thoroughbred show pup joined Heard's family in October last year, and "the plan is to take her to grooming competitions," she said. "I never thought her talent would be singing!" TikTok users fell head-over-heels for Kali, and flocked to the comment section to share how impressed they were with her vocals, with one writing "she hit every note." "She even took a step forward before her big moment how cute," another wrote. "That falsetto was spot on," another said, with one writing: "Her little tail wagging the whole time!"

Newsweek previously spoke to pet expert Adem Fehmi, dog behaviorist for natural pet food brand Barking Heads, who suggested dogs can howl as a response to environmental triggers. As dogs are known to howl alone to sirens or particular types of music, he said it is believed this "replicates similar pitches and sounds to a howl and so, when heard, some dogs look to respond by howling in return." He added, however: "Not all dogs will possess this instinct, with some being more vocal than others." The cocker spaniel is one of the most vocal dog breeds, according to Purina, which describes the breed as gentle, affectionate and playful. Other noted vocalists on the list include the Siberian Husky, American Eskimo, basset hound, beagle and Russell terrier. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.