A video capturing the moment a Labrador was caught attempting to dig a hole under the garden fence so the dog next door could come over and play has gone viral.

In a clip shared to TikTok by kandi_with_an_i, Sam the dog can be seen digging away at the ground while their neighbor's pet pooch, Lucy, who is also a Labrador, is busy trying to squeeze herself through the opening he's started fashioning.

"No, no, no!" Sam's owner can be heard to say after stumbling upon their scheme. "Sam, no! Lucy, go back!" she urges as the two dogs look over in apparent bemusement at her request.

The hilarious footage, which has been viewed 1.5 million times, can be found here.

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Despite his owner issuing several firm no's, Sam continues to try and dig away at the ground to help Lucy free. They soon hit upon a novel solution, with Lucy remaining firmly wedged under the fence while Sam tries to play-fight and dance around her from above.

Eventually, his human companion cracks and issues the warning all dogs dread to hear: "Dad's coming, better go." "When the neighbor's dog wanted to come and play," an onscreen caption reads.

Dogs are naturally social animals. In previous times, they were pack animals too and while playing with a human can provide a notable boost to a dog's overall happiness, socializing with other canines from an early age can also improve their well-being.

It's an opportunity to learn signals from other dogs and develop more emotional intelligence, which will stand them in good stead for the future.

"The best way to fill your dog's social needs is to get him out every day to mix with other dogs, or to get another dog," dog behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman told Animal Wellness. "There is no such thing as too much socialization."

Dodman's only caveat is that: "Interacting with other dogs should have positive associations for your own canine, so it's important to abort potentially negative encounters before they happen."

Thankfully, in the case of Sam and Lucy, it appears they are getting on like a house on fire and, on the face of things, should be encouraged to meet up more often.

Those commenting on the viral clip certainly seemed to be of the opinion that the doggy duo should meet get together soon. Cherry-Bomb Goddess said: "You just need to build them a swinging doggie door so they can play" while TiksWithNiks agreed, writing: "It looks like they need a little gate for some play dates."

Ginger_Devil, meanwhile, commented: "Oh man, I'd help dig the trench so Lucy can come over 24/7. They're friends!" with LuckyPenny2468 wrote: "That is the cutest thing I have ever seen."

Melly Mel loved the way Lucy the dog appeared to be looking over with an expression that said "pweeease, why you no like me." Another, writing as __baked_potato__ imagined her saying to Sam: "You told me your mom said I was allowed over." Jamierem also noted how despite the pet owner's warnings, the pooch pair were "clearly not scared of dad."

Responding to questions on the video, the original poster, kandi_with_an_i revealed that the footage was actually filmed last year, before Sam got neutered. While Sam and Lucy are still very much friends, he also has another companion in the form of a younger sister pup called Alice.

Newsweek has contacted kandi_with_an_i for comment.

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