A video of a puppy’s reaction to being the only one at a training class has gone viral on TikTok, leaving people in tears.
The owner, who is known on TikTok as @juju.boo.boo, brought her puppy to a dog training class at Petco. These classes usually host up to four dogs at a time, according to the Petco website, but upon arriving, the owner found that wasn’t the case. Her 5-month-old rescue dog, Shandy, from Street Dog Hero in Bend, Oregon, was the only one in class.
The owner turned to the dog class not only for training, but also for socialization. Proper socialization for dogs includes providing positive experiences while they’re exposed to as many people, canines and situations as possible, an article from the American Kennel Club stated.
It becomes essential to give dogs confidence. They’re less likely to show nervousness or have symptoms of separation anxiety, while pups with a lack of exposure and socialization opportunities often lead to behavioral problems down the road.
But, as an August 25 TikTok video showed, sometimes classes are not what owners might expect. In the clip, which amassed over 1.4 million views as of Tuesday, Shandy looked beyond excited and prepared for her first class. She patiently waited in the dedicated training area of Petco, looking around for the others. However, no one else showed.
@juju.boo.boo/TikTok
Her ears remained pinned back as sadness took over her body. The poor pup couldn’t believe she wouldn’t be making any new friends in this session.
Trying to reassure her dog, the owner wrote in the caption: “It’s okay, Shandy, it’s not you. It’s them.”
Newsweek reached out to @juju.boo.boo via TikTok for additional comment.
Heartbroken by Shandy’s disappointment in her first class, people flooded the video with their support and hope that the trainers would give her extra love and attention.
“I used to be a trainer at PetSmart, and I too would also get sad when no one showed up to my classes,” said one viewer.
A second person wrote: “Awe, my heart. She looks like she’s so excited to play with the other pups.”
Thinking on the bright side, someone added: “Private training session! She’s gonna think her parents have moneyyyy.”
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