Dogs can provide their owners with plenty of joy, but they can also provide them with plenty of extra work, too.
A TikTok video, which shows how a mischievous golden retriever named Mac destroyed his 10th replacement bed, has left the internet in hysterics and has been a relatable watch for many dog owners.
The viral social media video captures the golden retriever relaxing on his back in the midst of a pile of fluff, which are presumably remnants of the bed he'd just been caught destroying.
The video had been captioned: "About the 10th bed I have destroyed. Hehe ops."
While the video has provided TikTok viewers with a laugh, destructiveness is a common behavioral issue in dogs and needs to be taken seriously by owners.
Frequent destructiveness could signal anxiety, irritation or stress. It's important that owners decipher whether their pup's particular mode of destruction is due to a bit of boredom, a lack of discipline, or fear and anxiety at being left alone.
Although most destructive habits can be toned down through stricter training, or hiding toys when unsupervised, destructive chewing due to separation anxiety can be more difficult to address.
It's crucial in those cases for owners to help their dogs to understand that they are safe when they are left alone, or to leave them with a familiar face instead.
This can be done by gradually desensitizing your dog to being left alone for longer and longer periods of time. Owners could start by leaving their dog alone for a maximum of five minutes, and then praise them when they're reunited. If they've coped well, owners could then up that time to 10 minutes and so forth.
Since it was shared to the social media platform on May 4 by @MacsWorld_, the TikTok post has been liked by more than 337,000 users and commented on more than 2,000 times.
"I heard those beds are self-destructive," one user wrote.
"I'm his lawyer, he's innocent," another user added.
"He said I'm just a baby," commented another user.
Another TikTok-er wrote: "He's just as surprised as you!"
The TikTok post can be seen here.
Newsweek reached out to @MacsWorld_ via TikTok for comment.
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.
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