Laughter as Jealous Dog Slaps Owner for Cuddling Boyfriend: 'Naughty'
A jealous dog slapping his owner for cuddling her boyfriend in the face has TikTok users in stitches.
In the video, shared on February 8 by Kendel Dunn (@kendeldunn), Nelson the Australian shepherd can be seen innocently sitting on the bed.
"Explaining to my dog that he shouldn't slap me when he gets jealous," Dunn wrote alongside the footage.
However, in the next clip, Nelson strikes Dunn in the face while she lies in bed with her boyfriend.
TikTokers found the possessive pup hilarious, with the video receiving almost 10 million views and over 2 million likes in just two days.
Why Do Dogs Hit Their Owners?
Leigh Siegfried—CEO and founder of dog-behavior trainers Opportunity Barks—told Newsweek that it's common for dogs to "paw" or smack for attention.
"In the clip, the owner gets a little nudge before he slaps her around. It's a way to get her to play," Siegfried said.
However, sometimes dogs will display guarding behaviors towards their owners, which can be a sign that the animal needs more training or leadership.
"Meaning, there's not clarity established between the dog and the handler," Siegfried said.
"You might think you're behaving neutrally, but your dog thinks, 'Wow, you need me to take care of you.'"
An example is a dog trying to break up a hug between its owner and another human, or jumping between two people on the couch.
Australian shepherds are also good guard dogs by nature, because of their intelligence and impressive herding abilities (which apparently includes corralling moose). Nevertheless, in Nelson's case, Siegfried believes that the pup just wants to play.
"As the closest, [Dunn] just happens to be on the receiving end," she added.
'An Aussie Thing'
Despite Nelson's bad behavior, TikTok users couldn't get enough of the attention-seeking Aussie.
"I wasn't expecting him to really go for it like that," commented Sarah.
"That was not a slap that was full in assault," agreed Emily Docteur.
"That was PERSONAL," wrote joeythegoldencavalier, while Carolena posted, "I knew he was gonna do it.. look at his face."
"Cute cute cute.. then... BAM," commented Archie the Airedale Terrier.
Some users shared their own 'jealous pet' stories, with Alivoa Beckim writing: "My dog does this when he wants attention."
"My Aussie does that too! We call it his bossy paw," posted Harper, while editing tingz commented: "Glad to know it's all aussies and not just mine."
"My aussie slaps my phone when I'm using it instead of petting him," wrote PrincessP.
"Me realizing this is an Aussie thing," commented Jill Chauvin. "My dog hits us all the time and never knew where it came from."
Newsweek has reached out to @kendeldunn for comment.
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