Dachshund Meets a Marionette in His Likeness and Total Cuteness Ensues

Dogs are generally very self-centered individuals. They prefer to be the center of attention, and they love to be told how cute they are - though they don't even know what they look like, because dogs don't really recognize themselves in the mirror like we do.

On Wednesday, March 27th, one Dachshund was enjoying a nice walk when he met a puppet that looked just like him. I think it's safe to say he definitely had a lot of feelings about it:

I think whoever owns the Dachshund in @dreamy.bean1 's video should definitely take this as a sign to get her dog his own puppet of himself. The two are best friends, obviously!

Related: Dachshund Has Most Heartfelt Reaction to Getting a New Toy From 'IKEA'

The dog in the video looks equally confused and amazed by the puppet, which even shares his coloring. It looks pretty realistic: if not connected to a bunch of strings, I might be fooled into thinking that's a real dog for at least a moment! Other videos on her page suggest that this took place in Barcelona: street acts are common in tourist-heavy locations like this. She and her dog probably made this street performer's day!

Most likely, the dog thinks the puppet is just another dog that just doesn't bark. He approaches it just like he might another dog: Dachshunds are notoriously friendly, and you can see that here. His tail doesn't stop moving once in the entire video!

Do Dogs Know the Difference Between Real and Fake?

This good boy's reaction to seeing the puppet is just like the reaction you might get from a dog seeing another dog. It doesn't seem like he knows the dog isn't real, especially since it's moving. There are a few things that help dogs tell a real, living thing apart from a decoy:

1. The smell. A puppet dog won't have the same smell as a real dog.
2. The movements. Dogs recognize breathing patterns and can detect even subtle movements in living things.
3. Looks. Most dog toys aren't super realistic or shaped like a real animal, so they know it's not a living thing.

Their senses are strong, and it's not often that they're fooled by fake things, but it does happen. In this instance, the dog was watching the dog, not the man, and the man was mimicking the dog's movements very well. He totally got him with this puppet, and now I'm sucked in, too. I need to try this with my dogs!