Golden Retriever's Attempt to Conquer Fear of the Baby Gate Is Cuteness Overload

If you have pets at home, you already know that baby gates aren't just for human babies. No matter how much freedom you feel comfortable giving your dogs inside the house, there will still be areas you may want them to stay out of (or stay in). In our house, we have a baby gate in front of the door that leads to where we keep our kitty litter, that way our cats can jump over and use the bathroom in peace. It makes everyone happier that way.

I don't doubt plenty of dogs get a bit miffed or frustrated at the baby gates that are keeping them from exploring certain rooms in the house without supervision, but for the sweet Golden Retriever in the video below, they're bringing up a totally different emotion.

On Sunday, September 15, @tuckerbudzyn on TikTok shared this video showing just how freaked out her Golden Retriever , Tucker, is by the baby gate — so much so that he struggles even going through it!

There's just something about that gate that's telling Tucker the vibes are off, and he's not going near it. In the beginning of the video, he's just walking backward to distance himself from it, and there doesn't seem to be anything his mom can do or say to convince him that it's safe to walk past.

To Tucker's credit, he does give it a good try a couple of times — he wants to overcome his fear, but it's just too scary. Finally, his mom just took the gate down, and he was so relieved, he started celebrating, jumping up and down everywhere.

To prevent this from happening again, his mom put up a retractable fabric gate at the top of the stairs, but it was no use, since Tucker just walked right under. At least he wasn't scared of it?

How to Baby Gate Train

Tucker's fear notwithstanding, baby gates can be a great tool in keeping your home safe for your pets (and the other creatures who live there). If this seems like a solution that could work for you, there's actually a method called baby gate training that you might be interested in.

And according to the Mannerly Dog, it's not so much about training them to stay put, but to respect the boundaries that you set with them. The baby gate is just a symbol of that.

This starts with positive reinforcement. When you set up a gate and they're standing nearby without attempting to get around it, give them treats and lots of praise. You can even teach them the cue word "wait," and eventually, hearing that word means they'll respect the boundary you're setting even if there's no gate in sight.

Just don't get the scary kind of gate that Tucker's mom has obviously been buying. He's just trying to warn his family of potential threats!