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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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A golden retriever's earnest attempt at becoming a sheepdog has left viewers online in stitches, after a TikTok video showing his spectacular failure racked up more than 433,000 views and over 82,000 likes.
Shared by the dog's owner (@marleyanmy) on September 17, the viral clip shows the golden retriever, born in 2024 and based in New Zealand, confidently approaching a group of sheep to do what he had been trained for—herding.
However, the second part of the video reveals a very different scene. The once-bold pup is seen cowering in the corner of a field, while a sheep looms beside him, seemingly having reversed roles.
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An overlaid text on the post read: "Trained to round sheep up, the sheep round him up."
Though brief, the video struck a chord with viewers who found humor in the dramatic before-and-after.
"God forbid a professional renews his license," one viewer said.
"Hey so they're a retriever, it's quite literally in the name," another added.
"Aren't retrievers better suited [to] retrieving?" A third viewer shared.
"Bro genuinely looks terrified of his boss," another said.
"My literal sheep dog (rough collie) is at the bottom of the pecking order," another shared. "Even the chickens are the boss of him."
As the commenters pointed out, dogs of all breeds can be trained—to differing results—to perform working tasks typically reserved for specialized breeds.
In this case, the golden retriever's misadventure highlighted the gap between enthusiasm and execution, especially in the demanding work of herding livestock.
Traditionally, herding duties are carried out by breeds specifically selected for the job, such as border collies and Australian kelpies. Both are known for their intelligence, responsiveness to commands, and strong work ethic.
Golden retrievers, while intelligent and eager to please, are more commonly found retrieving game, assisting as service animals, or acting as family companions.
In this case, no harm was done—except perhaps to the dog's pride.
And as the sheep stood its ground, staring down the would-be herder, viewers online could not help but empathize with the retriever's retreat.
"Forgot to give him the manual on how to handle this," one viewer commented.
Another added: "We will try it again tomorrow, no worry, bud."
Newsweek reached out to @marleyanmy for more information via TikTok.
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