Oregon - Duke the Alaskan Malamute's owners could only speculate as to why all the other dogs ran away when their pup appeared. At least Kateryna Bates and her partner had an idea of how they could help their pet...

The clip initially shows several scenes in which poor Duke appears lonely and sad.

At one point, his owner even carries him in her arms and seems to have to comfort the little guy.

"He’s 95 pounds of fluff and love... But he was always alone. He never had a single dog friend. Every time we went for a walk... Other dogs were scared of him. Maybe because he looked too big, too different," reads the caption.

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"But all he ever wanted... Was a friend! Someone who wouldn’t be afraid of him. What he didn’t know was... His lifetime best friend was already on her way."

Bates and her partner hatch a plan. Although the other dogs seem to be afraid of Duke, they try to introduce him to a puppy girl.

Fortunately, this young animal seems to have no fear of contact, and the unlikely four-legged friends can be seen playing and romping around together in other scenes.

In an interview with Newsweek, Bates has now revealed a little more about the story, such as the name of the little furry friend.

The two-time dog owner gushed about how Odesa the puppy was immediately taken in by Duke.

"Duke is older and often acts like a gentle dad to her, but at the same time he truly loves playing with her. When Odesa was a puppy, Duke was extremely careful and soft with her," Bates said.

"As she grew older and realized he could really play with her, their games became much wilder – chasing, play-biting, and wrestling – but Duke is always very gentle and controlled. Odesa is never hurt; she runs around happily with a big smile and clearly enjoys it."

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The viral clip is a bit of an older one. Indeed, if you look at Instagram, you will see that little Odesa is not yet fully grown yet – but she is quite a bit bigger in the latest clips!

Meanwhile, Duke no longer seems to be interested in his fellow dogs.

"Over time, he simply stopped trying. Now, even if another dog wants to play with him, Duke usually isn’t interested anymore – he already has Odesa, and she is the only dog he truly wants to play with," Bates explained.

"When Odesa is away, for example at grooming or when Duke realizes she’s not home, he becomes worried and starts looking for her. Odesa reacts the same way when Duke is gone. Their bond is very strong, funny to watch, and incredibly sweet."