In a heartwarming display of canine friendliness, a local dog decided to pause his morning activities to greet a woman on her daily walk.
TikTok user @bodhibritt was enjoying her stroll when she noticed her neighbor’s dog excitedly sprinting towards her, tail wagging furiously. It was clear he was eager to say hello.
This spirited Labrador retriever seemingly couldn’t resist the urge to make a new friend, not even for a moment. Though the video from August 30 doesn’t reveal exactly what he had been up to, he approached with a full bag of trash clamped in his mouth.
As he bounded closer, the weight of the bag became too much; it ultimately ripped apart, scattering litter all over the street. With a soft whine, he seemed to express his frustration, but it didn’t stop him from prioritizing greetings over cleanup.
While it’s common for dogs to carry items in their mouths when greeting people, this was certainly an unusual choice. Dogs often do this to channel their excitement—often picking up toys or other small items to express their energy, a behavior known as excitement displacement.
This is their way of trying to calm down while also managing their enthusiasm for the moment.
The adorable video quickly went viral, racking up over 587,800 views, 85,800 likes, and 564 comments as of Thursday.
Commenters chimed in, with one noting, “He was doing his best,” while another playfully suggested that the dog’s love language involves gifting. A third user added, “Labs just want to be the most helpful little helpers, even when they clearly aren’t!”