A therapy dog from Millville, New Jersey, has been caught on camera falling asleep in the middle of work, and internet users can’t cope with the hilarious footage.
The video, shared on TikTok in February under the username @deafcole, shows the pit bull Cole—who was born completely deaf—sleeping on a bean bag while at work at an elementary school, unbothered by the students’ noise.
“Deaf therapy dog caught sleeping on the job in elementary school music class. Being born deaf is an advantage for this gig. 100 percent unbothered,” read the caption.
Cole’s owner, Chris Hannah, told Newsweek that his pup has been a full-time school therapy dog for the last six years. Cole works alongside Hannah, an elementary school music teacher, as a support for the children.
“In this clip Cole is zonked out on his giant bean bag in the middle of the music room while students are doing their daily music lessons. He so often falls asleep in the funniest positions in the middle of class,” he said.
“Being deaf is certainly an advantage when working in the noisiest room in the building. As the students always say, Cole can’t hear with his ears, but he listens with his heart.”
As with humans, deafness in canines can also be congenital or acquired, and it differs from dog to dog. Some dogs like Cole can be completely deaf, others only partially. Many dogs also tend to become deaf as they get old.
In an article for The Vets, Dr. Liza Cahn previously explained that the symptoms of deafness in dogs usually include a lack of response to sounds, a lack of ear movement, increased barking or vocalization, and difficulty waking up.
Other signs that your pup might be deaf include having difficulties learning new commands, experiencing unusual changes in behavior, and in the case of partially deaf dogs, having episodes of selective hearing.
But having a deaf pup doesn’t mean that you can’t communicate your love to them. To put it like Hannah and his students say, deaf dogs don’t hear with their ears but with their hearts, that’s why with love and dedication you can develop your own unique language that transcends all words.
Veterinary Emergency Group shared a few tips on its website detailing how to care for a deaf pup, which include using hand signals to communicate with them, paying attention to their surroundings for them, and keeping a close eye on them.
@deafcole
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 6.2 million views and 960,400 likes on TikTok.
One user, Bri | lifestyle, commented: “The amount of trust he must have with you guys.”
Nacho Lozoya said: “He thinks he’s being worshiped by the tiny hoomans.”
MizRizzle added: “It’s the happy baby sleep position for me with those precious teefs! Lord may I be this at peace and unbothered in the face of chaos!! I strive to be like Cole.”
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.