Sometimes the biggest of dogs can be the most fearful, like this Great Pyrenees who is easily spooked by her owner.
In a viral clip shared by owner @_nothingto_seehere_, the dog can be seen trotting towards the woman behind a camera. The dog appears to be smiling but her face dramatically drops as she doesn’t recognize her owner.
The text layered over the clip explains why, it said: “The last time she saw me, I did not have my hood on.”
The change in her owner’s appearance seems to have frightened the canine who sheepishly begins to turn in the opposite direction. But then the owner shouts “It’s momma” and asks, “are you afraid of mom?” whilst laughing her head off.
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So far, the hilarious video has racked up 3 million views and over 637,000 likes, at the time of writing.
The Great Pyrenees Club of America (GPCA) describes the breed as shy, timid, reserved, confident, protective and aggressive.
The Parent Club for the Great Pyrenees breed states: “Shyness and fear are problematic traits that can lead to aggression and biting. The ‘flight or fight’ response is heightened and if the shy dog can’t escape a situation, it may respond by biting.”
To prevent these traits, the GPCA highlights the importance of socialization when a dog is 8 to 16 weeks to ensure they develop a confident temperament. This involves familiarizing them with car rides, friendly strangers, and creating plenty of positive experiences. By the time a dog is an adult, they should know what is “normal” and “not normal,” meaning they are able to distinguish when they are in danger or not. This means they can show protectiveness on territory while ignoring distractions on a walk.
The dog in the viral video doesn’t show any signs of aggression but it is clear she is scared. Her wagging tail automatically droops down, this position means the dog is “submissive and is not a threat,” according to the VCA animal hospitals.
When a tail becomes tucked tightly between the rear legs this indicates a dog is scared and is asking not to be harmed.
So far, the clip has over 1,200 comments since it was shared on August 31.
One comment has 30,200 likes, it said: “She said: stranger danger.”
“Her smile dropping when she didn’t recognize you,” laughed another.
Another pointed out: “Her tail went straight down quickkk she said wait wrong person?”
“The way I literally thought it was a polar bear at first not a dog,” said another.
Newsweek reached out to @_nothingto_seehere_ for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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