A video of a dog appearing excited after bagging a new toy has gone viral on TikTok.
The clip was posted by @thestingergirl and has had over 395,000 views since it was first shared on October 10.
A caption shared with the post reads: "Found a squishmallow [the stuffed toy brand]." A message overlaid on the video says: "POV [point of view] your dog finds a squishmallow at a garage sale and you had to buy it for him."
The footage shows a dog walking along a street on a leash, holding the tip of a large plush pillow in his mouth. He is seen looking back at the camera, without letting go of the pillow, before continuing to walk as the clip ends.
The poster is not alone in her urge to spoil her dog, as pet owners in the U.S. spent a total of $136.8 billion on their animals in 2022, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA).
A 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey found that owners spend over $1,000 a year on their dogs for various expenses, including routine and surgical visits to a veterinarian, food and other costs.
According to a 2016 Psychology Today article, a 2015 survey by the APPA showed that the average dog owner in the U.S. spends $50 a year on toys for their canine companion.
The dog's reaction in the video to his newest toy comes as no surprise as domestic dogs are reported to show intense but transient love towards new objects, according to a November 2012 study conducted among Labrador retrievers and published in Animal Cognition.
But researchers found that once a dog gets used to the toy, the pooch's interest in the item tends to wane.
'So Pleased'
The dog's excitement in the latest post has delighted users on TikTok.
Caelestial said: "What a good hooman!" And allannam said the dog must have been thinking: "Hurry up! Need to get home so I can destroy and love!"
Rosella Snedegar noted: "He's so proud." And the original poster replied: "So worth the $5."
User judyworby349 said: "Doggo is so pleased."
User @britt2k noted: "It's its first and won't be last squishmallow. wait till they see the shop ones."
The original poster replied: "Oh I'm hunting already because he was so happy with this one."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
Soo ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
