A mini schnauzer by the name of Yoda has been jokingly branded a "deadbeat dad" by his owners following his less than enthusiastic response to meeting his puppies for the first time.
In centuries gone by, male adult dogs living in the wild played an important role in the development of their pups, teaching survival skills and generally leading by example when it came to surviving in the wild.
However, the domestication of canines has seen the role of the doggy dad diminished with their human owner instead occupying the role of carer in an environment where they are no longer required to hunt for food or establish a safe living space.
As a result, it's not uncommon for dogs who become dads to show little in the way of interest when it comes to the arrival of a new litter.
Even so, Yoda's response in the video posted to TikTok by bec_irl is a pretty strong one.
Brought into the room where his partner, Leia, is resting with at least half a dozen pups feeding from her, Yoda takes one look at the situation before slowly backing out of the room.
As he exits, he appears to look up at his owner, giving him a glance that almost says "don't judge me" before heading off to explore another bedroom in their house.
The caption on the video, which has been viewed over 880,000 times, reads: "He said nope they are not mine." The clip can be watched here.
@bec_irl Yoda is a dead beat dad #puppy #dogdad #cute #fyp #funny #puppies #minischnauzer
♬ Funny Song - Cavendish Music
Plenty of fellow dog lovers on social media were quick to chime in with their own take on the video. "He went to go buy milk..." E18sa joked while Vanessa Morales was in awe of the way he "moonwalked the hell out" of the room like Michael Jackson.
Veronicahowardsmi0 thought Leia might "need to file for pup support," with natashanadia12 telling them they "better call Maury to sort it out" in reference to the talk show best known for revealing paternity test results live on air.
All Smiles lamented that there were "daddy problems everywhere these days." Mamaburton4, meanwhile, thought Yoda's reaction was reminiscent of Shaggy during his "It Wasn't Me" phase.
The jokes continued to flow throughout the comments section, JoJo wrote that Yoda clearly "went to get a pack of smokes and never came back" while John Sanders318 loved the "backing out."
For others, the video and gags that followed it provided some much-needed respite from real life. "I was having a horrible day.....this literally made me laugh out loud," TheoDaGr8 wrote. "Thank you..."
Newsweek has contacted bec_irl for comment.
Dad dogs might not show much interest initially but that is probably for the best, with Jan Reisen at the American Kennel Club warning that father figures can often prove a danger and a distraction in the canine world.
She warned that dad dogs have been known to be too playful with often fragile newborn pups and have, on occasion, become jealous of new dogs. Reisen also noted that they can also prove "a distraction and stressor" to the mother.
"She is intensely focused on caring for her young and can even become aggressive against the male dog in her urge to protect her litter," she warns. "Even if the two dogs were best of friends before, this dynamic changes with pregnancy, birth, and motherhood."
Yoda might have the right idea by keeping a distance for now.
His reaction nevertheless stands in stark contrast to that of Stella, a golden retriever who went viral after a video chronicling her first meeting with a litter of puppies was shared online.
