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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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A viral video of a Labrador wearing his backpack for an overnight trip has left people fawning over the dog's adorable accessory.
The clip was posted on TikTok on April 28 by Emily Gierke (@possiblymissemily) and has received almost 1 million views. It shows the Labrador's "overnight bag" before the pair went to her boyfriend's house. Laddie is seen walking into the home, proudly wearing his blue-and-orange backpack, which contained his treats, a squeaky toy and water bowl.
After seeing other dogs wearing similar bags, Gierke bought one for Laddie. She told Newsweek that Laddie trained as a guide dog when he was a puppy, so he's used to wearing a vest or a pack on his body. She said that, when he used to wear a vest, it meant he was "on duty," so wearing his dinosaur bag gives him a similar sense of pride.
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A service dog helps their owner complete tasks and navigate areas that might otherwise be impossible. It's estimated there are around 500,000 qualified dogs around the U.S.
However, there are many more dogs who train to be service dogs to no avail. Advice website PetMD states that between 55 and 70 percent of dogs don't qualify for various reasons, including their temperament, ability or medical reasons.
The sought-after qualities of a service dog include the knack of remaining calm in new environments, retaining information quickly, unbreakable focus and reliability.
The video of Laddie's backpack has received almost 150,000 likes on TikTok. The reaction to Laddie's simple backpack has been unlike anything owner Gierke had anticipated.
She said: "I was watching Laddie for my sister while she was gone for the weekend, and I packed his backpack for an overnight visit to my boyfriend's house.
"He carries his treats, poop bags, football toy, and water bowl in the bag," Gierke added. "He wears it for activities like hiking or to visit friends where he would want to bring his supplies or extra treats.
"Laddie was a guide-dog puppy prospect for Guiding Eyes for the Blind," she said. "He was medically released, and my sister Erica, who was his puppy raiser, adopted him. He loves wearing his backpack and gets so proud when he puts it on."
Gierke added that, even though he isn't a working dog, he gets "so happy" to wear his bag anyway, as it's "still a part of him."
Many TikTok users flooded the comments with adoring reactions to how excited Laddie gets about wearing his backpack.
One person commented: "This is so cute, he looks so happy to have a sleepover." Another wrote: "I love that he has a social life."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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