An Alaskan malamute who always dreamed of having a friend but was routinely rejected by other dogs because of his size, finally got a little sister, and their bond has melted hearts among social media users.
In a viral Instagram video shared in December under the username @duke.the.malamute, the big fluffy pup can be seen looking bored and sad playing all on his own while other dogs refuse to engage with him.
But that’s only until his owner decides it’s time to make his biggest wish come true, getting him a little sister who adores him and spends every waking moment obsessing about him.
“He’s 95 pounds of fluff and love… But he was always alone. He never had a single dog friend. Every time we went for a walk… Other dogs were scared of him. Maybe because he looked too big, too different,” the caption reads.
“But all he ever wanted… Was a friend! Someone who wouldn’t be afraid of him. What he didn’t know was… His lifetime best friend was already on her way.”
The poster, Kateryna Bates from Oregon, told Newsweek that since she brought little Odesa home, Duke has finally found his forever source of happiness.
“Duke is older and often acts like a gentle dad to her, but at the same time he truly loves playing with her. When Odesa was a puppy, Duke was extremely careful and soft with her”, she said.
“As she grew older and realized he could really play with her, their games became much wilder—chasing, play-biting, and wrestling—but Duke is always very gentle and controlled. Odesa is never hurt; she runs around happily with a big smile and clearly enjoys it.”
Bates added the when Duke was younger, he really wanted to play with other dogs, but because of his size, most dogs were afraid of him. As a result, he never really had dog friends.
“Over time, he simply stopped trying. Now, even if another dog wants to play with him, Duke usually isn’t interested anymore—he already has Odesa, and she is the only dog he truly wants to play with.”
As a dog who loves to sleep, Duke can rest up to 16 hours a day, so he often takes breaks to recharge before happily going back to play with Odesa.
“When Odesa is away, for example at grooming or when Duke realizes she’s not home, he becomes worried and starts looking for her. Odesa reacts the same way when Duke is gone. Their bond is very strong, funny to watch, and incredibly sweet.”
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 133,000 views and 19,600 likes on the platform.
One user, Kohakuthejapaneseakitainu, commented: “I could never get tired of watching this video!”
Mimi06offl wrote: “Awwww this is so sweet and he’s so patient with her!”
Bindylou2024 added: “I don’t think any animal or human is made to be alone, especially dogs. Such a beautiful video.”
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