A video of a dog has gone viral on TikTok, earning more than 3.5 million views. But it is not the unusual mix that has caught the attention of internet viewers—it’s the way the dog is behaving.
The footage shows Bolt, a German shepherd—husky mix, greeting his owner Skylar, 22. Yet something felt off to the Alabama-based woman. She told Newsweek: “He was acting more suspicious than usual.”
In the December 9 video shared to @bolt.the.shepsky, Bolt can be seen standing on his hind legs, sheepishly lying on the floor, and then on the couch—next to something that shouldn’t be there.
Skylar said: “He had taken a towel from the bathroom which means he opened the door which he isn’t allowed to do.”
She added that the mix is “goofy and talkative,” like a husky, but “very trainable and disciplined,” like a German shepherd—unless there is a door to be opened.
According to the VCA Animal Hospital website, pets learn acceptable and unacceptable behaviors through training. If a companion animal misbehaves, then it often means the training is incomplete. For example, teaching a pet not to scratch only when you are present doesn’t prevent scratching when you’re away.
When pets break rules, such as stealing food, they don’t consider right versus wrong—they act for immediate reward. By the time you notice, they won’t even remember the choice.
However, canines do not feel guilt. “They are not emotionally complex enough to feel guilt,” Karis Nafte, a dog behavior expert with 25 years of experience, previously told Newsweek. “However, dogs will appear submissive—which looks a lot like guilt to us people—when they can see we are upset.”
Despite this, animal lovers often believe dogs act guilty.
One user said: “It’s so funny how they know they aren’t supposed to do something but they must think ‘it’s okay I’m so cute they’ll forgive me.'”
“He is totally permitted to take whatever he wants! He’s the boss!!!” said another user, to which Skylar responded: “So true.”
“Taking a towel from the bathroom? My dog full on poops on my slippers and acts like everything is okay,” shared another owner. Skylar replied: “Bolt gets guilty over the smallest things and I have to tell him it’s okay.”
The VCA also states that it is never appropriate to scold a pet for something it has already done, whether minutes or hours earlier.
Punishment works only if delivered within seconds of the behavior, and, even then, reprimands can create fear that harms your bond.
Delayed punishment doesn’t change future behavior—it teaches the pet just to fear the evidence. For instance, if your pet defecates indoors and you scold it after discovering the mess, then the animal won’t connect the reprimand to the act itself. Instead, it will associate your anger with the sight of feces, showing a “guilty” look out of fear, not understanding.
In this case, Skylar doesn’t scold Bolt at all. Instead, she gently asks, “Did you take this from the bathroom?” before greeting him with a playful “hello” in a baby voice.
Skylar later admitted to one user in the comments: “I got distracted, he’s so cute.”