A golden retriever who hides every time the oven is used—because of a single smoke-alarm incident four years ago—has captured the hearts of internet viewers.
Tracy Hall (@tracyh77), 41, from San Diego, California, shared a video of their dog peeking nervously from behind a door as they cooked, saying that the pup developed a lasting fear after the smoke alarm was triggered once years ago.
“I turned the oven on to make a pizza and, as soon as she hears the oven open, turn on or me grabbing a pan she immediately moves to the hallway. She sits there the entire time until she hears the oven turn off and me move to the table to start eating. You can never be too safe, right? Can’t risk that the oven might turn back on,” Hall told Newsweek.
Hall said that the fear can be traced back about four years ago when they were reheating pizza and some cheese dripped onto the bottom of the oven, creating smoke and setting off two smoke alarms.
Hall recalled the ensuing chaos as they frantically tried to turn off the alarms, clear the smoke, and save the pizza—an ordeal Charlie clearly didn’t enjoy. Since then, Hall said, Charlie has made a habit of leaving the room anytime the oven is in use.
Hall added that the smoke alarms were very sensitive and poorly placed, and, while Charlie is normally unfazed by anything, that particular incident seemed to leave a lasting impression.
To minimize the distress, Hall said they now primarily cook with the air fryer or the stove, noting that Charlie doesn’t react as strongly to those appliances but still tends to avoid the kitchen until the cooking is done.
Hall also shared more about Charlie, who just turned 7 in June and has been part of the family since she was 8 weeks old. Describing her as loving, playful, and hilarious, Hall said Charlie has a signature side-eye and a flair for silly expressions. In her younger days, she was a bit of a troublemaker—digging up turf, destroying beds, and tearing apart stuffed toys—but has since matured into a patient and nurturing presence, especially around foster puppies.
Hall said they began fostering dogs after the sudden loss of an older golden retriever about three years ago, and Charlie has been an exceptional mentor to every foster canine who has come through the house. Charlie now enjoys more of a supervisory role, but still loves playing with her adopted sibling and foster friends.
The text overlay on the viral clip reads: “POV [point of view]: Your golden every time you use the oven because the smoke alarm went off once 4 years ago.”
The relatable moment struck a chord with TikTok viewers, racking up over 116,000 likes and more than 1.2 million views. Many users shared similar experiences with their dogs, citing their pets’ incredibly sharp memories—and their unshakable opinions.
Experts at PetMD says that dogs have excellent associative memory. They may not remember events in a narrative way like humans do, but they are extremely adept at remembering experiences tied to strong emotions, such as fear. This means even a single incident, such as a smoke alarm triggered during dinner, can leave a long-lasting impression.
SFGate notes that many dogs fear the oven due to its unusual sounds, intense heat, and especially alarms or beeping. If a smoke detector went off while the oven was on, canines may come to associate the appliance with danger—even if it never happens again.
TikTok users were quick to empathize with Charlie:
“They don’t forget and they do judge, at least mine does,” posted Mary.
“He knows you bout to burn the whole neighborhood,” commented Juan.
“Our golden does this specifically when my husband cooks,” added Sarah Welsh.
Other viewers chimed in with their own stories of their pets’ memorable fears:
“My dog does this whenever I touch a certain shelf in my living room because ONCE 2 years ago I knocked off a piece of decoration,” one user wrote.
“Seriously my lab too! Like goodness when they gonna let it go!?!?” added another.
One owner shared: “My dog is scared of the BBQ being turned on. One time years ago, he stood by it and the flames went up. He is a protection dog at 110 pounds. He runs in the house and ‘hides’ by the front door when the BBQ gets turned on. Lol [Laugh out loud].”
And the stories continued: “Our Australian Shepherd does that everytime I cook because it went off one time,” said another viewer.
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