Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Watching Lady And The Tramp Realizes She's A Disney Character
It's truly a treat to witness our fur babies discovering mirrors for the first time. They may be shocked, excited, or even activated to play. But have you ever witnessed a puppy spot their look-alike onscreen? If you're wondering what lucky pup made such a discovery, look no further than this super cute TikTok. In it, one adorable Cavalier King Charles spaniel spots her cartoon twin in the movie "Lady and the Tramp," and her reaction is the sweetest thing ever.
@daisythecav Daisy is straight out of lady and the tramp🥹😭❤️ #cavaliersoftiktok #cavalierkingcharles #ladyandthetramp #puppytok
Daisy clearly loves watching TV with her mom, as shown in this eight-second clip. During this particular watch, she witnesses what might be the perfect movie for her: the Disney classic "Lady and the Tramp." That's because Daisy and "Lady" are basically twins. "Oh look, mommy, that's me!" said one viewer in Daisy's voice, as if to give words to the fascinated way she cocked her head at Lady on screen.
Commenters were quick to point out a sort of technicality in the video. Lady is, in fact, an American Cocker Spaniel, not a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. However, most viewers felt that fact was pretty irrelevant given how identical the two were. One even joked that we should ignore that and "Let that baby have her moment!" As far as we're concerned, Daisy is surely one of Lady's real-life Disney doppelgangers.
Do dogs recognize themselves on screen?
Daisy's reaction to Lady on screen is absolutely precious. She's definitely not the first dog to love watching other dogs on TV. However, how much does Daisy understand about Lady on screen? A 2024 survey by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that of all TV and movies canines react to, they respond to other dogs the most.
The survey featured responses from 1,600 dog owners, and most of them reported their pups preferring dog-specific TV and movies, followed by other animal content, so it's likely that Daisy's reaction was in response to those very pup-like similarities. Yet, do dogs know that these TV dogs and cartoons aren't real? Well, probably. Dogs interact with the world through their senses. Since they can't feel or smell these characters on screen, they likely do not see them as, say, the same as their friends at the dog park.
Still, that doesn't mean these characters don't get very real reactions, like Daisy's interest in her movie twin. In fact, you may have witnessed some dogs bark at screens or even seem anxious because of the particular show playing. Be mindful of your dog's body language and responses to shows to see what they may be perceiving as threatening, or enjoy their delight when they spot characters like them!