Golden's Unique Way of Welcoming Owner Home Goes Viral: 'Retrieved'

Newsweek

5 days ago

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A golden retriever has gone viral for completely living up to his breed's name with the way he welcomed his owner home.
Wilson the golden is described by his owner as having a "heart of gold and a howl like Chewbacca," the Star Wars character—and both of these traits were on show in a recent video that has captured hearts across the internet.
The beloved pet has an entire TikTok account dedicated to clips of him relaxing and playing with his owners, being adorably clingy, and showing off his vocal cords with a grumbling noise that has earned him the Chewbacca nickname.
In a particularly popular video posted in July and boasting more than 2.3 million views, Wilson's owner showed how the golden greets her when she arrives home. And in this case, she "didn't even make it to the welcome mat before being retrieved."
In the video, the owner opens the front door to find Wilson standing there, tail wagging and him whimpering in excitement to see her home.
And before the owner has even said hello, Wilson has gently taken her arm in his mouth, and is full-on retrieving her, leading her into the house.
At the same time, he makes the noise that is undoubtedly his Chewbacca howl, only stopping when she is safely inside and he has let go of her arm.
Wilson's owner wrote in the caption: "He doesn't just retrieve toys—he retrieves hearts. And limbs."
TikTok users were in stitches, awarding the video more than 534,000 likes, as one delighted viewer wrote: "How did you get a domesticated Chewbacca? I WANT ONE."
Another posted, "Remain calm! You are being retrieved by your designated golden doggo," while a third commented that Wilson was scolding her: "Where the hell have you been!"
And one comment read: "Why is he Chewbacca?"
One dog owner shared that their dog does the same thing, suggesting that, when canines have "big feelings, sometimes they need to have something in their mouth to keep them grounded. My dog often chooses my arm as well."
And Wilson's owner said that is what Wilson does, calling it "displacement behavior"—and "if he doesn't have a toy then it's always an arm!"
Wilson the retriever takes his owner by the arm and leads her inside.
Wilson the retriever takes his owner by the arm and leads her inside.
TikTok @wags_with_wilson
A report on dog trainer website Surrey Canine Corner says that displacement behavior is when a canine does something that seemingly completely out of context, which can ease them when they feel tense.
These self-soothing behaviors can range from anything from sniffing the ground, turning their head away, or mouthing a toy or part of their owner's body, even when not teething.
Positive reinforcement, creating a safe space, and sticking to a consistent routine can all help a dog feel safe.
Newsweek has contacted @wags_with_wilson via TikTok for comment on this story.
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