A man's hilarious way of disciplining his defiant pug has left internet viewers in stitches.
Harvey Grady (@harveygrady) shared footage of the unconventional method he uses to get his pug to listen—by threatening him with none other than country music legend Dolly Parton.
"Somebody tell me why my dog stops being naughty when I tell him I'm gonna tell Dolly Parton," Grady wrote in the viral TikTok clip, which has racked up over 129,000 likes and more than 610,000 views.
The video shows the energetic pug bouncing around on Harvey's bed, attempting to jump on him, until he hears the warning: if he doesn't stop, Dolly Parton will be informed. As soon as her name is mentioned, the dog freezes.
Pugs are known for their playful, charming nature. The American Kennel Club says that these small dogs were bred to be companions and are often described as mischievous. With their expressive faces and comical personalities, it's no wonder pugs find themselves at the center of viral moments like this.
However, disciplining a pug can be tricky. As PetPugDog.com says, traditional commands such as "No" or "Stop" may not always work due to the breed's stubborn streak. Owners are advised to use consistent verbal cues and redirection techniques, along with positive reinforcement. In this case, invoking the name of Dolly Parton might be the most-creative redirection tactic yet.
TikTok users flooded the comments with their own amused takes and similar experiences.
"Maybe he's secretly Jolene," posted Bells, in reference to the character from the Parton hit song.
"Dolly begged her not to take her man," said another user.
"i'm crying how does one figure this information out?" said Poppy.
"This is so weird because my pug stops being evil if I tell him Father Christmas is watching," shared Hannah.
"My pug's called Dolly and we always call her Dolly Parton," wrote another user.
One commenter drew a parallel to a scene from the Northern Irish sitcom Derry Girls, where characters say, "Swear! Swear on Dolly!" to prove they are telling the truth.
"Not me trying it with my American bulldog," said one user.
"Because he respects musical genius? As he should?" responded Annie.
Newsweek reached out to @harveygrady for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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