Dog sitting can be a total breeze with some pups, but internet users have been left in hysterics after seeing what one pair of dog "grandparents" had to put up with.
A video of Loki the golden retriever was shared on his dedicated TikTok page (@goldenlifeofloki) showing what the reality of a muddy dog walk is like. Loki can be seen crawling through thick mud, trying to turn his golden coat into a muddy brown.
Although Loki's owners hoped he would be on his best behavior while he was with his grandparents, the "granddog" seemed intent on causing mischief. Since the video was posted on July 4, it has already been viewed by more than 3 million people and received over 101,800 likes.
Many owners will be familiar with the horrifying sight of their dog rolling in dirt, or worse. No matter how many baths you give them, with even the most expensive dog shampoo, their fur can sometimes still look filthy.
While owners are often left watching from afar in disgust, most dogs love rolling around in the dirt and will rarely pass up the opportunity to do so. The American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests that one of the most popular explanations for this behavior is that it allows dogs to cover up their scent and to hide from predators or prey.
Scent rolling is a common behavior for wolves when they are hunting, and though domestic dogs rarely chase after anything other than a ball, this seems to be an instinctive behavior for them.
An alternative theory the AKC writes about is that wolves roll on things that they find interesting, for example, the carcass of an animal, and in doing so can take the scent back to their pack.
When Loki's grandparents were asked to care for the pup, they were assured that "he is well behaved and has good manners," but they might question that description following his antics.
Alongside the hilarious video of Loki caking himself in mud, his owner jokingly wrote: "sorry mom" in the caption.
Among the hundreds of comments that the TikTok post has received, many fellow retriever owners shared similar experiences.
One comment reads: "rarely is even the best golden well behaved round mud, water and other animals. It was plat time!"
Another person wrote: "Just needed a little mud bath to get that natural glow."
"No need to be sorry, that's just what happens at grandma and grandpa's house," commented a different TikTok user.
Newsweek reached out to @goldenlifeofloki via email for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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