Dachshund Dad Looks Overwhelmed Surrounded by New Puppies

A male miniature dachshund has become an unlikely online symbol of fatherhood fatigue after a TikTok video showing him overwhelmed with his energetic puppies went viral.

The cream-colored dachshund, named Dexter, was captured standing still, his eyes wide and his expression blank as several puppies clambered over one another nearby. Several viewers have likened the seemingly exhausted dachshund’s state to how many overwhelmed parents feel.

Nicole Kohanski, founder of a Texas-based dog behavior and training company, told Newsweek that some dogs do indeed find parenting stressful.

“I can say with certainty, because I have seen it firsthand, that some dogs love to be a mom and some find it stressful,” Kohanski said. “We had one mom refuse to mother her puppies unless a trusted human was with her.

“It was as if she felt like her puppies were scary to her and she needed emotional support to be with them, while another dog we whelped was in love with mothering,” Kohanski added.

In Dexter’s case, a lighthearted text on the video provided more context: “When you realize that your actions have consequences,” while the caption read: “Dad life ain’t for him.” The short clip had been shared under @whyamilikethiw on June 23 and has been viewed more than 1.3 million times to date, inviting a flurry of amused comments as a result.

The video has left TikTok users in stitches, with many interpreting the dog’s frozen demeanor as the canine equivalent of paternal regret. The brief but striking scene left some viewers projecting human emotions onto the canine’s bewildered face.

“The consequences of parenthood are universal,” one viewer said.

“Can we go back to days when we were young,” another added.

“I think he wants to pay child support,” a third viewer said.

“He’s like: Is there a 30 day return policy,” one comment read.

“He’s having flash backs going ‘we’re those 30 seconds really that worth it’,” another said.

“The cutest consequences though,” a third added.

“I literally laughed out loud at this because my dachshund dad did the same thing and was petrified of his kids,” one viewer said. “He got over it soon enough.”

“I don’t think he likes it in there,” another added.

Newsweek reached out to @whyamilikethiw for more information via TikTok.

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