I swear our dogs absolutely know when they have stolen something really, really good. It’s when they flip to a little-known setting: Steel Jaw.
In this case, it’s Monte the golden retriever (monte_the_golden on TikTok), who nabbed a nice steak off his owner’s table in an all-too-relatable TikTok. His owner attempts with both hands to extract the meat from his mouth, but he is locked in. Not happening.
“I am a golden retriever, and in this case I retrieved the gold,” Monte’s faux-voiceover says in the video.
Haven’t we all been here before? Like, you can eventually pry a toy out of your dog’s mouth when you’re playing, but when they have something tasty? Might as well give up. Our dogs chomp down on whatever it is because they know how unlikely it is they’ll get it again. (At least that’s what I like to think.)
RELATED: Shelter Staff Gave This Senior Dog a Grand, Tear-Jerking Sendoff. Here’s Why It Was So Special
In our house, our poodle once grabbed my father’s barbecued chicken breast off the table and went Steel Jaw. He had to give up and let her eat it because he couldn’t open her mouth. (My mom and sister were no help. They just sat there and laughed.)
Anyway, back to Monte, who’s calmly—smugly?—sitting as his mom, Mandy, tries to rescue the steak. She throws in the towel quickly, and the meat disappears in a matter of seconds as Monte wolfs it down, mission accomplished.
So far, the video has earned 7.3 million views.
While the video is adorably funny, there are a few things to keep in mind if this ever happens to you. While dogs can eat beef, a piece of steak like Monte’s is quite a lot, so you’ll want to keep an eye on your dog after they eat to make sure they’re feeling OK (they might experience diarrhea or vomiting). Then, of course, you’ll want to keep the table-scrap treats to a minimum. An occasional theft like Monte’s isn’t a big deal, but too many heists can lead to problems like obesity.
If you have a consistent thief, maybe it’s time to teach a “drop it” cue so you don’t have to undertake (and lose) the tug-of-war battle.