A sad dog was caught on camera attempting to recover his favorite toy from the washing machine.
Hugo, the loyal canine, is seen maintaining a watch in front of the machine before attempting to eat the catch to free his beloved squeaky toy, Mr. Bunny.
Ursula Aitchison, 30, from Balham, southwest London, was taken aback when she discovered the five-year-old golden retriever sitting despondently in the drum on Monday evening.
He can be seen flashing photographer Ms. Aitchison plaintive ‘puppy eye’ expressions in between episodes of chewing the handle and was eventually enticed into another room with ham to protect the machine.
Hugo’s cuddly side came out during their reunion, and the mother-of-one feels he’s subliminally preparing for the birth of a new golden retriever puppy next month.
‘Mr. Bunny was looking a little grimy, so I decided to throw it in the washing machine with a load of other things,’ Ms. Aitchison added.
‘He saw me put it in and went to retrieve it out of the machine, so I had to quickly close the door and start the wash – he looked upset.’
‘It was hilarious to see him resting next to it on a mound of laundry waiting to be washed.’
‘I got a couple of images of him giving me upset ‘puppy eyes,’ then a couple of shots of him putting his head on the washing machine, observing it,’ says the photographer.
‘He then tapped the glass and tried to pry it open with his teeth.’ I had to stop him because I was afraid he was going to rip the door open. After all, he didn’t appear to be stopping.
‘To get him into the hallway, I had to distract him with ham.’
‘It was like ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ and he calmed down once he was away from the washing machine.’
Hugo’s speedy bromance with the squeaky toy caught Ms. Aitchison off guard, as she assumed her pet pup was uninterested in toys.
However, they were reunited after a chance encounter at a pet store, and they haven’t been apart since – until Mr. Bunny’s rendezvous with the washing machine.
‘I didn’t think he was a ‘toy’ dog since he’s never chewed,’ Ms. Aitchison explained.
‘I bought it for him three weeks ago, and he now carries it with him everywhere.’ I had no idea he liked them, and now I’m feeling terrible.
‘I was at the pet store buying a new bed for him and thought I’d get him a toy because there were live bunnies in there, and he was eyeing them up as we walked up and down the aisles.’
‘I figured he wouldn’t end up cuddling them, so I got him a squeaky one.’
‘He carried it from the moment I picked it up in the shop and then brought it to the cash register with him – it was love at first sight.’
‘He’s been nice with it, so it’s still in good condition.’ He squeaks and licks it but doesn’t tear it apart; either it’s well-made or he doesn’t want to hurt it.’
‘Hugo’s got an unbelievable sense of smell, he dives over fences to collect tennis balls he didn’t know were there, so I was interested how much of the fragrance had washed out and how much it would upset him,’ Ms. Aitchison explained.
‘When he put his head in the machine, it appeared as if he was smelling it and then licking it to restore his aroma, similar to how a mother licks her pups.’
‘He was doing that in the kitchen for around 15 minutes before bringing him across to my bed and laying there for a while.’
‘It was really beautiful to see them together; I’ve never seen him be so affectionate with anyone other than myself.’
‘Hugo has been carrying him around all the time since he got out of the washing machine and continues gazing at me as if to say “don’t get any ideas,” Ms. Aitchison continued.