Hysterics Over Senior Labrador's Reaction to Puppy—'Not Today Thank You'

Newsweek

2 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
People often share videos of their resident dog meeting the puppy they brought home, often leading to the cutest reactions. But that wasn't the case for senior canine Libby, who was thoroughly unimpressed by her puppy brother and refused to acknowledge the small bundle of energy.
For many years, Sarah McHale and her partner, Steven, had their hands full with Bailey, Coco, and Libby the Labrador retrievers. The trio were the best of friends and lived such full and joyous lives.
Unfortunately, Coco sadly had to be put down in November 2022, closely followed by Bailey in January 2023. Age caught up with them, and McHale, 31, from the U.K., told Newsweek that they "said goodbye as a family," so that Libby could be with her siblings until the end.
Bailey, Coco, and Libby (center) pictured laying together on the grass.
Bailey, Coco, and Libby (center) pictured laying together on the grass.
@the.healthy.pup / TikTok
"Libby went a little bit within herself after that; she was very clingy and just had big, sad eyes," McHale said.
In the months that followed, McHale and her partner deliberated getting another dog to keep Libby company. Although she was in her senior years, she had spent her whole life with siblings. The couple certainly didn't want her to feel put out by an energetic puppy, but it was clear that she had lost her spark when her brothers passed.
"We had to consider Libby's age as she was slowing down, so the last thing we wanted was her to feel replaced. We considered rescuing an older dog, but I thought it brought extra worries coming into Libby's home. The idea of having a puppy was to bring our family together and make it full of adventure and love," McHale continued.
On October 1, 2022, they brought home Loki, an 8-week-old Labrador retriever.
From left: Sarah McHale holds Loki as a puppy; and the brown dog stands with Libby during a walk.
From left: Sarah McHale holds Loki as a puppy; and the brown dog stands with Libby during a walk.
@the.healthy.pup / TikTok
When Libby was introduced to her new brother, McHale might have hoped for a positive, and perhaps even-excitable, reaction. However, the reality couldn't have been more different.
Libby hilariously refused even to look at Loki and simply demanded more scratches from her human instead.
McHale captured a video of the first encounter and couldn't resist sharing it on TikTok (@the.healthy.pup) as a throwback. Internet users have lauded her underwhelmed reaction, leading to more than 441,700 views and over 17,100 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Thankfully, after a few hours, Libby was ready to accept the new addition. She was patient and nurturing toward Loki. McHale said that they quickly became "the best of friends."
She continued: "I initially thought when she went to Steven that we shouldn't have brought a puppy home, but she warmed to him and he injected so much life into her. She came to life and played with her toys again. Within days, they were playing tug-of-war and snuggling up together."
From left: Sarah McHale pets Loki and pushes Libby in a buggy outside; and the two dogs sleep side by side.
From left: Sarah McHale pets Loki and pushes Libby in a buggy outside; and the two dogs sleep side by side.
@the.healthy.pup / TikTok
Libby and Loki got to spend two wonderful years together, until it was time to say goodbye in July 2024. Libby lived to the age of 15, and, in her final days, she was surrounded by her family and canine friends.
McHale wasn't sure how Loki would react when the vet arrived to put Libby to sleep, but he seemed to understand and sat between his owners as they said goodbye.
"Libby had her head in Steven's lap and her paw in my hand. Loki was a good boy and caught all my tears as Libby went to meet her brothers at the rainbow bridge. She wagged her tail right until the very end," McHale said.
They may have got off to a rocky start, but Loki and Libby became inseparable. Losing her has been hard for Loki, who doesn't seem to play with other dogs as much, and just prefers to be with his owners instead.
Loki often sits looking out of the window, and McHale wonders if he is waiting for Libby.
Loki and Libby sleep together in their dog beds.
Loki and Libby sleep together in their dog beds.
@the.healthy.pup / TikTok
Loki's owners ensure that his life is still so full of love by taking him on day trips and hosting parties with his other canine friends.
After the video of Libby and Loki's first meeting went viral, plenty of TikTok users have taken to the comments section to laud her nonchalant reaction.
One comment reads: "Not the emotional support slipper."
Another TikTok user wrote: "Aw bless her, she's like 'not today thank you'."
A third person joked: "But it's not a slipper."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to [e-mail] and they could appear on our site.