Puppy Caught Red-Handed Stealing Toilet Paper Wins Pet of the Week

This week we’ve seen a blossoming romance between two dogs and a dog enjoying a spa day in a hilarious viral video.

Alongside viral animal favorites, we’ve been collecting our favorite reader submissions of pet photos and videos for our Pet of the Week.

If you would like your pet to be next week’s Pet of the Week, be sure to follow the steps at the end of this story.

Winner

This week’s Pet of the Week is Murphy, a golden retriever who was caught on camera making mischief as a puppy, when he got hold of the toilet paper and trailed it through the house.

Now aged two and a half, owner Thomas O’Grady told Newsweek: “The mad man I call him. This was him when he was 3 months old.”

Dogs, and especially puppies, may unravel toilet paper. One common reason is that dogs are attracted to the texture and feel of the paper.

Dog expert Stanley Coren reports that the act of holding down a tissue box or toilet paper and shredding it echoes the behavior of a dog in the wild as it picks apart its meal. Additionally, used paper goods hold on to scents and flavors that attract dogs.

Now around two years old, it has been a while since Murphy caused trouble with the toilet paper. But his owner said he still has a distinctive personality.

“He loves his toys like all Goldens do,” O’Grady said. “He’s extremely smart and loves to swim and chase and retrieve balls. But most of all he loves people.”

Finalists

Our first finalist this week is Cody who lives with owner Nancy Weems in Tucson, Arizona.

Cody came into his owner’s life in 2017. She had lost her beloved dog and was struggling to come to terms with life without her best friend.

“I was so lonely. then my sister sent a picture of Cody to me and we went to the shelter a few days after that,” Weems told Newsweek. “As we started to go around the kennels, there was my Cody, waiting for me.”

The two hit it off right away, and before long Cody became Weems’ assistance dog. Now he loves playing chase and adorably refuses to eat until his owner takes her shoes off—just to check she isn’t going anywhere.

Next up this week is Maui, a 7-year-old mixed breed that is a little bit schnauzer, Yorkshire terrier and poodle.

The extra fluffy curly haired pup lives with owner Audrey Rose who sent a series of adorable pictures of Maui relaxing in bed and hanging out on the couch.

Last but not least this week is Fergus the Borgi—half border collie, half corgi—who lives in Washington state with owner Jan Coyne.

Fergus’ favorite things include being chased and playing with other dogs.

“He’s a delightful companion and my best friend,” Coyne told Newsweek. “My favorite thing about him is his exuberance and love of life and adventure.”

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.