A Shiba Inu became the first dog to rush through a video game at an annual charity event and even came close to breaking a world record.
Players began speedrunning — or beating video games as fast as possible — on Sunday over Twitch as part of Games Done Quick's weeklong charity event. On Tuesday, a canine participant named Peanut Butter beat the 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System game "Gyromite" in 26 minutes and 24 seconds, just over two minutes shy of the world record, Ars Technica reported.
"I'm very proud of my dog. We worked really hard for a very long time to get to the point where we were able to showcase a run at [Awesome Games Done Quick]," Peanut Butter's owner, known on social media as JSR, told Fox News. "My dog tries so hard to please me, and he can sense when I'm passionate about things."
"His focus and attention when we train and when we perform is the true talent, and I'm very glad that him and I have such a special bond," he added.
In "Gyromite," the gamer moves colored pillars to guide a sleepwalking scientist through his lab while dodging enemy "smicks." The character can also get squished if the player moves the pillars too soon.
JSR told Peanut Butter which buttons to press on a custom-made controller and rewarded him with treats. It took JSR years to train Peanut Butter, or PB for short, JSR wrote on YouTube.
"I wanted to train him to do something special, when I realized as a puppy that he was much smarter than most other dogs I've seen," JSR wrote on YouTube. "Since I'm a speedrunner (and PB was literally named after, you know, getting a [personal best] in a speedrun) it only made sense to me."
In July, Peanut Butter came even closer to setting a new "Gyromite" world record, beating the game in 25 minutes and 29 seconds, JSR posted on YouTube.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is official. My dog just speedran a loop of Gyromite without a single button pressed by a human being," he said.
Games Done Quick has run several video game events for charity over the last decade. In January 2023, the Awesome Games Done Quick annual marathon raised $2.6 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, while its weeklong summer event raised $2.2 million for Doctors Without Borders, according to The Verge.
The marathons have also seen unique speedruns in the past, including one gamer who used a dance pad as a controller and others who played one-handed or blind-folded, The Verge reported. Peanut Butter also plans to return for future events, JSR told Fox News.
"I'm very happy that our run was so successful, but this will not be the last time you see PB!" he said. "We're hoping to continue his legacy at Games Done Quick, and plan on submitting in the future, possibly even for an in-person attempt next time!"
JSR and Games Done Quick did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
