Cactus the rescue puppy has the kind of face that speaks volumes about his mood — and in a hilarious Instagram Reel, he uses it to disapprove of his owner’s sneaky trick. User @cactustherescue shared the video, which opens with the rescue puppy lounging on a low couch cushion. His ears are up and eyes locked on his dad, who crouches before him and points a finger at him, trying to trick him into receiving a paw kiss.
Rescue puppy is ‘mad’ after owner tricks him into paw kisses
In the video, the owner firmly tells the rescue puppy, “You’re not a snapping turtle, you’re a dog.” Cactus, with a serious stare, ignores him at first — until the next moment shows him snapping playfully toward his dad’s pointing finger. But the owner explains, “I was trying to give you a kiss on the paw,” as Cactus shoots him a look that could stop you in your tracks.
The onscreen caption reveals the owner’s plan: “Tricking my gullible dog into giving him a paw kiss.” And Cactus does not make it easy. Each time his owner reaches for his paw, Cactus pulls it back and “attacks” with fast, mouthy little dramatic snaps — like a puppy throwing a mini tantrum.
Then comes the genius move when his owner tells him, “I think there’s peanut butter on your paw.” Cactus pauses, just long enough for his owner to swoop in and plant a kiss on the paw and immediately burst out laughing, saying, “It worked.”
His owner follows up with a head rub and the final line that seems like the final straw for Cactus: “You’re so gullible.” And then the pup’s final side-eye draws a fanbase of its own.
In the caption, the dog dad says Cactus gets into “snappy little playful moods,” where “everything is a game,” and that checks out, because puppies and many rescues often treat hands and paws like part of play, and plenty of dogs also feel protective about someone touching their feet. Hence, Cactus acts offended, but then keeps coming back for more.
