Golden Retriever Puppy Spooning Ikea's Toy Version of Himself melts Hearts

Millions have watched the adorable moment a Golden Retriever puppy was caught spooning the toy version of himself.

The viral clip, posted by @leticiafereguetti, showed George the pooch cuddling a soft Golden Retriever toy from Ikea.

The video has racked up more than 580,000 likes and has been watched by 4.5 million people at the time of writing.

Leticia has added the following text: "You finally decided to get your puppy the IKEA Golden Retriever."

Why Do Dogs Love Stuffed Animals?

This probably isn't the first video you've seen of a dog with a stuffed animal, and it certainly won't be the last. Previously, Newsweek shared an article about a rescued Pit Bull treating a stuffed dinosaur like a baby.

According to dogcare app Wag!, an unspayed female playing with stuffed animals because she is exhibiting the first signs of a false pregnancy. This means that her mothering behavior will remain active even after going through heat.

Wag!'s website points out that the toys "fulfill" a variety of roles. In this case, the stuffed animal may be treated like a sibling by George, the dog.

However, it isn't always rainbows and unicorns, as some dogs "look at toys the way wolves look at prey." Sometimes, a dog may bite, chew and tear a toy apart as they are practicing their killer instincts.

Wag! also states some breeds, such as retrievers, are known to carry a toy around in their mouth. They are doing this to express their "desire to play with you".

Stuffed animals can also be a great way to relieve dogs' gum- and toothache.

"By chewing on soft stuffed toys, dogs have a slight bounce, allowing them to bite down without hurting their teeth or gums," said Wag! "Our advice is to look for toys that are dog-age appropriate and surprise your furry companion when they are done shredding their old playmates to pieces."

However, owners must be careful as a toy's plastic nose and eyes could be choking hazards.

More than 2,500 people have commented on the video since it was posted on November 18.

One comment received more than 9,200 likes, saying: "my dog...liked the Ikea dog a little bit too much"

"Your puppy needs a puppy," suggested one person.

"I got my dog this when he was like 4, he cherished it till his last moments at 12. I will forever keep it as a reminder of my best bud," said another.

Newsweek reached out to @leticiafereguetti for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.