Video of Adorable Toddler Calling Pet Dog His 'Baby' Delights Internet

A video of a dog looking "not interested" while being adored by a toddler calling it his "baby" has gone viral on TikTok, where it had 9.5 million views at the time of reporting.

The video, first shared by TikTok user mariagrazia1129 and reposted by the account Mama Vibes Official (where it received a further 11.4 million views and 1.7 million likes at the time of writing), shows a toddler saying: "I love you so much, Mia" while holding the dog's paw.

The dog is seen looking towards the camera while an overlaid message in the clip reads: "Control your child, pls [please]" and the toddler rubs his cheek against the dog's paw.

The child then looks up and says: "This is my baby," while an overlaid message says: "I am NOT a baby," with the dog staring blankly at the toddler.

"This is not your baby, this is my baby," the child says while still holding the dog's paw before saying: "My baby" and reaching closer to embrace the pet. The overlaid message then reads: "Ok fine gimme a treat," as the dog's face gets buried in the child's arms.

According to a Psychology Today article by Marc Bekoff, a professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a co-founder of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a dog's aversion to being touched "needs to be honored" and "we should always touch dogs on their terms, not ours. As with human-human touching, consent is important."

The latest video has had TikTok users in stitches, while many warned the child's actions could have provoked the dog to bite the toddler.

User Sugar MoIf wrote: "The dog gets nervous and bites.. then... what happens?," in a comment that got 17,700 likes.

User cameranbellamy warned: "Just be careful!! Mia is showing nervous signs, seeing the whites of her eyes and lip licking," in a comment that got 4,844 likes.

User Kelly Patrick335 said: "That dog is giving all the signs that he's uncomfortable and there's a bite potential," in a comment that received 722 likes.

Lizette noted this is "how kids get bitten...," in a comment that got 413 likes.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), "even the cuddliest, fuzziest, sweetest pet can bite if provoked."

Dogs can bite for various reasons, from feeling stressed/unwell and wanting to be left alone to being scared, startled or threatened in any given situation.

The AVMA advises: "It's a good idea to avoid wrestling or playing tug-of-war with your dog. These types of activities can make your dog overly excited, which may lead to a nip or a bite.

"Educating yourself and the children you know on how, or if, they should approach a dog is also very important when it comes to preventing dog bites."

Other TikTok users were very amused by the dog's seemingly apathetic stance during its entire interaction with the toddler.

Daisy wrote: "your dogs like 'dear god help meeeee' [crying laughing emoji]."

Ashley noted: "Mia said 'love me less, please,'" in a comment that got 29,400 likes.

User freeshavacadoos_ said: "I think Mila is emotionally unavailable at the moment [crying laughing and heart emojis."

User random_dudeloll wrote: "The dog like, ya done yet?," in a comment that received over 43,000 likes.

VINCENT LANGLOIS said: "that dog looking like he doing charity work [human skull emoji]."

User Deli Bashich claimed: "That dog hated every minute of that [crying laughing emoji]," in a comment that got 9,447 likes.

Elsie Imogen [heart emoji]: "That dog does not look comfortable," in a comment that received 2,541 likes.

Bacon said: "Mia has a black cat energy [crying laughing emoji] not interested in whatever's going on with the kid [crying laughing emojis]."