One pup’s reaction to having a doggy door installed in her home has left the internet in stitches this week.
In a viral video shared on Reddit, user u/GoldenAntHills shared the moment their golden retriever used the mini-door for the first time, and said “she was so excited.”
Doggy doors are designed to allow your four-legged friend to come and go indoors and outside without you having to get up every time.
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The dog owner wrote that installing the door was “one of the best ideas ever,” as the pup ran excited in and out of the door over and over again.
“Dog doors can be great if you want your dog to have the freedom to have access to a secure garden or space,” Owner and founder of Best Behavior Dog Training Zoe Willingham, based in England, told Newsweek. “This means they can toilet when they need to and have more freedom. However, they are not for every dog, particularly if you have a dog that barks at everything or a garden that is not secure.”
In the video that has over 15,000 upvotes, the dog put in a few well-placed happy spins while rushing through the door to see each owner.
Not every dog takes to the dog door quite as quickly as this pup. Earlier this year a dog refusing to use the custom-built door left the internet in stitches, while in 2022, one pup was left a little baffled by the whole concept.
But are doggy doors always a good idea for our canine friends? Dog training and behavior specialist with The Pet Coach, Petrina Firth, said there are a few considerations to make before installing your own.
“Care should be taken that your dog is not one who loves to go out in the garden and bark, dig or eat plants they shouldn’t, getting up to no good,” Firth told Newsweek.
Other considerations when installing a doggy door include thinking about security. Doggy doors by their nature are a lot larger than a cat flap, and can make burglaries easier if not properly secured.
“Being able to lock it from the inside when you leave the house would be something I’d want to prevent burglaries. If a golden retriever can get through the door happily, so can most humans,” said Firth. “And of course, raccoons and possums can also get in your house via a dog door.”
Online, people were thrilled by the dog’s reaction to the door and left their reactions in the comments.
“Best thing I’ve seen today,” said one commenter, while another wrote: “The pure unadulterated joy on her face!!! She literally can’t contain her excitement and I love it!”
“Having the time of her life!” noted another. One Redditor said that: “Happy dogs are the best dogs.”
“The dog looks excited, and pretty ‘high,'” said Firth. “I think the owners are making the event highly exciting and reinforcing for the dog. The dog probably has what we call zoomies—where they’re so excited they don’t know what to do with themselves.”
Newsweek reached out to u/GoldenAntHills for comment.
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