Woman Mortified After She Spots What Golden Retriever Is Playing With

A dog's hilarious new choice of toy has left the internet in stitches when he was caught on camera playing with his owner's bra in the backyard.

Gleefully tossing around the underwear around in the garden, 1-year-old golden retriever Winston lives in Cincinatti with owner Sydney, who recently shared his antics on Instagram.

The video, which has gained over 15 million views, shows the dog energetically tossing the bra in the air and shaking it.

"I let Winston out to do his business and left the door slightly open since it had been drizzling. At the time, I had also been finishing up some laundry," Sydney told Newsweek.

But while folding the clothes ready to put away, Winston popped back inside and took interest in the clean clothes.

"I had my back towards him when he grabbed something from the laundry basket and ran back outside. It happened fast, so I really couldn't tell what it was that he grabbed until he was outside—my bra out of all things," said Sydney.

While it may seem an unconventional thing to choose to play with, interest in underwear isn't uncommon in dogs. One reason is that dogs are drawn to their owner's scent, making it appealing and even comforting to chew on.

Puppies are more likely to chew on underwear, often using it as a tool to soothe gums when teething.

"I was shocked but found it hilarious," the owner said. "He kept twirling it around. Winston usually likes to throw things around like a lasso. Each time I tried to reach for it, he thought I was playing with him and kept running away."

In response to the video thousands of people shared comments and reactions to the unusual pet toy.

"Both of my goldens love to take my underwear outside to show the neighbors," said Instagram user tarakshepard.

While another commenter joked about the potential expense of dogs chewing up underwear: "Oh my gosh, that's such an expensive toy," they wrote.

"Omg so funny," said viewer lindamal67. While other dog owners shared similar experiences of their pets taking an interest in undergarments.

Minoobinoo said: "I thought only shih tzu was obsessed with bras!" While kathleenladalia wrote: "My dog always finds my bras, and he chews the straps.. I just ordered new ones today.. ugh but he's so cute.."

While mmad_dyy joked: "Boys is boys always."

Professionally accredited cat and dog training and behavior expert Susan Nilson previously told Newsweek that pets carry objects in their mouths for a variety of reasons.

"Some dogs, especially those bred for hunting or retrieving, have a strong instinct to carry objects in their mouths so that could be a factor here. It's also quite common for dogs to carry toys in their mouths as a form of comfort or security, similar to how a child might hold a security blanket or stuffed animal," Nilson said.

This behavior can also be seen as a means of seeking attention or engaging with their owners, akin to children showing off their toys to gain attention.

"It's incredible to see the reaction to his video," Sydney said. "I love that so many people can find humor in it, and I have enjoyed seeing people comment about similar experiences they've shared with their dogs."

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.

Update 3/21/24, 5:44 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the original poster, Sydney.