Mom's Hilarious Hack For Getting Goldens To Move on Walk Is Almost Too Easy

Walking dogs can go one of two ways: great or incredibly challenging. Golden Retrievers Sterling and Colin recently went on a walk that seemed to go well—until they decided they didn't want to go where Mom told them. So, she comes up with the perfect way to nudge them in the right direction, and all pet parents should take notes!

A September 17, 2024 TikTok video posted by @lifeofsterlingnewton shows the two Goldens digging in their heels, leaving Mom no choice but to pull the old reverse psychology card and they couldn't help themselves. Take a look at her genius method!

"Turning the tables on my stubborn Golden," the caption says as Mom tries to get the brothers to walk toward her, but it's young pup Colin that's absolutely refusing as Sterling looks on. Since he won't budge, Mom tosses the leash at him and says, "see ya, bye." Walking backward, she repeats "bye" and "see ya" as the Goldens stand firm.

Only a few seconds later, and the Goldens realize she can't leave without them! Once one pup's paws begin to move, the other follows. Her trick worked, just as she planned!

These iconic brothers with more than 1.1 million followers are known for being handsome, but little Colin keeps Mom on her toes. Many fans applaud Mom for pulling one over on him.

"Works every time!!" one person said. "100 percent Golden behavior," another wrote. "The old reverse psychology," another added, to which Mom replied, "Works like a charm."

This likely won't be the last time Colin refuses to do something or the last Mom uses her psychology hack, but hey, that's like with dogs!

Related: Golden Retriever's Excitement Over Winning Dog Competition Is the Best

When Your Dog Won't Do What You Ask

Colin is still a baby testing his limits, but some dogs are just plain stubborn when they want or don't want something. Dogster advises if you're caught in a similar situation with your dog, there are some things you can do to move things along, particularly if you're training.

Above anything else, be patient. Training can take a while. Keep using praise and positive reinforcement, and things will kick into gear eventually. Maintain consistency with things like walks so they learn to anticipate what will happen and are less likely to rebel.

If they know basic commands, reinforce those on a regular basis (again, with positive reinforcement) at home with few distractions. Once you introduce them to the real world, your goal is to make what you're offering better than what they'd rather do. In Sterling and Colin's case, they couldn't let Mom leave without them so they chose that instead of planting their feet down—it was clearly the better option!

If all else fails, try reverse psychology and see what happens. They'll figure it out!