Moose may be a gorgeous Chocolate Labrador, but his days as a spy are numbered. The sweet pup was caught on video attempting to hide a very large stick brought indoors. Unfortunately, Moose’s hiding skills are for the dogs — and his attempt becomes a total (albeit hilarious) fail.

Moose’s human mom shared a social media video captioned:

“he was hiding this one so well, it took a few guesses to figure out what was in there”

The joke’s on Moose: he has a stick at least 12 inches long hanging from his mouth. While his human plays along, asking where the stick went despite it being clearly visible, Moose plays a game of “nothing to see here” as if the largest stick in his mouth is invisible to everyone but him.

Moose is completely committed to the rouse — if only his massive stick and his blinks hadn’t given him away.

Just because Moose is pretending there’s no stick in his mouth doesn’t mean he hasn’t won the hearts of social media followers who are charmed by his antics. While many commented on the handsome pup’s appearance, another wrote about “his blinks and his wiggly feet.”

“The head nod,” noted one, while another added, “The head nod and feeties!”

Moose may not want to admit he’s brought a stick into the house, but with a face that cute, it’ll be hard for his human to put him in a doggy time-out.

Related: Shipley the Golden Retriever Has Stick Day With a Branch Bigger Than He Is

What’s With All the Blinking?

Commenters were quick to note and appreciate Moose blinking over and over again while his human mom asks about the stick in his mouth. Dogs often blink when they’re stressed, anxious, or perceive they’re in trouble.

Not all dog blinks are created equal, however. Frequent, rapid blinking accompanied by other signs like yawning or avoiding eye contact can be an indicator a pooch is stressed out. A slow blink can show trust, though squinting or blinking while staring often signals discomfort or a perceived threat.

In Moose’s case, his blinks and fixed stare may indicate fear or anxiety. Judging by the way he’s gripping the stick in his mouth, the precocious pup might be more worried his stick will get taken away than he is about being put in a doggy time-out.

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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Dec 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.