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A video of a dog caught stealing an ornament from a Christmas tree has gone viral on TikTok, where it had received 1.4 million views at the time of writing.
A message overlaid on the clip, which was shared by the TikTok account @goldenryder, read: "Why do I keep finding eeyore [the character from the Winnie-the-Pooh book/cartoon series] ornaments around the house?"
The video showed the ornament in different locations, from on top of a chair to inside what appeared to be a dog food bowl.
Another message flashed across the video then read: "I'm the problem, it's me," as the clip showed a golden retriever grab the ornament off of a Christmas tree with its mouth.
A video montage later showed the dog holding the Eeyore doll in its mouth in different spots around a home.
The video was shared with a caption that said: "it's his now...[crying laughing emoji] #dogcam #itsmehiimtheproblemitsme #funnydog #dogtok #goldenretriever."
The sneaky behavior of the golden retriever in the latest viral video isn't too surprising as dogs "are not sensitive to watching-eyes," according to a January 2020 study in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports.
While people are less "likely to carry out risky behavior in general" when they feel they're being watched, "dogs, despite being highly sensitive to human eyes, do not show the watching-eye effect," the study stated.
According to the study, dogs do understand social rules (such as being slower to steal food when told to leave it), but "this understanding appears to be specific to the person giving the rule and does not generalize to novel observers."
The study said: "For example, dogs are more likely to steal forbidden food when a novel observer replaces the person giving the command."
The latest video has seen TikTokers in stitches, with some believing the dog is hinting at wanting an Eeyore doll for Christmas.
User Lisa Torres Robledo said: "The pup is making his Christmas list..it wants a bigger Eeyore."
Others believe the dog was trying to give some "extra love" to Eeyore.
Emma Cook said: "Pup is asking for a full sized eeyore plushie from Santa!!!."
Joey said: "Classic golden, he senses Eeyores depressed and has made it his mission to comfort him."
Lindsay said: "Pup knows that eeyore needs some extra love and cuddles!"
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment. This video has not been independently verified.
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About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more