This is the moment a cheeky dog is caught out apparently pretending to be paralysed to get a free meal.

The crafty pup was spotted dragging its hind legs behind it as it crossed a road in Shanwei, Guangdong Province, eastern China.

One passer-by named only as Ms Chen, caught the moment on video but then spotted that the dog’s injury may not have been all it seemed.

As a car gets close to the pup, it suddenly jumps up on all four legs and trots to the pavement on the other side of the road.

Online commentators compare the little dog with insurance scammers who throw themselves at vehicles in order to demand cash compensation.

They said that the dog had clearly learned a new trick, and was hoping to get food from guilty motorists.

But others said they thought the dog probably had fleas, and was trying to scratch itself in a difficult-to-reach place.

Netizen ‘evening breeze_’ commented on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok: “I took out the tissue and prepared to wipe away my tears, you cheated my feelings.”