The Gumby Dog Knew It Was Its Owner in the Costume

It may be National Cat Day, but don’t tell Jolene. The Golden Retriever’s reaction when she sees her favorite toy come to life is just what we need right now. Watch Jolene go nuts when her owner’s boyfriend (Ben Mesches) dons a life-sized Gumby costume — her favorite toy.

Her reaction is akin to what we’d expect from a child who was just told they were going to Disney World or had just met their favorite superhero. Doing what any proper dog parent would do, Emily Crisp — Jolene’s owner — recorded the whole encounter and posted the video to YouTube on Thursday, which quickly became a hit.

In the video, the adorable pup is seen quietly cuddling with her favorite toy — a cloth Gumby doll — until Mesches walks in all decked out in Gumby green. Jolene’s reaction to seeing her beloved toy come to life will warm even the coldest of hearts. Watch as her furry expression quickly turns from shock and disbelief to pure joy when the life-sized doll walks towards her.

Jolene runs up to Gumby, jumps in his arms and starts licking him as the two fall to the floor. Mesches can be heard laughing joyously at Jolene’s excitement, but does she think Gumby is a real toy come-to-life or her owner in a costume?

Thanks to their keen sense of smell and human-like cognitive abilities, Jolene probably deduced Ben was inside that Gumby suit even before he removed his mask. Perhaps knowing her owners went the extra mile to make her doggy day, made this moment even more special for her.

Mesches told the Dodo that it took about an hour for Jolene to finally settle down from all the excitement. The tuckered out pup then drifted off to sleep with her pint-sized Gumby toy by her side.