A cocker spaniel named Sonny has won over hearts online after a video of his "puberty" transformation went viral on social media.
The video, shared by the dog's owner on TikTok, under the username Sonnywiththegoodhair, shows the little 2-year-old turning into a "gorgeous" dog, growing long golden locks on his fur.
The clip, which was published on the platform earlier in September, has been viewed more than 400,000 times, and comes with a caption that reads: "Puberty hit hard..."
@sonnywiththegoodhair ✨ a glow up ✨
♬ original sound - Slamuri
Even though now they're mostly only domestic dogs, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC), cocker spaniels were originally bred to hunt birds, especially the woodcock, which is where the breed's name comes from.
The AKC says that these dogs may have come to America on the Mayflower, as records show that a mastiff and a spaniel were passengers on the ship, which landed in New England in 1620.
Nowadays there are different types of spaniels, including American and English varieties. The main difference is that American cocker spaniels have rounder heads and more pronounced eyebrows, while English ones, like the dog that Prince William and Princess Kate own, have longer snouts.
Cocker spaniels are affectionate with family and other dogs and great companions for children, according to AKC. They are easily adaptable and easy to train and don't bark too much.
Cocker spaniels are the smallest dog classified in the AKC Sporting Group, and capable of identifying cancerous samples by scent. A study found that a cocker spaniel named Tangle had the best success rate at detecting cancer, with 56 percent accuracy.
One TikToker debbierobb2005 wrote that the dog was "Handsome," while another Jillian_On_TikTok commented: "I can't be the only one that winked back at him surely?"
Katy May Allan wrote: "It's the toofs for me," while Sabv31 commented, "Oh he's just gorgeous." And Nanaperson1234 added: "Aww omg the glow up to gangly is outstanding."
The TikTok user Louisewordsworth wrote: "Gingers rule!"
Newsweek reached out to Sonnywiththegoodhair for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Lifestyle Reporter based in London. Her focus is reporting on lifestyle and trends-related stories, ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
