Dog owner has the funniest trick to get his Golden Retriever using a harness leash
Atlanta, Georgia - Most dogs can't wait for their next walk! Not Moose the Golden Retriever, though, and it's because he's not feeling the new leash. Here's how his owners tried to fix that.
Moose was asked to put on a harness, which he instantly hated. Then his owner got a clever idea...
The clip has been going viral on Instagram since the beginning of this week, showing the Golden Retriever sitting at home – notably harness-less.
His owner then employs a psychological trick: he simply puts the harness on a large stuffed dog and walks it to the front door!
Moose is immediately confused and follows his dad curiously, but the man asks his furry friend to stay in the house because he is now going out with the stuffed dog.
Reverse psychology at its best with a splash of jealousy. The ruse is perfect.
Moose runs up and down, not knowing what is going on. As he knows that his mom is filming him, the dog also looks questioningly in her direction.
Then comes part two of the mind games!
Viral Instagram video shows dog dad's funny trick
After a while, Moose's dad comes back into the house and dares to pet the "well-behaved" toy dog instead of his real pup.
At this point, Moose is already ready to prove himself with the harness, so his owner puts it on him without any problems – and off he goes!
"All it took was pretending the stuffed dog was going for a walk... and suddenly the harness didn't seem so bad," the man happily comments in the video's caption.
According to his owners, Moose was born at the end of November 2024. Maybe his distaste for the harness was some teenage rebellion?
Another video of the dog with his mom shows an alternative method of getting him to wear the harness – apparently, a single piece of kibble does the trick!
"I do not have his Dad’s patience for a stuffed dog theatrical production," the dog mom wrote. "Kibble it is."
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@asillygoldenmoose