A new golden retriever’s favorite nap spot puzzled his owners—until an old litter photo made everything click.
After welcoming home a golden retriever puppy, Humphrey, his owner quickly noticed he kept returning to one very specific spot in the house: the narrow space beneath the TV stand, just tall enough for his tiny body to slide under. Lily told Newsweek that the habit appeared almost instantly, within the first few days of Humphrey adjusting to his new home.
In the February 16 TikTok video on the account @humphreygoldenbear, Lily revealed the moment she and her partner finally understood Humphrey’s unusual nap spot, thanks to an old photo they found. The picture showed him curled up with his littermates in a nearly identical setup, each time tucked beneath a flat surface that created a little “roof” over him. A text exchange between the couple sums up their discovery: “Makes so much more sense.”
“We made the connection as my partner went and looked at the pics of the breeders that they sent us from when he was in his litter and made the connection,” she said.
The connection made Lily cry, as it was “adorable,” but she also wondered if the spot made him feel closer to his brothers and sisters.
Lily said the pup would sleep in his cozy, makeshift cave several times a week, but the routine was short-lived. He kept at it for the first couple of weeks before Humphrey fully settled into his new home.
“It has been 3.5-4 weeks since we have had him now, so I think he’s forgotten and now sleeps more in his bed,” she said.
A Dog’s Preferred Sleeping Spot
The adorable spot Humphry picked out is not an unusual choice for canines. The American Kennel Club (AKC) explains that many dogs instinctively seek out dark, cozy spaces because it taps into their ancestral denning instinct—a behavior passed down from early canines who slept in burrows for warmth, safety and protection. A small space under furniture or blankets, or even a cave-style doggy bed, can mimic that natural den environment, helping puppies feel hidden and secure in a new home.
The AKC also notes that for young puppies, enclosed areas can replicate the comfort of sleeping pressed against their littermates. That early sense of warmth, companionship and safety is something many pups continue to seek out, even after leaving the breeder. In Humphrey’s case, settling under the TV stand may simply be his way of recreating the snug, sheltered environment he knew from his earliest days, right down to the furniture style.
Viewers React
As of Wednesday, the TikTok video had surpassed 90,000 views and 16,000 likes, with viewers both obsessing over the dog’s adorableness and understanding its behavior.
“Mine crawl under my bed. I hate it, but that’s where they love to sleep,” explained a viewer, while a second user commented: “Our yellow lab likes to belly crawl under the bed when it’s hot out. We call it his apartment.”
Another demanded, “You better raise that cabinet so he can keep sleeping under there when he gets bigger.”