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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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A video of a baby's first-ever encounter with a dog has gone viral on TikTok. However, the canine's reaction has quickly become a concern for viewers.
In the clip shared by mom Gracie Boettcher (@gracie.boettcher), her daughter hugs Mia, a pug, who is sitting on the floor. After a couple of seconds, Mia scooches over, and the hug ends.
Boettcher, 23, from Texas, told Newsweek: "She is a great family dog and is very tolerant of the baby hugs and leans." The February 24 video has racked up more than 843,000 views and a mixture of comments.
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"That dog is showing clear signs of discomfort," said one user.
Another wrote: "[The] dog looks a little confused, but I think some of these comments are excessive … and probably coming from people who have never been around a baby? This is a very gentle exchange both ways."
Boettcher responded to concerns, saying: "Mia will walk away if she's uncomfortable, so she really enjoys the company if she's sticking around.
"I think most people just jump to conclusions. It's simply a sweet video of a baby hugging a pug who has pug eyes. Nothing more, nothing less."
Other viewer comments include: "The dog is like, 'This is odd, but I'll accept it.'"
Expert Opinion on the Dog's Behavior
Dog trainer and behaviorist Joe Nutkins told Newsweek about the interaction captioned, "her and the pug are becoming the best of friend."
Nutkins said: "It initially looks like a pug enjoying a cuddle, but, in reality, he is tolerating the attention.
"We can see various signs in the body language known as stress signals or also calming signals, and although very subtle, they are also giving a lot of information.
"The lip lick at the start is a very commonly seen stress sign in dogs, which is then accompanied by the ears being pulled back and close to the dog's head to indicate he is uncomfortable," Nutkins said.
"The eyes are wide, which pugs can have generally, but here we see something called 'whale eye'—where dogs turn the head away but need to keep an eye on what is happening, so the eye opens wide, and there is a lot more white showing than usual.
"There is also a moment before the dad comes past where the pug actually leans the opposite way to the child, which is another indicator that the dog is tolerating the attention rather than enjoying it," Nutkins added.
Boettcher defended Mia's expressions, telling Newsweek: "She has bulgy eyes, and she licks her lips because she's a foodie."
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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