A video of a golden retriever puppy enjoying a cuddle with his owner has racked up 12.6 million views on TikTok.
The heartwarming footage shows Whiskey being cradled by his owner who is sitting with her back to the camera at her desk.
The clip which has 2.8 million likes is perfectly paired with a voice-over that says, "If I had to talk about love, I would talk about us. She just gets me, you know?"
The sound is supposedly from the dog's point of view, who then looks at the camera and sends the internet into a frenzy.
At the time of writing, the video captioned: "My bestie," has received over 3,710 comments.
One has 37,800 likes, it said: "The snuggle and look back at the camera."
Another said: "Enjoy these moments my 6-month golden is getting harder and harder to pick up carry around like that."
"The best hug in the world," said a third commenter.
"That's why I need a golden retriever puppy because when everyone hates me the puppy won't," said a fourth commenter.
According to a 2022 YouGov poll, dogs are so much more than pets to Americans.
Like this owner, 33 percent of 1,000 U.S. adults refer to their furry friend as their best friend. And nine in 10 consider their pet to be a part of their family.
The global public opinion and data company also asked respondents to share how dogs have impacted their lives. Some said that when they are going through difficult circumstances, such as divorces, the death of loved ones, depressive episodes, and other health issues, dogs give them a purpose and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. While others praised their canine for offering companionship and helping them feel less lonely.
Indeed, animals do have the ability to bring joy to people's everyday lives, which is why some of them become service animals. There are numerous varieties, including psychiatric service dogs, guide dogs, hearing dogs, seizure or diabetic alert dogs, and so on.
Purina, the pet food company, has explained that service and assistance dogs "are often a lifeline to their handlers, offering more freedom and a boost to overall well-being."
One commenter has called Whiskey an "emotional support dog." Even though he doesn't have this title officially and hasn't been trained to do it, it's highly likely that he regularly increases his owner's serotonin levels on his own.
Speaking in the first person, the owner answered the remark as though it were coming from Whiskey, saying, "100% my full time job."
Newsweek reached out to @whiskeythegoldenn for comment via email.
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
Lucy Notarantonio is Newsweek's Senior Lifestyle and Trends Reporter, based in Birmingham, UK. Her focus is trending stories and human ... Read more