A dog has passed the ultimate test of willpower after resisting the urge to dig into a mouth-watering steak right under her nose.
Viral footage of Ellie the golden retriever waiting 23 seconds for a bite has proved a hit on TikTok, racking up more than 32 million views.
The video, which was posted on the account @elliegoldenlife by her owner Kevin Bubolz, garnered thousands of comments from impressed viewers.
Kevin starts by placing two plates of perfectly cooked steak and chicken in front of Ellie, then cuts a bite-sized piece of each meat with a knife and fork.
Ellie can be seen patiently watching and staring longingly at the juicy meat, before Kevin let's her "taste" it by licking each mouthful.
Sign up to our TeamDogs newsletter for your weekly dose of dog news, pictures and stories.
The good girl resists biting the food and only takes one single lick of each, despite clearly feeling hungry.
Then Kevin surprisingly walks out the room, while instructing Ellie to "wait". A tense few moments pass while the goldie stares directly at the steak and licks her lips.
Kevin is out of the room for a full 10 seconds, before returning to say "good wait honey".
Incredibly, she continues to remain calm and collected, until Kevin says "ready, get set, take it..." and lets her choose a favourite piece of meat as her reward.
Ellie opts for the steak she has been staring so longingly at for 23 seconds in total, but at the last minute, tries to go for the chicken as well.
It was the final ditch to eat both that made viewers laugh, with one saying: "Maybe she saved the best for last."
Followers collectively applauded Kevin for his impressive training and asked for his secrets.
"Am I the only one finding it incredible that he legit only licks it?" a person said.
"You have my upmost respect for knowing how to treat and educate a dog," a second wrote.
People couldn't believe that Ellie had the willpower to resist such temptation, and one rewarded her with an "A+" while another said: "Your dog is smarter than me."
One impressed TikToker added: "My dog would have eaten the lot plus the plates and table."
Ellie isn't the only dog melting hearts online this week - Perrie the French bulldog has touched people after becoming a mother to unwanted puppies.
The four-year-old pooch was grieving after birthing a stillborn puppy last week, and refused to eat or leave her bed.
But the very next day, her owner Nakita Wilson, 31, from Scotland, got a call from her vet who asked if she would be willing to take a litter of abandoned puppies in.
Perrie has since bonded with the litter like they're her own.
Nakita said: "She is the most maternal dog I’ve ever known and is so happy she got them."
You can keep up-to-date with Kevin and Ellie on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Do you have a dog story to sell? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
