Golden Retriever Gently “Cobs” Fur Sibling—The Sweetest Display of Love You’ll See Today
While dogs have become an inseparable part of human lives, some of their behaviors remain uniquely their own. In a TikTok video, a Golden Retriever is seen “cobbing” — softly nibbling on their fur sibling, also a Goldie. While this gesture might seem unfamiliar to humans, in the dog world, it’s a heartfelt display of affection. (Watch the TikTok below.)
The video shared by @the3retrievers is just one of many heartwarming moments shared by Melanie Joy, who documents the lives of her four Golden Retrievers—Archie, Oakley, Winston, and Gus. With 219K Instagram followers and over 66K TikTok fans, her posts consistently draw attention. This cobbing video alone racked up 180K likes on Instagram and 20K views on TikTok, proving once again that her pups are internet stars.”
@the3retrievers_ Aka love nibbles…🥹 #puppylove #goldenretriever #dogsoftiktok #golden #fypシ ♬ original sound – the3retrievers
Heartwarming Dog Behavior
Explaining the cobbing behavior, the text overlay in the video states, “Did you know cobbing is a sign of trust and a natural way for a dog to show affection?” Meanwhile, the dog keeps nibbling on their sibling’s mouth and ears and the other pooch remains perfectly still, content to receive the affectionate “love bombing.”
Undoubtedly, this sweet display of love and affection has melted hearts online, with an Instagram user commenting, “Aww wow we didn’t know this!😍 so cute.” Another user shares their personal experience of witnessing this nibbling behavior in their dogs, saying, “My new German Shep rescue does this all the time to her older Aussie brother. So sweet!”
What is Dog Cobbing?
Let’s understand what experts and pet parents have to say about dogs cobbing. A dog behavior expert, Tamsin De La Harpe, states “When a dog nibbles with just their front teeth, we call it dog cobbing, named for the action of nibbling a corn cob.”
Dog cobbing is a subtle behavior where a dog slowly pulls back its upper and lower lips and softly bites its front teeth together, resembling a gentle nibbling motion. This action is typically gentle and is not akin to biting.
When someone asks about their dog exhibiting cobbing behavior on Reddit, a user, u/Sharp-Mess-676, replies, “My dog does this to my other dog, the cats, his bed, blankets, stuffed animals and me. It’s how he shows love 😆”
Reasons For Dog Cobbing
De La Harpe provides the following possible reasons behind cobbing dogs and why do dogs nibble on each other:
- Instinctual behavior: Newborn puppies cob on their mother’s teat to stimulate milk production, which becomes a sign of affection and self-soothing later in life.
- Gathering sensory information: Dogs use their Jacobson’s organ to detect pheromones, helping them identify their mother and gather extra information.
- Showing affection: Cobbing is a form of grooming or a dog’s way of giving a gentle scratch, often accompanied by licking.
- Self-soothing: Dogs may cob to calm themselves, relax, and release stress, often accompanied by licking.
- Attention-seeking: Dogs may nibble to get attention from their owners.
- Scratching an itch: Cobbing can be a way for dogs to scratch hard-to-reach areas on their body.
- Exploration: Dogs may cob on objects or people to gather more information about their environment.
“Cobbing is such a beautiful reminder of how dogs express their love and trust in ways we sometimes overlook. It’s these small, tender moments that show just how deeply connected they are—not just to us, but to each other,” says Rocky Kanaka, pet rescue advocate.
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