Dog Wants To Play With Penguin At Aquarium (VIDEO)

For most, it's really easy to get excited about penguins, and this dog is no exception.

In this short video, posted to YouTube on Feb. 5, a dog tries to play with a penguin that's swimming calmly behind aquarium glass.

The dog paws and licks the glass, which is cute, but you've got to wonder what kind of response the penguin might have, were the glass not there. Fortunately, the penguin is protected from the dog's affection -- though it does raise questions about why the dog is in the aquarium in the first place.

Sea World, for example, only allows leashed assistance animals inside the park, while other pets must be kept at an onsite kennel.

Of course, some people object to keeping any animals in aquariums, and those sentiments are only intensified by tragedies such as the deaths of beluga whale calves, or when orcas attack their trainers.

However, as a report on penguins in captivity published in 2007 holds, these marine birds fare extremely well in outdoor exhibits from Los Angeles to Miami, despite being native to Antarctic waters.