Golden Retriever Puppy Insists on Walking Himself Home and We're Obsessed with His Confidence
Puppies are always eager to explore the world, but some, right from the start, take their independence very seriously and want to prove to the world they can do anything they set their mind do. In a dog, when confidence meets cuteness, it's game over for our hearts.
In an adorable video, we meet a Golden Retriever puppy who decides he's more than capable of taking the reins after their evening walk. He's got the confidence of someone who's been on this planet for far longer than just a few weeks, and we're in love. Take a look.
On May 14, 2025, Reddit user Exact_Rate_6661 posted a video in r/goldenretrievers of their tiny Golden Retriever puppy and it might be one of the cutest clips we've seen.
In the video we meet a small pup who is very much in charge of his life, and his parents. He doesn't care that he's been on the planet for a short amount of time because when he wants something, he knows how to get it and doesn't hesitate.
It's dark outside and he's probably getting very sleepy, given how much energy we're watching him expel in this video. He grabs his blue lead from his parent's hands and decides to walk himself home.
With his tail wagging and his mouth proudly holding his own lead, he trots along like a seasoned pro. It's equal parts adorable and impressive.In the comments, many Reddit users chimed in with some thoughts on this adorable Golden Retriever, and had only the most kind words to say.
One person wrote, 'Many puppies do this. He's very young. I predict this behaviour will change. You won't be able to get him home in a few weeks when he's a bit older and more interested in the outside world and abundant smells. Cheers.'
Another shared, 'He thinks he's walking you home.'
Someone else added, 'They are all the same haha my 8mo old will still try to do this.'
One joked, 'Look at me - I am the leash owner now!'
Other comments included, 'Aww, I miss when my girl was that little and did that,' 'He's a strong independent floof that doesn't need no hooman to lead him,' 'C'mon hooman,' 'Just a big boi doing big boi things,' and 'My guy did this too when he was little. I use a belt leash, so I imagine in his mind this was him walking me.'
One user offered some advice, writing, 'They may grow out of it, and they may not. My dog pulls on his leash at 8 from the point we put in on until we get to the driveway, and then it's not stop sniffs for however long the walk is. It's never too early to start the 'hey don't chew that behaviors.' My dog prefers the nononono in a soft voice approach to that.'
There's no convincing us that after this walk and his overpouring confidence that this Golden Retriever puppy didn't have the restful sleep. We hope so, at least.
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Golden Retriever Puppy Insists on Walking Himself Home and We're Obsessed with His Confidence first appeared on Parade Pets on May 23, 2025
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Even still, my fight or flight response kicks in when I see a mascot or something similar." "Cats! For as long as I can remember, they've always given me the heebie-jeebies. I get along fine with kittens, but larger cats…nope! I know some people who absolutely adore their cats, and I understand why. They're lovable animals. That's why I don't talk about my phobia much. If someone asks whether I'm a dog or cat person, I always say dog and rarely explain why I don't like cats. Most people don't realize how deeply terrified I am of them. Everything about cats scares me — how soft they are, their hissing, the way they slither against you, even the sounds they make. Whenever I'm around one, my heart rate skyrockets within seconds. I often just hope and pray that it doesn't come near me, fearing it will pick up on my anxiety and approach for that very reason. Internally, it's much worse than I let on. I struggle with this fear and always have, far more than anyone might realize from the outside." "Mirrors at night. I cannot have mirrors in my bedroom for this reason." "I'm not sure I'd call it a phobia, but wind turbines really freak me out. I get a sense of impending doom the closer I get to one, and I get a cold shiver down my back. I have no idea why." "Driving. I don't know what it is, but every time I try, I am guaranteed to have a full-on fight or flight meltdown where I'm sobbing and feel like I can't breathe. It just feels like TOO MUCH and TOO FAST. I don't know what to focus on, but you have to focus on EVERYTHING. I can't tell if I'm too far over in the lane. I have to focus on that while focusing on speed, if someone is trying to merge, if I'm trying to merge, when I need to slow down, if someone else is driving unsafe nearby, if a person is walking in front of my car in a parking lot, or if someone is crossing the street when they shouldn't be. Then I have to make sure I don't lose focus on literally everything and space out while driving a death trap on wheels." "Emery boards. I assume it started as a texture thing (there are a lot of things I can't touch, like pottery) and progressed. Folks think it's hilarious. I've had folks leave them lying on work keyboards or taped to gifts. It's embarrassing because I know how irrational it is." "I have a huge phobia of getting my blood drawn. Needles don't necessarily bother me, as I have eight piercings and have no issue getting shots, but the idea of a needle going into my vein and taking my blood makes me faint." "Chalk. I can't stand the feeling, the texture, the dust, or the sound of it being used. I can't touch it or be near it." "Driving through a car wash. I'll be a passenger, but being the one to drive through it causes panic." "Revolving doors and getting trapped or otherwise injured while travelling through one. Like, what if the bag I'm rolling through gets sucked under and then I fall and it squishes half my body? Or my coat/sweater/shirt gets trapped in the side, and I slowly get run over by the side of the door? Or it comes up too quickly behind me, hits me in the back, and I fall? Etc., etc., etc." And: "I am genuinely terrified of shower drains. I don't know if it's an established, known phobia, but they're horrifying. I always feel like if I look down one, there will be an eye staring back at me. They make me so paranoid." Do you have an extreme yet uncommon phobia? Tell us about it in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
