Bringing home a new puppy usually involves a steep learning curve. From figuring out which shoes are safe to leave out to discovering their weirdest hidden quirks. And for the family over at @otisgoldenboy, that initial discovery phase included accidentally stumbling upon the world’s most sensitive funny bone. In a viral video that’s racked up nearly a million likes, we meet tiny Otis. He is an AKC Golden Retriever, who realizes he has a very specific physical reaction to being petted in just the right place.
Video shows Golden Retriever puppy making a cute face as owner finds tickle spot
As the video starts, viewers see Otis sitting sweetly on the floor. His dad is running a hand from the top of his head down to the side of his neck. Then, as the stroke finishes, Otis scrunches his tiny face into a hilarious, distorted expression. It sits somewhere between a suppressed sneeze and a very polite, silent snarl. This makes his parents crack up.
And it’s easy to see why the owner mentioned they “can’t stop watching this” on repeat. In fact, Goldens are incredibly expressive, but Otis takes it to another level by seemingly short-circuiting every time his “tickle spot” is touched.
Dad goes in for a second and third round, and each time, Otis has that same scrunchy-face reflex. It’s almost as if he’s trying to decide if he loves the sensation or if it’s just overwhelming his little senses.
Dog owners in the comments pointed out that the sensitive whiskers can often trigger this kind of reflex. While others just shared stories of their own pets having similar “buttons” that make them pull funny faces. At the end, Dad gives in and plants a kiss on the puppy’s forehead. Officially calling a truce on the tickling for the day.
Since this Golden Retriever first went viral, Otis has grown up. He even celebrated a milestone of over 75,000 followers with a dog-friendly cake. The video just shows that every dog comes with their own unique “factory settings,” and finding them is easily the best part of the journey.
