A golden retriever has danced into the hearts of animal lovers after footage of his energetic "dance" went viral on Instagram.
Oakley the dog's paw-tapping dancing to celebrate a new toy and playtime has gained over 200,000 likes. The video caption said: "My dog does a little dance when he gets excited." And excited he is—tapping his paws, wagging his tail, and exuding pure joy.
"Oakley just started doing this little dance recently, and he does it about once a day, usually in the evening," owner Melanie Claymon told Newsweek. She explained that Oakley's moves actually stem from something else—avoiding roughhousing with the other dogs.
"When the other dogs start wrestling, he finds a toy to play with instead. Then, he gets excited and tries to fit in with the other dogs by jumping around like them," Claymon said. While Oakley's dance is one of a kind, his furry companions sometimes join in, though Claymon said: "They don't have his same sweet and innocent dance moves."
As his fellow golden retrievers Winston and Gus engage in some fun rough play, Oakley stays firmly out of it, dancing around the playing pair.
In the comments, people couldn't get enough of the dog's little jig. "I just love when their little bodies can't handle their excitement," said @pearl.the.golden.girl. While @ourlovinglola wrote: "Omg he's so adorable."
"He's got da moves," said @biscuit_da_golden. While @marty.and.murphy wrote: "Oh my heart, this is just so sweet."
"Oh wow this is adorable!" said Instagram user @toocuriousgeorge. "You have some moves cutie."
Oakley isn't the first one in the family to gain viral attention. Last year, his canine brother Winston melted hearts after he displayed a surprising disinterest in treats—instead focusing on the female dog on the other side of the counter.
Claymon was delighted that another video of her beloved golden retrievers had gained viral attention. "I wanted to share this video on my social media page because it made me laugh so hard and I thought it was adorable," she said. "I hoped it would bring laughter to everyone who saw it and I'm so glad it is getting the reaction I had hoped for."
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