A video showcasing a golden retriever’s clever act of ‘sleeping’ to avoid his owner’s request to move from his spot has gone viral on TikTok.
The video was shared by social media user @lifeofbrian_gr, a TikTok account dedicated to a golden retriever called Brian.
It has has amassed over 104,000 views since it was shared on October 23, prompting laughs and adoration from viewers, charmed by the pup’s defiant yet adorable behavior.
The video opens with a note that reads: “POV [point of view]: Your teenage golden retriever has selective hearing and pretends to be sleeping so he doesn’t have to go downstairs.”
In the clip, Brian is seen lying motionless, his eyes barely open, feigning sleep as his owner tries to coax him to come down. The caption shared with the post says, “it’s the eyebrows for me. If I don’t move then she won’t know I’m here,” noting the dog’s subtle defiance.
The poster said in a later comment “He is only 1, he can hear very well when it comes to food and playtime but just chooses not to use them at the times we need him to,” highlighting the stubbornness in many pets, that pick and choose when to “listen” to their owners.
Brian’s bold behavior is not entirely surprising because dogs, “are not sensitive to watching-eyes,” according to a 2020 study published in Scientific Reports.
The study found that dogs do understand social rules but are less sensitive to close observation than humans.
According to the study, while humans tend to modify their behavior when they feel they’re being observed, dogs do not show the same “watching-eye effect,” meaning they are unlikely to alter behavior simply because someone is watching. This helps explain why Brian is comfortable “pretending” to ignore his owner’s request.
The study also highlighted that dogs are slower to break rules when given direct commands, but this doesn’t apply to new people observing the dog.
“For example, dogs are more likely to steal forbidden food when a novel observer replaces the person giving the command,” the researchers noted.
In Brian’s case, he seems to have realized that his usual handler is trying to get him to move but opts to “sleep” through it.
‘Oscar-Winning Performance’
The viral video has spurred a wave of amused reactions from TikTok users, who embraced Brian’s antics with comments ranging from praise to playful acknowledgments of his act.
User Tracy joked, “Oscar-winning performance from Brian,” while another commenter called Sadler humorously wrote: “I believe Brian.”
Others joined in with their own versions of approval. One user called him a “good boy” while another simply noted: “He’s not having it.”
A commenter called O’Neil affectionately said Brian was “so clever.”
Another called Sudo exclaimed, “awwwww, he’s cool” and stevenanthonytiktok added: “Oh that’s so cute and funny.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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