Dog licks golden retriever's ear: When owner finds out why, she is moved to tears
Newport (Rhode Island) - It looks a little unusual. Nevertheless, it provides the perfect material for a viral hit on Instagram. The ingredients are Klaus the dog, Marlin the golden retriever and a gesture that melts more than just the owner's heart.
In the video, which was made earlier this year, the dogs, described by Marlin's owner Sara Kourtesis as best friends, meet.
At their home in Newport, Rhode Island, Klaus licks the nine-month-old golden retriever's ear. He has done this regularly since Marlin was a puppy, writes the US American in the subtitle.
She was curious as to what the exact reason for this might be, so she did some research on Google.
In a second subtitle, Kourtesis provides the result, which moved her to tears.
Viral Instagram video not well received by some users
"A dog licks another dog's ears primarily as a form of social grooming and communication, which expresses affection, acceptance within the pack and a close bond between the two dogs," writes the owner.
This goes down very well with the Instagram audience. More than three million likes have been collected since January 3, plus a good 90,000 likes. However, Kourtesis has blocked the comments column.
The reason: although the vast majority of users find the interaction between the dogs heart-warming, a few also find it a little strange.
"The internet always finds a way to portray something innocent in such a negative light," Marlin's owner said in an interview with Newsweek this week. But she doesn't want to overestimate the whole thing. After all, most people agree with her.
"I'm glad it touched people and maybe helped them connect with their pets. It's nice to see so many share their own stories about their dogs' quirks and attachments," Kourtesis concluded.