Training a dog against their natural instincts is a massive challenge. Especially when that dog was historically bred specifically to retrieve birds. Honey lives on a backyard farm, and her humans are trying to turn her into a livestock guardian dog. It is tough work over at @honeythelovelygolden.
Honey hasn’t been great with chickens in the past. But a new video shows the Golden Retriever on day three of intensive training, where she has to just hang out with baby chicks. She is a typical high-energy dog, so just lying there quietly is a very big ask.
Golden Retriever learns to be around chicks in adorable video
The clip starts with her lying on the floor. There are two tiny chicks right in front of her face. For her part, she is just letting them exist. She takes turns sniffing them very gently. “Honey did great today. Two baby chicks is a lot to handle,” her owner wrote in the caption.
And it really looks like a lot for her. At one point, the little birds are actually walking around on her back. But she continues to show immense patience. She just rests her chin on the floor while they roam around near her snout. But she is still a dog. The text on the screen says “Must…sniff…the butt” as she examines one of them. She is being extremely careful with her movements the whole time. No sudden jerks.
She seems to be thinking they aren’t so bad. Maybe just one little lick. She gives the one closest to her mouth a quick taste and smacks her lips. Even if she looks adoring, the text says she is thinking, “I don’t trust them mom.” They are kinda cute though. The chicks seem pretty relaxed, too. Until one pecks her right on the face. Honey lifts her head and just stares at the offender. She looks completely over it. “Heckin heck” appears on the screen as she glowers over them.
This Golden Retriever is trying her absolute best with the chicks in this video. It ends with the two baby birds safe between her front paws with a “Good girl Honey” text. Hundreds of people liked the video because this behavior is truly impressive for a young dog with retriever genes.
