A Staffordshire terrier named Tommy was filmed meeting his look-alike puppies for the first time, and his sweet interaction with them has left internet users in tears.
The viral video, shared on TikTok on Tuesday, under the username @izythestaffy, shows Tommy carefully walking up to his 1-day-old puppies’ kennel, smelling and licking each one of them, as if welcoming them into his world. “Daddy Tommy’s reaction to meeting his 1 day old blue staffy puppies,” reads a caption shared with the heartwarming video.
Tommy’s behavior around his puppies is quite unusual for a male dog. An article by Pango Vet says that male dogs don’t usually form attachments to their puppies because they don’t have strong paternal instincts. However, while male canines lack these, it doesn’t mean that they can’t bond with their puppies like they would with any other dog.
Whether male dogs are able to tell that the puppies are their offspring is still uncertain, but a more pressing question is: will they try to harm them? An article by Georgia-licensed veterinarian Dr. Jess Kirk for Vet Explains Pets said a good introduction might help mitigate this risk.
How to Introduce Puppies to an Older Dog
The American Kennel Club says that introductions between two dogs should be done gradually, especially when one is a puppy.
It is important to give both dogs specific places to go isolate when needed, and to have a crate ready for your puppy, when you noticed your older dog starting to get irritated. This happens because puppies have much more energy than older dogs, and may pester them to play even when your dog is not in the mood for it.
Their first introduction should be done outdoors, in a neutral environment, to avoid power struggles between the two dogs.
As their owner, it’s your job to make sure their interactions are fully supervised until you know they are 100 percent comfortable with each other. And if you can’t be home all day to separate them, consider leaving the puppy in his crate when you are out.
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The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 7.7 million views and more than 371,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Natasha Louise, commented: “Typical Dad wakes everyone up and leaves …”
Alicia Medrano posted: “The way he sniffs each one of them to identify them.”
Flinger added: “I wonder what’s going on in his head. Does he really know those are his children or just puppies.”
Newsweek reached out to @izythestaffy for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
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.
