Nailing birthday gifts can be tough, and it doesn’t necessarily get easier when you shop for your family members. There are, however, a few things that are impossible not to love. So, if you ever have to nail a birthday gift, cuteness never fails.

I mean, who in their right mind would be disappointed with a puppy on their special day?

Well, Doug had no idea what to expect on the morning of his 46th birthday. After joining his wife in the living room, his attention was directed toward a mysterious wooden box. Doug, being an open-minded husband, would have accepted the box as a gift.

“I’m not just giving you the box, I’m taking the box back honey”-

“You are?” Doug jokes with a shocked face “…well then I’m not gonna open it!”

Doug seems like a jokester, but this morning, the joke is on him in an awesome way.

Soon enough he opens the box, unsure of what to expect. He proceeds with caution

On top of some tissue paper lay a small collar, but Doug was none the wiser.

With the small collar in one hand, he unwrapped a picture frame with the other. The clues had been revealed, but Doug hadn’t figured it out yet! Upon closer inspection, he discovered a tag with the name “Stella” on the collar, and in the frame was a picture of Doug’s wife and step-daughter, holding a 3-week-old golden retriever. Perhaps Doug was in shock, but his expression remained steady until…

“That’s Stella!” Doug’s wife said when asked about the pup in the picture.

“Stella?” This must have been the moment where the reality settled in for Doug. Just look at how his face lit up when he finally put all of the clues together. His face truly says it all.

Doug’s step-son then emerged with Stella in hand. Seeing Stella the golden retriever puppy was all the proof Doug needed to go into full-on cuteness overload.

We may never know if Doug had asked for a puppy for his birthday, but what we do know for sure is that he was elated to make a new best friend that morning.

The bond was immediately obvious. Stella was obviously comfortable in Doug’s arms. She even gave him a nuzzle on his neck. Adorable!

Stella wags her tail happily in Doug’s arms and is immediately comfortable with him.

Doug was beaming with excitement. He remained stunned but ecstatic for the rest of the video, and probably a long time after the camera turned off.

In the end, Stella lived with the family for over 10 years, but given that this video was shot before 2004, she has sadly since passed away. Still, this video remains a joyful memorial of the day that Doug met his best friend.

While a puppy is surely a wonderful surprise and Doug happened to enjoy Stella and gave her a full and healthy life, pets don’t always make good gifts. It is important to understand that Doug’s wife and son made the choice together and assumed some responsibility for Stella as well.

Watch the full video below to see Stella’s surprise introduction to her new human, Doug.

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Source: Animal Channel, YouTube, Vet24