Note to all dog sitters—make sure you ask the pet parent for their dog’s release word beforehand.
Willow the very respectful golden retriever has gone viral on TikTok—hitting over 970,000 likes and 5.2 million views. The pup’s dog sitter (livcc2 on TikTok) filmed the hit video, recording Willow patiently waiting to eat from her slow feeder as the humans try in vain to figure our her mystery release word.
The video starts with Willow sitting adorably in front of her food bowl, gazing at her sitter behind the camera, waiting to be released to eat. The AKC defines a release word as “a word that tells your dog he is allowed to move,” or in this case, allowed to eat. The pup appears to be well trained in her special word—as she sits and waits while her confused dog sitters try to figure out just what the magic word could be.
Throughout the video, Willow’s dog sitters spew out a bunch of different guesses. They try “Yes. Willow. OK. Eat,” in succession, but Willow continues to sit and patiently wait.
The video lasts 32 seconds—with Willow and her dog sitters both seemingly confused throughout. After many word-guess attempts, the good girl is drooling—her tempting bowl of food sitting right there in front of her. Even so, the obedient pooch doesn’t budge.
In the background, the second dog sitter is trying to make a phone call, presumably, to Willow’s owner. She fails to pick up.
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By the end of the TikTok, the second dog sitter points to the pup’s food, showing her she can start eating it. While an abrupt end to the video, it seems this trick worked as Willow finally leans over her food right as the video stops.
If only we all could have the same level of patience as Willow.