A Florida woman got a mini dachshund as her emotional support pet, but it did not go according to plans.
In a viral Instagram video shared on Tuesday by @beans_the_weeniedog, the small pup, Beans, can be seen lying on the couch, looking around concerned, making her owner feel more anxious instead of providing emotional support.
“Everyone meet Beans. I got her for emotional support. Now we share the anxiety,” the caption says. “They said get a dog for your anxiety. They did NOT specify a dachshund. This is mine after I looked at her wrong for 2 seconds.”
The poster, Megan, told Newsweek that the clip highlights Beans’ very dramatic personality.
“She’s known for her expressive reactions, big feelings and fearless eye contact, all packed into a very small body,” Megan said. “She takes her role as the main character very seriously.
“The moment in the video reflects her everyday behavior. What you see is exactly who she is. Equal parts sweet, dramatic and slightly unhinged in the best way, which is why so many people connected with the clip!”
While Beans doesn’t seem to actually suffer from anxiety, this problem is actually real for dogs. The Dogs Trust explains that recognizing stress in dogs can help owners avoid or resolve situations that make them anxious and reduce potential conflicts.
Stress signals are often subtle and happen quickly, so it’s important to observe the dog’s body language as a whole rather than isolated actions.
Early signs of anxiety include slowing down, leaning away, lip-licking, crouching or lowering the body, lifting a paw hesitantly, and showing an appeasement grin. Other signals might include shaking, panting unrelated to heat or exercise, pacing, and conflicted behavior when approaching something.
If a dog becomes more worried, stronger indicators that it needs space include rolling onto its back submissively, lunging forwards, freezing or showing defensive behaviors like growling and snapping. Aggression is often a sign of fear.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received more than 5.2 million views and 523,000 likes on the platform.
One user, T.cop1, commented: “Poor Beans – she’s just doing her best, despite all the expectations you’ve put on her.”
Harshibutfair17 wrote: “I asked god for a dog for my anxiety. Homeboy misread the text and sent me a dog WITH anxiety.”
Xoshariox said: “Our emotional support dogs needing emotional support dogs.”
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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