Dogs and the mailpeople have always had a history. And for a dog that spent his early days surviving the California desert, every new face can feel like a bit of a panic attack. Cactus, the sweet rescue puppy at @cactustherescue, used to get worked up anytime there was someone at the door.
So his dad, Michael Henry, decided to do something about it. He seems to know that while Cactus is still “figuring it out” with his big bro Miso, some strangers are just scarier than others. In a new video, we see this brave puppy decide to stop barking and start sniffing.
Rescue puppy faces his fears in adorable video
The video starts with Cactus looking pretty apprehensive. He’s standing just inside the house, eyeing the open door with that “should I stay or should I go?” look. Michael is right there filming, offering a soothing “come here, it’s okay.” You can see Cactus wagging his tail — not necessarily out of excitement yet, but because he trusts his dad’s voice.
Even though he’s technically a rescue, he still has those sensitive puppy tendencies that make him want to hide behind a human’s leg. Michael decided it was finally time for a proper introduction to help ease the tension. He opened the mesh door and explained to the delivery person that Cactus is usually terrified of her.
Luckily, she was absolutely awesome about it. She reached out a hand for a polite sniff and told him how beautiful he was, which, honestly, he is. “Cactus gets worked up when anyone he doesn’t know shows up to the house,” Michael shared, noting that this was a major first step toward ending the daily stress.
We see in real time, as the “scary” mailperson completely wins him over with a promise of future treats. With nearly 70,000 likes, it’s clear the internet is rooting for Cactus. One viewer even mentioned they’d visit him every day if they were on that route. Now that the mystery has been solved, Cactus might actually start looking forward to those Amazon packages.
