Babies say the darndest things—or in this case, bark them. TikTok creator Analeigh Ahn sent the internet into a collective meltdown with her now-viral video featuring her baby letting out an adorable grunt-bark—a sound suspiciously familiar to the family dog. With 12.5 million views and counting, the video captures that hilarious click moment when Ahn realizes exactly where her baby picked up the habit.
The caption? “When your baby starts doing this, and then you realize…”
And the comment section? Absolute gold.
- @MeganK: “She’s bilingual already!! 🐶” – 410.2K likes
- @Free_Bird1116: “Now she can establish dominance at daycare 😂” – 207.2K likes
- @PC: “Her first words aren’t ‘appa’ or ‘umma’ but ‘woof, woof‘ 😁🐶” – 2,514 likes
- @frogsinsocks819: “At a pediatrician appt they asked if mine was talking yet and I said no he just barks 🫠” – 20.4K likes
- @Sarah: “Moms like she’s gonna say mommy first, dads like she’s gonna say daddy first…. Dogs like… hold my beer” — 3478 likes
Turns out, babies are expert copycats—and their first words don’t always come from mom and dad. Imitation is a key part of early language development, and for babies growing up with pets, that sometimes means their first “words” sound more like a bark than a bye-bye.
One commenter had proof this goes beyond dogs: @ElephantInTheRoom “My second child’s first word was ‘meow’ and the cat answered her 😩 She spoke cat before she spoke English.” – 139.3K likes
Related: Why do toddlers mix up their words? The explanation is too sweet
Why do babies imitate pets?
From a developmental standpoint, babies absorb everything around them—including the sounds their furry siblings make. Dogs bark to communicate, and to a baby’s sponge-like brain, that’s just another language to learn. In fact, research suggests that early exposure to animal sounds and household noises plays a role in language processing skills.
Related: Toddler sees his senior dog shivering—what he does next will melt your heart
And while some parents are just now realizing why their babies growl at the mailman: @ReeesesPeaceUs: “How cute, you got two litter mates! Your mailman must be frightened 😂” – 5,278 likes
Others are just enjoying the cuteness overload:
- @Val: “She even got the little wind-up!” – 114.4K likes
- @✨Bailey✨: “🥺🥺 She puts her whole little body into it 😭😭” – 16.5K likes
- @Bezzy🌷: “Aww, the doggy must be so proud 🥰😂” – 39.6K likes
Related: For two years, this toddler and dog watched the world together—until one morning changed everything
Will she speak “human” soon?
Don’t worry—babies who pick up pet sounds will still learn to speak “human” like the rest of us. Animal noises often become part of early language development since they’re simple, repetitive, and fun for little ones to mimic. Plus, playful vocalizing helps babies experiment with different sounds, which eventually turn into full-fledged words.
For now, though, Analeigh Ahn’s daughter is a bilingual queen, and the internet is here for it.
- @Pupfect Love LLC: “Duolingo better step their game up 😂” – 871 likes
- @lyn_wheels: “She agrees, something outside is sketchy.” – 40.5K likes
- @Mrs. Joanne M. N.: “Shes imitating her best friend!” – 143.5K likes
Moral of the story? If your baby starts barking, don’t panic—it’s just science… and maybe a little too much time with the dog.
Related: The building blocks babies need for language development
