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By Soo Kim
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A rescue dog's perfectly timed reaction to snack time ending has become a viral hit on TikTok, capturing the hearts of viewers across the platform.
The clip, posted on August 15 from the account @gilbert.the.pit, shows a rescue dog named Gilbert experiencing the moment his beloved popcorn is gone. The overlaid text on the video says: "Seeing how quickly my dog puts himself to bed once he realizes the popcorn is gone."
In the video, Gilbert, lounging on a sofa, looks around as if checking whether the treat supply has indeed dried up. Then, after glancing toward his owner in the kitchen, the dog hops off the couch and casually walks past the kitchen before disappearing out of frame.
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The caption of the post adds: "All of 2 seconds once the bowl hit the sink." Since it was shared, the video has garnered more than 276,000 views, with commenters praising Gilbert's comedic timing.
The pup's rapid resignation to bedtime may not just be funny—it could also be part of a genetic predisposition shared by some dog breeds.
A May 2016 study from Cambridge University published in the journal Cell Metabolism found that certain breeds may have a mutation that increases their food motivation and makes them prone to weight gain.
"There is some hard-wired biology behind that persistent food-seeking behavior," Eleanor Raffan, co-author of the study, told The Guardian at the time of the study's release.
According to the research, among the dog breeds for which data have been reported, Labrador retrievers were found to have "the greatest documented obesity prevalence and have been shown to be more food motivated than other breeds."
The study reported that a "deletion in the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene" was associated with increased body weight, adiposity and food motivation in Labrador retrievers as well as the closely related flat-coat retrievers."
In the case of Gilbert, his eagerness for snacks—and the swift disappointment when they vanish—may echo that same kind of innate response, albeit with a comedic twist.
The dog's reaction in the viral clip has delighted TikTok users. User MMS21 called it "hilarious," while og.bathala said: "Classic dine and dash tactic. Love him."
One user, @tammiw3, commented: "he had to make sure you weren't refilling it first," while user Nafura joked that the dog's thought process was: "Refill ? Oh, sink, alright, good night y'all."
Another commenter, julieka, also imagined the dog's inner dialogue saying: "Hmm, well no more popcorn. Thanks dad but you don't need me anymore, I will go to bed."
"They have their own mind and they're sooo damn cute," commented viewer @huskynamedice.
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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