Dachshund Puppy’s ‘Favorite Game’ With Owner Has Internet in Stitches

A video of a dachshund puppy living her “best life” while playing a game with her owner has delights users on TikTok.

The clip was posted by @twiglet_thedachshund, the TikTok account of a dachshund puppy called Twiglet. The video has garnered 6.8 million views since it was shared on June 9.

A caption shared with the post simply reads: “My favourite game.”

The footage shows a dachshund puppy laying in a belly up position on a carpeted floor, just beneath the legs of a man hovering over. He then grabs her and gently slides her across the floor. Upon reaching the other end of the floor, the pup immediately gets up, runs back toward the man and resumes the belly up position. He then pushes her across the floor and the pup runs back to do it all over again.

Play is important for our canine companions as it provides physical exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction for dogs.

Play should be fun but also be tailored to your dog’s preferences and skills, advise veterinarians Ellen Lindell, Debra Horwitz and Gary Landsberg, as well as licensed veterinary technician (LVT) Monique Feyrecilde in an article for VCA, one of North America’s largest animal hospital chains.

Some may prefer playing with humans over other canines, while others may prefer playing with toys, and some may enjoy games like hide and seek.

“For safety, it is important to avoid play interactions which lead to excessive arousal. It could become difficult for your dog to wind down or leave a game when asked,” the veterinarians and LVT warned.

The length and type of play and exercise that’s best for your dog will depend on their age, development stage, behavior and physical health and structure.

“While some dogs may still be ready for more after a 5-mile jog and a game of fetch, others may be tired and satisfied after a short walk around the block,” the VCA article noted. “The idea is to enrich the quality of life for your dog and yourself.”

A January 2022 study in Animals found that environmental enrichment (EE) activities resulted in “a significant increase” in the frequency of relaxation behaviors and “a significant reduction” in alert and stress behaviors.

The study noted: “EE is commonly described as a technique designed to enhance the quality of life in captive and domestic animals by providing additional and temporary environmental stimuli to promote psychological and physiological well being.”

According to the study, “conspecific play [playing with other dogs] and playhouse activities” showed “the greatest overall positive behavior change when compared to the other activities.”

‘I Could Do This All Day Long’

Users on TikTok were delighted by the playful interaction between the puppy and her owner in the latest viral clip.

JaggarSwag said: “oh my goodness! [she’s] living [her] best life!!!”

“My dog loves that game…so funny she just runs back,” Z12BEATU wrote, while davie said: “I could do this all day long.”

Jameserican said: “Dachsies are so fun.”

“Too precious!!!!!!!!!” Teresa Eubanks noted and Deborah Ferrari702 simply said: “just ADORABLE.”

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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