A dog's larger-than-life smile captured on film has taken the internet by storm, gathering over 75.4 million TikTok views within the first week of being posted.
Maggie, the now-famous smiling Labrador, was at the Pawms Pet Resort in Huntsville, Alabama. The facility is a doggy daycare, boarding, grooming and training facility. But for Maggie, it's just another happy place for her.
Pawms employees captured Maggie living her best life while there. She was inside her private room looking at the person filming. Her grin got bigger and bigger, spreading ear-to-ear as the clip zoomed in on her face.
The April 22 video, which was shared to the account @pawms_huntsville, is captioned: "We LOVE our Maggie."
If Maggie's smile wasn't enough of a sign she was happy, all you had to do was look at her tail wagging 100 mph. She clearly loved her time there.
Maggie's owners, Liz and Dave, shared with Newsweek that the video was taken during Maggie's second visit to the pet resort. She now goes there about once a week to socialize with other dogs.
When asked if they shared the news that Maggie had gone viral, Liz and Dave laughed. They said Maggie thinks she's famous regardless. And now that Maggie is in high demand, they started her own TikTok account, @maggiethelab_smiles.
"With so much despair, sadness, and craziness going on in the world, if Maggie can bring a smile to someone's face, why not," Liz said.
The TikTok video became an instant hit with viewers. As of Monday, it had over 75.4 million views, 14.8 million likes and 56,000 comments. One look at Maggie's precious smile had people falling in love.
"I have never seen a dog smile that hard," said one viewer.
Another added: "Maggie's family get to wake up to this cutie pie everyday."
A third person commented: "Her smile makes me smile." Who wouldn't grin after seeing Maggie?
Do Dogs Smile?
It's hard to deny that Maggie is as happy as can be in this precious video, but is it a smile? Animal behaviorists for many years used to believe that dogs weren't smiling because they felt joy, but rather because of a muscular reflex, according to an article from Hill's Pet. However, that belief has since been challenged.
The article goes on to state that studies have found some animals might look like they're smiling to express emotion, but not the way humans perceive. We might smile or laugh while watching a movie, but dogs won't smile because they find something humorous. Instead, they'll smile if they are calm and relaxed. That, of course, can be an excellent indication that they are happy.
Dogs might also appear to be smiling when they are showing submission to their human counterparts. And you can tell if they are smiling if the corners of their mouths are turned slightly upward. Some dogs might also show teeth while smiling. If that's the case, take a look at their entire body for signs, as teeth showing can also be a sign of aggression.
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
Liz O'Connell is a Newsweek Reporter based in North Carolina. Her focus is on pet news and videos. Liz joined ... Read more
