Dog Has Epic Reaction To Giant Version Of His 'Emotional Support' Toy

Tobias the service dog has always had a thing for toy sharks.

According to his owner, the "medical alert" animal takes his "emotional support" toy everywhere. The owner had named the soft blue shark Frank, and had shared Tobias' attachment to the pet toy on social media under the handle @thatkidwiththedog.

In a TikTok post from March 9, Tobias' owner revealed that the internet had caught wind of the love story between the pet and his stuffed animal, and had upgraded his favorite possession by sending a "giant" version of the toy. Naturally, Tobias' owner has since named the newer iteration of Frank "Francois," to avoid any confusion.

"That's my medical alert dog Tobias and that is his emotional support shark Frank the Second," Tobias' owner said.

Viewers watched as Tobias was filmed sitting on a rug with the original Frank placed firmly on his lap.

"Tobias takes Frank everywhere with him. The internet got wind of that and sent him a giant Frank," they added.

Tobias' owner went on to say that their pet "loves" his new toy, and that the internet had "accidentally" gifted them two models of Frank—which has come in handy for keeping Tobias' brother entertained.

"Francis, Francois's brother is now being enjoyed by Jake," the dogs' owner added.

What Do The Comments Say?

The viral video, which has been viewed more than 1.1 million times, ended with a clip of the doggy duo playing so enthusiastically with their new toys that their owner repeatedly joked about them looking worse for wear.

The post had been captioned: "Long live Frank the shark (the second, respectfully) and welcome Francis and Francois who was gifted to us by some Frank fans!"

The heartwarming post has attracted plenty of comments, some from other service dog owners.

"I think he needs a mini frank patch for his vest," one user wrote.

Another user added: "My Doberman has an emotional support chicken."

"I love this so much. My service dog has an emotional support sunflower seed plushie," a third user shared.

What's a Service Dog?

As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, a service animal is a dog that has been trained to perform tasks or do work that directly relate to its handler's disability or special need. The companion animal is highly trained with excellent manners and a strong sense of obedience.

An animal like the Dobermann in the viral clip would work to mitigate the impact of their handler's disability, thereby increasing safety or independence for them.

Tobias' owner shares in a different post that the dog is a three-year-old Dobermann pinscher who has been trained to watch out for their dysautonomia, a neurological condition that can affect blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.

The Americans with Disabilities Act only considers dogs, and miniature horses trained to guide people, as official assistance animals. No other animals are considered service animals or get the benefit that service animals do of accompanying their owners in all public spaces.

Sharon Wachsler, the owner and head trainer at At Your Service Dog Training, gave Newsweek a brief explainer on what service animals are trained to do and what rules they follow.

"A disability is a permanent or chronic mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The service dog, when partnered with one disabled person, is trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effect of that person's disability," she said.

Newsweek reached out to @thatkidwiththedog for more information via Instagram.

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