An elderly dog wasted little time in joining his human companion for a cuddle after spotting her sitting on the couch all alone.
Rocky the 14-year-old Chihuahua from Connecticut was filmed by owner Vanessa Cardello defying his advancing years to get up and gingerly walk over to where she was sitting to keep her company.
In a video viewed 1.3 million times on TikTok, Cardello theorized that Rocky must have seen her lie down and figured she was "lonely without him." The veteran canine's adorable show of affection has won him plenty of admirers and is further proof of the attachment many dogs feel towards their owners.
Previously we've seen dogs requesting cuddles from owners and, in one instance, reacting angrily to humans cuddling other people.
Cuddling your dog doesn't just feel good, it may actually be good for your overall well-being. A 2022 study published in the scientific journal PLOS One found that cuddling, petting or just simply being around a dog stimulates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is the area that deals with cognitive behavior like emotional interactions and decision-making.
Test subjects completed two-minute sessions with three different dogs and a stuffed lion named Leo while sensors attached to their heads measured heart rate and electrodermal activity. The results showed that interactions with the real dogs led to increased prefrontal cortex activity which has been shown to help reduce stress and increase sociability.
While there are evidently benefits to Cardello enjoying a cuddle with Rocky, it would appear he is just as keen on enjoying a snuggle with his human friend.
That's not a huge surprise to Cardello. "Anytime Rocky sees me grab the blanket to lay on the couch he has to rush over to be picked up so he can lay with me," Cardello told Newsweek. "I am never able to lay alone. He only does this with me. Not with my husband or child. Just me. He's a mama's boy."
Rocky, who turns 15 in July, has been with Cardello and her family since he was a tiny puppy. "He came into my life when he was just 7 weeks old," she said. "The mom of a coworker of mine showed up at my work with him asking if I knew anyone that wanted a puppy. I wasn't planning on getting any animals but the minute I saw him I knew he was mine. He was the size of my hand and it was love at first sight."
Despite his diminutive stature, Cardello says he's a "dog with a big personality."
"They call it the 'little dog syndrome,'" she explained. "He would bark at everyone, chase the mailman down the street when he had the chance, take off on me as a game where I would have to chase him for blocks to get him back, steal food if he could get to it."
Thankfully for Cardello, Rocky has mellowed out in his senior years. "Nowadays he likes to nap all day and he has always loved to cuddle with me," she said. "He loves to sunbathe when the weather is nice and will nap by the door if it's open and the sun is hitting just right. He also enjoys it when we take him out in his stroller or his baby carrier."
He may be getting on, but Rocky has been given a new lease of life thanks to his viral video fame. Cardello has been blown away by the reaction to her clips. "I was never expecting for multiple videos to go viral the way they did," she said, concluding: "I think people really love senior 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.
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.
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