Laughter As Golden Retriever Refuses To Be Owners’ ‘Third Wheel’

A social media video of a dog “refusing to be a third wheel” while her owners shared a cuddle has delighted audiences across the Internet. The video, which has been viewed more than 350,000 times to date, captured the cheeky golden retriever butting into her owners while they drank cocktails with their arms linked.

The dog proceeded to walk through the pair’s linked arms and break up their embrace to make sure that she stayed the center of attention.

The video is captioned: “She’s like absolutely not, break this up now.”

It’s unclear whether the dog in the video simply has a jealous or possessive streak, which is common in many dog breeds albeit harmless, or if she feels anxious when she’s not close to her owners.

It’s common for dogs to form strong attachments and bonds with their owners and siblings, as evidenced in the TikTok video, and being apart from or excluded from the key members of their household for any period of time can cause or trigger separation anxiety.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals states that when treating a dog with separation anxiety, “the goal is to resolve the dog’s underlying anxiety by teaching him to enjoy, or at least tolerate, being left alone.”

“There is no conclusive evidence showing exactly why dogs develop separation anxiety. However, because far more dogs who have been adopted from shelters have this behavior problem than those kept by a single family since puppyhood, it is believed that loss of an important person or group of people in a dog’s life can lead to separation anxiety. Other less dramatic changes can also trigger the disorder,” the ASPCA states on its website.

Common signs of separation anxiety in a dog include: urinating and defecating, barking and howling, chewing, digging and destroying, escaping, pacing, or eating its own excrement.

“If your dog has a mild case of separation anxiety, counterconditioning might reduce or resolve the problem. Counterconditioning is a treatment process that changes an animal’s fearful, anxious or aggressive reaction to a pleasant, relaxed one instead,” the animal welfare organization recommends.

What Do the Comments Say?

Since it was shared on the social media platform on July 26 by @CallieGullickson, the TikTok post has been liked by over 32,000 users and commented on more than 90 times. Plenty of users have shared their amusement at the viral moment in the post’s comments section.

“Every single time I hug my fiancé, my dog goes nuts,” one user wrote.

Another user added: “Is this a golden retriever thing?”

“I knew this was going to be a golden retriever when I read the caption,” a third TikTok user shared.

“As soon as my other half touches me, my basset hound instantly sits on my knee and nudges him away,” commented a fourth user.

The TikTok post can be seen here.

Newsweek reached out to @CallieGullickson for comment via TikTok.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.