Walter the labrador is a viral sensation, revelations he has a fetish for flip flops

WHAT does internet sensation Walter the labrador love more than the ocean? It’s kinda gross.

A LABRADOR with an “insane passion for diving and swimming” has become an online sensation as footage revealed the world through the lovable larrikin’s eyes.

Nearly five million viewers have tuned in to watch the short clip of Walter racing to the Siracusa, Sicilian shoreline. The result, they say, is pawesome. Eh, eh?

“He’s a special dog, who really loves the sea!” says the accompanying caption.

Marcello (Walter’s owner) tries in vane to calm down him in the first few seconds before letting him off the leash: “Vai piano!” (Translation: “Pace yourself!”)

... ain’t life grand?

Ah ...

The footage was captured through a new GoPro accessory — Fetch — which allows users to strap the camera to pets through a special harness.

“We’ve been filming for years now, five years. Walter has always been like that, full of life, you can’t hold him down,” said a family member of the pet pooch, Costantino Marotta.

“Guys, what’s going on?”

Marotta, a cousin of the pet pooch’s Italian owner, Marcello, who lives in Sydney and who posted the footage on reddit, told news.com.au the lucky labrador has even a bigger love than the water.

Yes, Walter has a fetish of the flip flop variety. A foot fetish, if you will.

Walter the Labrador's fetish for...FLIP FLOPS. https://t.co/4pzxcS9mo8

— Matt Young (@MattYoung) September 5, 2014

“He’s had a thing for flip flops ever since he was a puppy,” Mr Marotta said.

“I don’t know why but he’ll go for flip flops over a ball.

“If he wants to play with you, if he has a ball or flip flops in front of him, he’ll go for flip flops.

“You end up walking around without shoes for half a day because he won’t give them back to you.

“He won’t eat them, he wont even chew them, he just holds onto them.”

Walter is due to turn four on November 13.

Originally published as Walter the labrador is a viral sensation, revelations he has a fetish for flip flops