Puppy Learning Why You Shouldn't Steal Pizza Leaves Internet in Stitches

When we're not looking, our four-legged companions can be up to all sorts of mischief.

One Reddit user has recently shared how their puppy managed to eat half a pizza, after which the pet owner installed a puppy gate to keep the dog out of the kitchen. The post was also accompanied with a photo of the puppy that appears to be sad while standing in front of the gate.

Under the username u/Vessieper, the OP (original poster) posted the photo on the r/rarepuppers subreddit on Tuesday and captioned it: "My puppy managed to eat half of a pizza from the kitchen counter last night. Today I installed a pet gate." Since it was shared the post has gone viral, amassing a total of 23,400 upvotes and 385 comments.

According to the OP, the puppy's name is Bee, and it is a Staffador, a cross between a Staffordshire bull terrier and a Labrador.

In typical Reddit fashion, many users rushed to the comment section to share their reactions, and quite a few didn't miss an opportunity to throw in a couple of funny comments.

"Ah, yes... pizzagate," one user wrote, while another wrote: "He's only sorry he got caught. Would 100 percent do it again."

Other expressed admiration for the dog's looks. "What a handsome thief!," one user said. "The look of utter defeat...," another user commented on the puppy's face.

Some commenters even tried to put the puppy's possible thoughts into words: "'Be thankful I left you HALF.'"

"'The AUDACITY of these humans,'" another user joked.

Others seemed confident that the gate was not a good-enough obstacle for the dog.

"Wait until he finds out that he can easily jump that gate," one user pointed out.

Another user described how their dog "got kicked out of day-care for hopping their 6 foot fence twice in one day while high on anxiety meds."

"No barrier can stop him," the user added.

Meanwhile, some users were concerned that the dog might have had an upset stomach or "mad diarrhea" after eating the pizza.

In response to one of the comments, the OP clarified that the dog "didn't really get affected by eating the pizza."

"He has some wind but aside from that he's not showing any signs of discomfort," the dog owner explained.

According to the American Kennel Club, food poisoning is just as common of an occurrence in dogs as in humans. Food poisoning typically results in "nausea, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, inappetence, and dizziness." However, despite the symptoms, usually, the majority of dogs are able to recover quickly and may not require medication.

In an article published on LoveYourDog, qualified veterinarian and author Dr. Joanna Woodnutt shared that pizza is not considered an optimal choice of food for dogs due to the fact that some of the primary ingredients are not only unhealthy for our canine companions, but can also be toxic and can even result in a severe illness.

Although most cheeses are considered "safe" for dogs to consume, other main pizza ingredients such as tomato-based sauce and pizza dough pose a more significant concern.

"A traditional pizza crust usually contains wheat flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oil, and water. Sugar and salt are the main problems for dogs; neither are good in excessive quantities," Woodnutt explained.

She also pointed out that pizza sauce often contains garlic, as well as onions, spices, sugar, and salt. "Both garlic and onions are toxic to dogs," she said.

This wouldn't be the first time a dog has gone viral on social media. Newsweek recently reported on the internet's reaction to a TikTok video of a puppy clinging onto its owner's arm while taking its first bath. Newsweek also covered another viral post of a dog that babysits kittens. One "dogfluencer" pup has an even bigger wardrobe than its owner and regularly promotes well-known brands such as Brewdog, Jack Daniels and Aldi.

Newsweek has reached out to u/Vessieper for comment.