A dog's reaction to being told that he is going for a walk on a cold, dark evening has left viewers online in stitches.
The dog's owner, Danny Polishchuk, was captured by his wife, Heather, attempting to get their senior dog's harness on. Despite the Yorkshire terrier and poodle mix's typically "calm" demeanor, the footage showed his owner looking nervous around him—an exaggerated hesitance that the dog's dislike of a cold walk could result in a temper tantrum. The lighthearted video has been viewed more than 1.1 million times since it was shared to TikTok on October 9 by Heather Polishchuk, under the username @heatherrose010.
"Connor is truly the love of our lives, and we travel everywhere with him—he even came to Maui, Hawaii, with us for our wedding," Polishchuk, who is based in New York City, told Newsweek. "My husband adores him, and that's just a funny, silly video.
"We never expected it to get so many views!"
Polishchuk clarified that the TikTok video had been exaggerated for comedic effect, and that in reality, Danny is quite comfortable with Connor.
"Connor is also very comfortable with him, but it was late at night and cold, so he'd rather be cozy on the couch than go for a walk outside," she said.
"We plan on making a another video like this."
Viewers of the lighthearted clip could see Danny (@dannyjokes), who is a comedian, sitting on the bed with 10-year-old Connor, a small-sized dog who appears to be quietly resting. Despite Connor's relaxed demeanor, Danny looks visibly nervous about putting a harness on him.
Polishchuk could be heard in the background encouraging her husband to go ahead, saying, "do it" and advising him not to be "scared."
An overlaid text on the video read: "My husband is still scared of our small dog."
The video has since exploded online, amassing more than 97,000 likes and sparking thousands of reactions from viewers, many of whom found humor in Danny's playful hesitation around the tiny dog, choosing to join in with the couple's fun in the comments section.
"Seems like his fear is validated," one viewer said.
Another added: "Not you gaslighting your husband. I'm here for it."
"Sorry but that made me laugh," another said.
Connor's owner says that she was "very surprised" by the global interest in their family joke.
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.
English (US) ·