Golden Retriever Watches Birds While Trying VR Headset in Heartwarming Clip

A dog trying on a virtual reality (VR) headset has delighted the internet this week after gaining viral attention.

TikToker markeyla5 shared the video on August 30 that has since received more than 650,000 views.

Virtual reality or VR describes a computer-generated environment with objects that appear to be real, immersing a user in the generated surroundings.

Many trace the origin of VR back to the 1800s when Sir Charles Wheatstone first described the process of stereopsis. His research demonstrated that when viewed through two eyes, the brain combines two photographs of the same object taken from different points, creating a sense of depth and immersion.

This led to the creation of the stereoscope, a device that used a pair of mirrors at 45-degree angles to reflect pictures.

By the 1990s, SEGA and Nintendo were releasing VR headsets for gaming, and today VR is an increasingly common part of life and is now used to provide immersive gaming experiences, help treat psychological disorders, teach new skills, and even take terminally ill people on virtual journeys.

In the video, the golden retriever is given a VR headset with a picture of the outdoors. While a helpful human holds it onto his head, he looks around at the floor and then to the sky where he can see birds.

Looking around with a smile on his face, the pup's adorable reaction has delighted the internet. "This is what I used to think when they said 'animal testing,'" joked one commenter.

"At this point, dogs must think we're gods," wrote another, while one viewer said: "He probably thought he was In a different dimension."

"I was fully expecting him to run directly into a wall," said another reply and one viewer pointed out a potential flaw in the innovative idea: "​​Dogs can't see the entire color spectrum so would be very a different experience for him."

Newsweek has reached out to markeyla5 for comment.

This isn't the first time animals have been seen enjoying a little bit of virtual reality. In fact, earlier this year a farmer from Turkey revealed that he was giving his cows VR headsets to reduce their stress, in an attempt to have them produce more milk.

İzzet Koçak has been in the agriculture industry for three generations and cares for more than 180 cows.

The animals were fitted with virtual reality glasses that simulated green grass to see if it would reduce their anxiety. "They are watching a green pasture and it gives them an emotional boost," Koçak said. "They are less stressed."

After giving two animals the virtual reality glasses, Koçak said that a cow that gave 22 liters of milk produced 27 after wearing the glasses.