The footage shared from the TikTok account @eltonthegoldenretriever shows the dog inside a home, walking past a laundry room before heading straight into a shower cubicle in a bathroom.
The video was overlaid with a message that read: “Mum and dad have been teaching me a new routine…So that when I get filthy, I know exactly where to go…who thinks I did a good job?”
Studies have shown several health benefits associated with owning a dog or other pet. However, pets can sometimes carry harmful germs even when the pet appears healthy, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A May 2013 study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One found “the presence of dogs had significant effects on both the diversity and the types of bacteria found within homes on surfaces that may be in direct contact with dogs (e.g., pillows) and those that they are unlikely to ever touch (television screens).”
The study explained: “When you bring a dog into your house, you are not just bringing a dog, you are also introducing a suite of dog-associated taxa directly into your home environment, some of which may have direct or indirect effects on human health.
“We found that the presence of dogs had a significant effect on bacterial community composition in multiple locations within homes as the homes occupied by dogs harbored more diverse communities and higher relative abundances of dog-associated bacterial taxa,” the study said.
The CDC advises whether you’re playing with, feeding or cleaning up after your dog or other pets, it’s crucial to wash your hands to reduce your risk of getting ill from the germs that pets can carry.
Always wash your hands using running water and soap (or apply hand sanitizer if water and soap are unavailable) in the following settings, as outlined by the CDC:
After touching or playing with your petAfter feeding your pet or handling pet foodAfter handling pet habitats or equipment (cages, tanks, toys, food and water dishes etc. )After cleaning up after petsAfter leaving areas where animals live (coops, barns, stalls etc. ), even if you did not touch an animalBefore eating and drinkingBefore preparing food or drinksAfter removing soiled clothes or shoes
The dog in the latest viral video has delighted users on TikTok.
User flo709 said, “Good Job! Sweet boy,” while carmii wrote, “Great job, the bestest boy.”
Ritalou37 said, “Well done 100% the smartest boy!” and MamaPhoenix said, “Straight A student.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment. The video has not been independently verified.
