Laughter As Golden Determined To Settle in His Spot—No Matter What

Newsweek

23-04-2025

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.
A golden retriever expertly settled into the role of big brother when his owners got a new puppy—except for when it comes to sharing his favorite spot on the couch.
Erin Scanlon, 27, is the owner of two golden retrievers: Teddy, 5, and Tuffy the 5-month-old puppy, who she told Newsweek "get along super well."
"The first two, maybe three days, Teddy was a tiny bit put off by the craziness of a puppy, but it only took a few days for them to really bond."
Scanlon, who lives in Texas, drove 20 hours each way to pick Tuffy up from the same breeder they got Teddy from five years earlier, as their first dog was "an absolute dream" and "we knew we wanted to get our second pup from the same breeders."
Now, she says, the duo are "best friends" and can usually be found "cuddled up next to each other or play fighting."
But as Teddy was used to being the only dog in the house for many years, he likes things a certain way—and a video of him going to his favorite spot on the couch, not caring who got in his way, has gone viral.
Teddy the golden retriever was determined to take his spot back from his puppy sibling.
Teddy the golden retriever was determined to take his spot back from his puppy sibling.
TikTok @teddy_and_tuffy
In a clip shared to Scanlon's TikTok account @teddy_and_tuffy in April, captioned "nobody takes Teddy's spot," the puppy can be seen relaxing in a spot on the couch—but Teddy appears determined to take it from him.
The larger dog climbs over Teddy and hooks his front paws over the edge of the sofa, while Tuffy watches him, looking confused.
And then, Teddy sits down on his spot—right on top of the puppy's head.
With Teddy's intention understood loud and clear, Tuffy gets up, looking at his owner in what she described as "disbelief"—and Teddy settles down in his spot, comfortable as anything.
Scanlon explained to Newsweek: "Teddy loves his spot on the right side of the couch and Tuffy took it.
"Instead of taking another spot, Teddy shoved his way up there and pushed Tuffy out of the way to make room—and apparently assert his dominance."
TikTok users loved the sweet clip, which has been viewed more than 1.4 million times, many commenters acting out Tuffy's response, as one wrote: "He's like, 'did you see that?'"
"The look of 'are you just going to sit there and let this happen?'" another said, as one put it: "Mom! Are you going to do something or no?"
Tuffy's look of "disbelief" had TikTok users in stitches.
Tuffy's look of "disbelief" had TikTok users in stitches.
TikTok @teddy_and_tuffy
One said the "final adjustment by Teddy after he moved into his spot was priceless," as another described him as "the Sheldon of golden retrievers," referencing The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, who is adamant about having one particular spot on the sofa.
Introducing a dog to your new puppy requires a lot of time and patience to give the dogs the best chance at getting along: as puppies are still developing communication skills, they may annoy the older dog as they don't understand rules or boundaries.
Owners should first introduce the dogs in a neutral place, not inside the home where the older dog lives, and all initial interactions should be supervised, the American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends.
If the older dog is given plenty of breaks and time away from the puppy, and the puppy is taken on walks and exercised so they're not overwhelming the older dog with all that puppy energy, with time the two dogs should become good friends.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [e-mail] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.