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Animals

Golden Retriever’s ‘Emotional’ Fears Have Everyone Losing It: ‘Valid’

Matthew Impelli
28/02/2026 00:00:00

From household appliances to something far more surprising, one dog’s fear list has viewers doing a double-take.

On TikTok, user @wally.meets.world shared a video of their “emotional” Golden Retriever and detailed his triggers, with small, noisy children ranking high among them. 

In the video, Wally’s owner ranks his fears from reasonable to “completely ridiculous,” beginning with common household appliances.

The vacuum cleaner earns an easy pass. It is loud and moves unpredictably, and the owner concedes that “most dogs hate it,” placing it firmly in the reasonable category. 

In the same category is the blow dryer, with Wally’s owner noting that it blasts air and makes noise, two things many dogs dislike.

Not Just Household Objects

The ranking takes a turn with French bulldogs. Not larger breeds, but small “potato-shaped” Frenchies “that are half his size.”  

Wally’s owner calls this fear “a little ridiculous,” though still somewhat defensible. 

Then come toddlers and, finally, puppies. Wally hides behind his owners whenever he spots a toddler and reacts to puppies “like they’re going to end his life,” despite being a fully grown Golden Retriever. 

“We’re working through it in therapy,” the owner jokes.

TikTok users flocked to the comments to weigh in, with one pointing out, “Toddlers are a valid fear.”

Another noted, “I’m seeing a pattern here. Wally doesn’t like any small thing that makes a lot of noise. I completely agree.” 

“I don’t blame you, Wally. I hide from babies also,” one commenter joked, while another added, “Awww Wally… You will always be the baby.”  

Dogs and Fears

This isn’t the first time a dog has attracted online attention over seemingly irrational fears.

One previous Newsweek story reported on a viral TikTok video in which a woman shared her dog’s reaction to the sound of cooking

The TikTok video shows the dog sitting with his ears pinned back, “shaking like a leaf” as he stares toward the kitchen. 

According to the text layered over the clip, the pup becomes terrified anytime someone cooks because Taylor’s mom “set the smoke detector off one time seven years ago.”

Ever since, the dog has panicked at the mere possibility of hearing the loud alarm again.

Another Newsweek article covered a dog that refused to come inside its home and hid in a bush due to its fear of flies. 

“POV: your dog is afraid of a house fly and refuses to come inside,” the owner wrote in the overlaid text.

Newsweek has reached out to @wally.meets.world for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.

by Newsweek