Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter
A golden retriever called Reggie has been showing off his endearing habit of "happy growls."
Reggie is six and lives in London with his owner Hilary Murrell, who recently moved from the U.S. to the U.K.
"He's always made these growls," Murrell told Newsweek. "He likes to greet people by talking to them and offering them a toy."
Videos capturing the delightful moments when Reggie addresses his human through adorable growls are a regular feature on his TikTok page. In the caption to one, Murrell joked that he was saying "hello mother."
While many of us associate dog growling with aggression, it isn't always the case.
Happy growls or play growling can occur during play, when being petted or scratched, or when greeting someone. It's important to observe the dog's body language to differentiate between a playful growl and a more serious one.
Reggie's playful and seriously adorable growls have melted hearts. In comments on one TikTok video a person referred to him as a "grumble puppy."
It isn't much of a surprise that Reggie shows off his feelings with sounds either, as golden retrievers are known for being vocal.
The website Royal Goldens says that the breed is known for using a range of vocalizations, including barking, grunting, and groaning, to communicate various emotions and needs.
Earlier this year another golden went viral for "warming up his vocal cords" before howling. Another that "speaks hoomin" went viral in February when his owner asked: "Could you be any louder?"
It isn't just golden retrievers, either. A study published in 2022 in the journal Science Direct aimed to determine whether dogs vocalize differently toward their owner and food in an unsolvable task.
The task involved presenting the dog with an unsolvable situation where they could not access the food, and the researchers recorded and analyzed the vocalizations produced by the 50 dogs.
While only 21 percent of the dogs vocalized during the study, the majority of vocalizations—67 percent—were directed at the owner rather than the inaccessible food, indicating that they were aiming to communicate with their owner for help.
"I love how sweet and happy he is and how much joy he brings to people," Reggie's owner Murrell said. "I also love how spatially unaware he is; he's always knocking things over with his butt and sitting on people's feet."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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