When you think of a judgmental pet, you may picture a cat looking at you with a disgusted face, but one social media user has shown that dogs can be critical too.
On April 29, TikTok user @tonysimpsongolden posted a video of Tony, a golden retriever in London, "looking down" at dogs misbehaving on TV.
"Tony's current favorite pastime: looking down his nose at the dogs on 'Dogs behaving very badly," the poster wrote in text that appears in the video, adding in the post's caption, "Kids these days."
A study carried out by researchers from Kyoto University in Japan found that dogs can be judgmental, especially when it comes to humans, and prefer people who are more able to fulfill tasks for them. This theory is true for female dogs, as males in the study were found to be less judgmental.
During the study, researchers showed dogs two different people—one "competent" and one "incompetent"—trying to open a food container and found that female dogs were more likely to approach the "competent" person, disregarding the person who struggled to remove the container's lid.
The findings suggest female dogs make conscious decisions about whom to approach when they are in need.
The poster told Newsweek Tony is a typical 2-year-old golden retriever who loves people and is cuddly.
She added, "He sleeps most of the day or stares out of the window but turns into a bat out of hell as soon as he is out in the open."
@tonysimpsongolden Kids these days 🙄 #fyp #goldenretrieverpuppy #goldenretrievermums #dogmumlife #dogs #dogsoftiktok #goldens #dogmumthings #dogsoftiktokviral #dogmum #tiktokgoldenretriever #goldensoftiktok #goldenretrieveroftheday #dogmumhacks #dogmumsoftiktok @Dogs Behaving Very Badly
♬ original sound - Tony Simpson
The TikTok video of Tony has received more than 7,500 views and 745 likes on the platform, and users have commented about their dogs' responses while watching the reality show "Dogs Behaving Very Badly."
One commenter wrote: "My golden does the same! Has he watched the episode with the retriever who kept running off? He was in disbelief."
"I admit ... My smugness knows no bounds when it comes [to watching] that programme," another added.
"I can't watch it mine just barks constantly at TV," a user said.
"Mine does now! Tho 2 weeks ago, when mummy cried walking him due to his barking, he saw it as a training program on how to be a twit," a commenter added.
Another wrote: "Mine actually behave when this is on haha."
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.
About the writer
Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Lifestyle Reporter based in London. Her focus is reporting on lifestyle and trends-related stories, ... Read more
