Meet Benjamin: the Beagle Who Makes It Clear Who His Favorite Human Is

When Lu, the owner of an 8-year-old Beagle named Benjamin, wished him “good morning,” he just stared at her and said nothing.

You might be thinking, “Of course dogs don’t talk.” The thing is, Benjamin does “speak”—a lot. But only when the “good morning” comes from Léo Oliveira, his favorite human.

Benjamin makes it clear how much unconditional love he feels for his owner, who lives in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Just a simple “good morning” coming from Léo brings out a melody of joyful howls from the pup.

In an interview with Amo Meu Pet (our Brazilian pet news website), Léo said that Benjamin does this every day:

“He howls and ‘talks’ a lot in the morning,” he said. “Our bond is crazy.”

Léo said that, from an early age, the dog used to wake him up in the morning. In fact, the habit was encouraged by his “mom,” who would say, “Let’s wake up Daddy.”

“He was very gentle. He’d come over, put his paw on me, and try to wake me up,” he said.

During these moments, Léo would stimulate the dog, interact with him, play, talk… In response, the Beagle would bark and howl. That’s how they created this routine.

However, as you can see from the video, Benja’s special “good morning” is exclusive to Léo.

“He doesn’t do that with Lu, who lives with me, or with my parents—or anyone else. Just me,” he said.

According to Léo, the dog works as an alarm. When someone says, “Let’s wake up Daddy,” Benja goes to the bedroom and won’t stop “talking” or howling until Léo gets up.

Léo suspects the dog associates waking him up with something positive, like walks or playtime. That’s why he was so happy.

However, there is no denying that the dog is very attached. This video makes it clear when Léo asks: “Who is daddy’s big baby?”

Léo used to live in a 52-square-meter apartment with no balcony.

While many doubted the possibility of raising a Beagle in that space, Léo saw it as an opportunity to demystify the stereotypes of the breed.

About five years ago, he started a YouTube channel called “Beaglelando with Léo Oliveira,” sharing tips and fun facts about the breed. The channel grew and became a popular source of Beagle content in Brazil.

Besides Benjamin, Léo has two other Beagles: Bibiana and Isabela.

The trio share an Instagram profile with the goal to spread more information about the breed.

At 8 years old, Benjamin has already starred in eight commercials for TV and social media. He’s also known as the CEO of Beaglelando House, a hotel and daycare for dogs.

His sister, Bibiana, is a true swimming coach for the other dogs at daycare.

You can follow the Beagle family here.