Dog 'Bamboozled' at Owner Talking Through Speaker Delights Internet

🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.

A social media video of a dog's surprise after hearing her owner talk through a speaker has delighted audiences across the internet.

The viral video, which has been viewed more than 800,000 times since it was first shared to TikTok on November 8, captured the dog curiously examining the large speaker that was booming her owner's voice.

The female dog, who is named Holly, lives with her owner Nick who goes by @NoSuchJustice on TikTok. Holly's owner shared that the dog is a "mutt" in the post's comments section after being asked about her breed.

The video had been captioned: "Bamboozled".

Dog
A file image of a dog listening to music through a speaker. A viral video of a dog examining a speaker, after hearing their owner's voice blasted from it, has delighted thousands of online viewers. Getty Images

It's pretty common for dog owners to adoringly gush over their fur-babies on a phone speaker or video call while at a physical distance—but does the dog understand what their owner is saying? More importantly, can they even determine that the voice getting projected through the device is that of their owner?

The American Kennel Club (AKC) writes on its website that scientists have discovered that dogs can understand our spoken language, can internalize words, and can even recognize people's voices through devices.

This follows the growing trend of people calling their dogs from work or leaving voice recorders on a loop at home to soothe particularly anxious pets.

"Although some dogs seem confused by where their owner's voice is coming from [if it's being heard through a device], most dogs do seem to recognize the voice they are hearing belongs to their owner," the pet registry adds.

What Do the Comments Say?

Since it was shared to the social media platform on November 8 by the dog's owner, @NoSuchJustice, the TikTok post has been liked by over 168,000 users and commented on more than 280 times. Plenty of TikTokers have shared their amusement at the viral video and their funny takes on the dog's confusion in the post's comments section.

"Her master's voice," one user wrote.

Another user added: "Holly: How did you get onto this box?"

"Sometimes I can still hear his voice," joked a third user.

"Tell Holly I love her," a different TikToker shared.

The video has quickly become Nick's most viewed post on TikTok. The dog parent shared a response to the social media frenzy over Holly in the post's comments section.

"Holly and I are blown away by the response! She's happily accepting her salary of new bones and treats! She'll be making more regular appearances," he said.

The TikTok post can be seen here.

Newsweek reached out to @NoSuchJustice for comment via TikTok.

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.

About the writer

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and human-interest features on a variety of topics ranging from relationships, pets, and personal finances to health, work, travel, and family dynamics. She has covered current affairs, social issues, and lifestyle stories extensively.

Melissa joined Newsweek in 2023 from Global's LBC and had previously worked at financial news publication WatersTechnology, tmrw Magazine, The Times and The Sunday Times, Greater London-based radio broadcaster Insanity Radio, and alongside other journalists or producers for research purposes. Since joining Newsweek, Melissa has been especially focused on covering under-reported women's health and social issues, and has spent a large part of her time researching the physical and mental impact of both the contraceptive pill and abusive relationships.

Prior to that, Melissa had been specialized in reporting on financial technology and data news, political news, and current affairs. She has covered data management news from industry giants like Bloomberg and Symphony, alongside the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K economy's 2022-pound sterling crash, multiple National Health Service (NHS) strikes, and the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.

A show that she produced and presented at the Greater London-based community radio station, Insanity Radio, was awarded 'Best Topical News Show' and the runner up award for 'Best New Radio Show' on the network.

She is a graduate in MA History from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Languages: English, Persian.

You can get in touch with Melissa by emailing m.afshar@newsweek.com.

You can follow her on X or Instagram at @melissafleura.


Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and ... Read more