Golden Retriever Acting Like He's 'Part Dolphin' in the Ocean Melts Hearts
Retriever by name and retriever by nature, this golden has impressed the internet with his diving skills, holding his breath underwater for 13 seconds to fish for his toy.
The viral TikTok video was posted on the dog's dedicated account @drakethepupstar on April 11 and has received over 1.9 million views and more than 242,000 likes. Drake is shown bobbing his head under the surface of the water to fetch one of his toys that has been thrown in.
The retriever refused to give up without his beloved toy, and thankfully, after 13 seconds, he rose back to the surface to show off what he found. Drake's owner joked that her dog "was a fish in his previous life" after witnessing his underwater talents.
While it can be difficult to ethically test how long a dog can hold their breath for underwater, they can last between five and eight seconds underwater, according to the National Canine Research Association of America.
The length of time depends heavily on the breed, however, as certain dogs like pugs have a much lower lung capacity than larger dogs. Smaller dogs may not be able to hold their breath for quite as long.
As Drake so happily displayed, Labradors and retrievers are made for the water, and they'll always be ready to dive in and have a splash. With their thick fur to keep them warm in the coldest of waters, and their tail acting as a rudder to guide them, Labradors and retrievers are expert swimmers. The American Kennel Club even says that these breeds will "happily spend the day retrieving" items and toys from the water.
After witnessing Drake's remarkable ability to hold his breath for so long underwater, his owner joked that he must be "part dolphin" in the accompanying caption. As Drake has impressed so many by holding his breath and retrieving his toy so effortlessly, his owner has continued to share more videos of him swimming in the open water to fetch his toys.
The TikTok video has gathered over 650 comments since it was posted. Many users praised Drake the golden retriever and even suggested what other type of fish or creature he could be related to.
User @aquariusbae000 commented on the post: "no, that's a golden seal retriever."
Another, with the handle @goldenlifeofsammy, wrote: "someone give him a gold medal, this is impressive."
Other commenters had different ideas about what Drake could be. User @majesticautumnmeadows wrote that he's "a goldfish," while user @lucasathanasia7043 posted: "I think your dog is a mermaid in the past life."
Newsweek reached out to @drakethepupstar by email for comment. We could not verify the details of the video.
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