A dachshund refusing to be separated from her “daycare boyfriend” has delighted the internet, as social media users can’t cope with the real-life Romeo and Juliet.
A video of the two dogs was shared on TikTok (@jillypg) by the dachshund’s owner. The clip showed Greta the dachshund on one side of a metal fence, while her favorite canine, a bloodhound puppy, was on the other side.
Sadly, her “daycare boyfriend grew up” and was placed in the other group for the larger dog breeds. However, Greta wasn’t about to late that get in the way of their love affair, as the two pups could be seen lying parallel to one another on either side of the fence. At one point, the dogs even touched their paws underneath the gate that kept them separate.
The video has warmed plenty of hearts online since it was shared online. At the time of writing, the TikTok clip had amassed more than 572,900 views and over 65,100 likes in a matter of days.
Newsweek has contacted @jillypg via TikTok for comment.
The star-crossed lovers would certainly do anything to be together again, as Greta’s owner even joked that “a fence can’t keep them apart” in the TikTok caption.
Many scientists have researched whether dogs can indeed fall in love, especially when it comes to their owners. Can dogs love people as much as we love them, or is that just a naïve hope?
A study from the University of Tokyo, Japan, in 2014 found the presence of oxytocin in dogs, which is known as the love hormone. The results showed that oxytocin stimulated their social behavior towards humans and other dogs. They highlighted that the presence of this particular hormone in dogs lends itself to the social bonding that also aids parental behavior and pair-bonding in mammals.
In a similar way, this links to the effect of oxytocin facilitating interpersonal relations in humans, such as learning to trust a person.
gemphotography/Getty Images
How Did TikTok Users React?
Social media users can’t get enough of Greta’s daycare romance, leading to more than 590 comments on the TikTok post so far. Many people lauded the adorable relationship despite their drastic size difference, while others insisted that the duo need to be reunited.
One comment reads: “As a doggy daycare worker I can confirm romances and friendships definitely happen.”
Another person wrote: “They need a regular play date scheduled right now!”
“The only episode of Love After Lock Up I’ll watch,” joked another TikTok user.
While one commenter responded: “You put those little lovebirds back together right now. The world can’t handle a doggie Romeo and Juliet.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
