Dogs can have very different personalities and traits depending on their breed and one behavioural condition that affects many is separation anxiety.
This typically happens when an owner leaves the home and the dog shows excessive excitement, clingy behaviour or restlessness when they return. Many pets don’t like to be at home on their own and research suggests eight out of 10 dogs find it hard to cope when left alone, according to the RSPCA.
Golden Retrievers are known for their friendly, gentle and affectionate nature and the owner of one called Wally turned to TikTok to share how he reacted to being left at home alone. There are some times when dog parents have to leave their pets on their own, such as when going to work.
Jules Kutch, Wally’s dog mum and a pet influencer from Massachusetts, US, went out for the evening and came home to a “very emotional” pooch.
In the TikTok clip, the Golden Retriever can be seen cuddling her with his head resting on her shoulder and a very sad facial expression. Jules explained that Wally was eating his dinner and didn’t realise she had gone out.
While she was away from home, she checked her camera and saw the dog had gone upstairs to check where she was but noted he “never” usually goes upstairs. Throughout the video, Wally has his head down until Jules looks him in the eye and asks him if he slept in his doggy bed.
After this, he finally smiles and perks up a little bit before resting his head down on his pet parent again. Jules titled her TikTok video “coming home to my very emotional Golden Retriever after a night out,” and in the caption of the post she wrote: “We left while he was eating so he didn’t notice we were gone and went upstairs to look for us.”
The clip, posted six days ago, has already amassed a staggering 1.1 million views, 153,800 likes and more than 900 comments. Many dog fans were moved by Wally’s sad demeanour.
One said: “Omg why am I teary eyed? “ Poor little guy.” Another asked: “Am I the only one who cried?”
A third shared: “This hurt my heart.” Someone else observed: “Oh my God, he was heartbroken.”
Several viewers demanded Jules to “never” leave him alone again after becoming “emotional” by his reaction.
Others guessed why Wally decided to go upstairs as another viewer commented: “You weren’t downstairs so he started the search party in a logical location.”
A second chimed in: “Your scent is probably the strongest upstairs, especially in the bedroom. He most likely went upstairs to find you, and then stayed because he felt comforted by your scent.”
PDSA, the UK’s leading veterinary charity, advises against leaving your Golden Retriever on its own for too long if you can avoid it. On its website, it states: “Remember, it’s recommended that you never leave your dog alone for more than four hours as it can cause them to become stressed and anxious.”