Viewers Convinced Chihuahua Thinks Owner's Baby Is His: 'Loves Her'

A Chihuahua's excited reaction to meeting his owner's newborn has left some convinced the dog believes the baby is his own.

Footage of 7-year-old Wolfie meeting new arrival Mariel for the first time was uploaded to TikTok under the handle Wolfrano. It has already been watched over 5.6 million times, with viewers gushing over the clip of the canine desperate trying to doll out kisses to the infant.

You can watch the video here.

While Wolfie is kept at bay, many watching the video compared the dog's reaction to that of a doting parent, excited at the arrival of their new child.

A dog could never take the place of a parent, but there is evidence to show that having a canine around can be beneficial to child development.

In a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers from Harvard and the Tokyo Medical and Dental University examined the association between pet ownership in toddlerhood (ages 3-4) and poor emotional expression in later childhood (ages 5-6).

What they found was that the presence of a dog—or indeed any family pet—during childhood improved emotional expression and control in children.

It may be a little while before Wolfie and Mariel are able to strike up this kind of bond, with the baby's parents taking care to keep the pair separated for now. Even so, it's clear from the dog's reaction to meeting the baby that he's already drawn to the infant.

That was something many watching the video were quick to pick up on.

Despite misgendering the canine, many agreed with Mochalatta's comment, which read: "She thinks [the baby] is hers. She wants to clean her baby and care for her."

Jessica Warden agreed, writing: "that baby is saying that is my baby too, and I got her back." Clkeethler concurred, commenting: "that is his baby now. He will be her biggest protector and best friend." Betty Carrillo added: "The baby needs her baby!"

Halie.bazan, meanwhile, loved: "The way the dog didn't take his eyes off the baby."

Others saw the start of what could be an adorable sibling relationship. Charlie Basham said Wolfie "loves her human sister," with Angela Patton695 agreeing: "He loves his new sissy."

Commenting on the clip, Wolfie's owners assured fans they were taking things slowly when it came to introducing the pair to one another.

"We waited a long time to let him calm down and introduced smells first," they wrote. "This is still the result. He calmed down over hours and has been so great since!"

They are now looking forward to the pair striking up a beautiful friendship. "We can't wait to watch them grow together!"

Newsweek has contacted Wolfrano for comment.

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