A golden retriever’s possessive moment has gone viral on TikTok after the dog tried to shove his way into his owner’s cuddle session.
The clip, shared by owner Kayla (@kayla_michelle62), shows her gently stroking her dog Berkley when her second golden retriever, Finn, suddenly appears and nudges her hand away in an obvious bid for attention.
The text layered over reads “When you’re giving your first dog attention and the second one notices,” a sentiment that resonated deeply with viewers—earning the video nearly 700,000 likes and 3.6 million views.
Kayla captioned it perfectly: “God gave me two hands for a reason.”
Can Dogs Get Jealous?
But this isn’t just cute behavior—science suggests there’s something deeper going on.
A 2021 study from the University of Auckland, published in Psychological Science, found that dogs may genuinely experience jealousy. Researchers observed 18 dogs as their owners interacted with a realistic fake dog both in plain sight and behind a barrier.
Even when dogs couldn’t see the interaction, they strained toward their owners with the same intensity, implying they could imagine what was happening.
The dogs showed far less reaction when the owner interacted with an inanimate fleece cylinder, indicating their responses were tied specifically to social rivals.
The study identified three key signatures of jealousy: it appeared only toward a perceived rival, was triggered by the owner-rival interaction rather than simple presence, and occurred even when the interaction was out of sight.
TikTok Reacts
Viewers flooded the comments, with the January 23 video drawing more than 800 responses.
“This is one of the most annoying traits dogs have [in my opinion],” one user wrote.
Kayla wrote back: “Personally I find the barking at nothing way more annoying.”
Another commenter shared: “When my fiancé and I kiss each other, our dog comes up and starts trying to join in on the kiss.”
“This is my dog when I’m giving my husband attention and not him,” someone else added.
According to the American Kennel Club, veterinary behaviorist Dr. Sagi Denenberg says attention‑seeking is a perfectly normal part of canine instinct, and owners shouldn’t expect to eliminate these behaviors entirely. Barking, pawing or nudging for affection can’t be stopped completely—but you can teach your dog when it is and isn’t appropriate to use these behaviors.
Denenberg advises that prevention starts with meeting all of your dog’s needs, including giving them enough positive attention from day one.
By ensuring your dog feels secure and fulfilled, you can reduce excessive attention‑seeking and help them develop healthier ways to communicate.
Newsweek reached out to @kayla_michelle62 for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.