Golden retriever refuses to be petted by a mannequin

A dog thought he found a human in a department store who would give him an extra pet, but he realized his eyes were deceiving him and walked away with his paws empty.

The golden retriever spotted a “man” wearing athletic clothing, including shoes and a hat. She decided to try her luck and caught her attention with her December 19 Instagram reel posted to her account @mrs_howes.

However, what she saw was not a man, but a mannequin that looked like someone who was fondling her. She was walking down the aisle, but as soon as she spotted her shoes, she quickened her pace. She was wagging her tail excitedly while sniffing her scent intensely.

However, when the mannequin did not return the same joy he had shown, the dog became confused, refused to accept it, and jumped up and down.

The caption reads: “She loves people so much! She couldn't understand why he wouldn't pet her.”

It didn't matter how hard this dog tried to get petted by the mannequin. Nothing worked. How do I explain to her that this living object never pays attention to her?

The only way to make up for this dog is to give it extra treats and a pet when you get home.

newsweek We reached out to @mrs_howes via Instagram for additional comment.

Viewer reaction

As of Friday, Reels on Instagram had more than 894,000 views, 43,300 likes and 168 comments, but the high-profile clip led to criticism of the way dogs behaved.

“This is the most adorable thing I've seen today. She's so sweet,” one comment read.

One viewer joked: “Rude mannequin, pet the dog.” This mannequin should be fired for refusing to give affection to the dog.

A third user wrote: “If that mannequin didn't pet her right now she would scream.”

Viewers commented on what the dog must have been thinking in his head: “If they're not friends, why are they shaped like friends?”

Another added: “Does it have hands? Can you pet it?”

While the video pleased most users, some were disappointed that the owner let the dog jump up like that and soil his clothes.

“I love dogs, but it's the owner's job to not let them scratch or destroy things around them,” said one viewer.

Do you have a funny or adorable video or photo of your pet you'd like to share? Send it to life@newsweek.com with details about your best friend. If you do, they might be featured in the “Pet of the Week” lineup.