Retriever Melts Hearts as He Can't Sleep Without an Ice Pack as a Pillow
While in the past dogs were mainly bred for hunting and protection, nowadays they have a different role in our lives and are becoming increasingly spoiled.
A golden retriever called Bentley recently moved viewers online after a video of him struggling to fall asleep without his ice pack tucked in as a pillow went viral on social media.
The viral clip, shared Saturday on TikTok by the dog's owner under the username Bentley_thegoldendigger, has a caption that says: "When your ancestors were bred to hunt and retrieve but you can't sleep unless you're tucked in with your ice pack." This was followed by: "Evolution."
Bentley's owner told Newsweek: "We live on the Gold Coast of Australia, where the summers are extremely hot. When Bentley was a puppy, he had difficulty sleeping and would pant nonstop because our house has more windows than walls. During that time, I was undergoing a tattoo removal process and had plenty of ice packs.
"One summer, I gave him an ice pack, and he immediately laid his head on it and fell asleep," the owner continued. "That's how it all started... and now he can't go to sleep without his ice pack. Whenever I pull his ice pack from the freezer he knows it's bedtime and starts walking to my bedroom and sits next to the bed waiting for me to arrange his ice pack.
"One for his head, the big ones for his body, and one for his booty. Without his ice pack on the bed, he refused to sleep."
Enjoying their lives doesn't stop golden retrievers from being a hardworking breed. They are used for everything from hunting and tracking to rescue and service dog work, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC), and they're also great therapy dogs.
"Despite that playful, sometimes goofy demeanor, they learn quickly and can master a multitude of skills, including how to perform as search and rescue dogs at the site of a disaster," the AKC's website says.
The TikTok video quickly gained popularity on social media, attracting animal lovers from across the platform. It has so far received over 474,000 views and 69,400 likes.
One user, jacquewanders, commented: "I have a goldendoodle who needs to be tucked in and get belly rubs before she'll fall asleep."
Shrimpina said: "If there is a story behind this, I need to hear it. For my dog, she needs to have one of my husband's shoes near her at all times."
Efanjones wrote: "Aww he's so adorable tho. This fr how my dog would be if I let him in someone's bed tho lol." Ashley Aspen said: "I also need to fall asleep with an ice pack on my head Bentley." Emma Shaw added: "My hunting dogs are like this when not hunting. It's such a parallel."
Another user, Prev_1997, commented: "Man I could use that icepack around now." And Bryan Porth said: "My golden HAS to be touching me when we go to bed so I'll be almost asleep and bam, paw on the face."
Ella added: "Truly the life his ancestors wanted."
Newsweek could not verify the details of the case and reached out to Bentley_thegoldendigger for comment via email.
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.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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