Dog Waiting To Be Petted by Strangers Goes Viral: ‘Please Help’

All dogs love being cuddled. But one, in particular, can’t seem to get enough of it. In a clip that recently went viral on social media, Harley the pup can be seen begging strangers for attention even though his owner is sitting right next to him.

The hilarious post, shared on TikTok in December, under the username @johnny_bounsall, shows Harley leaning out of the car window, looking at anyone passing by, hoping that one of them would stop for a quick pat.

His owner in the background can be heard saying: “Any luck, mate? He’s desperate for a pat from a passerby.”

As a passerby walks close to their car, the poster can be heard encouraging his dog: “Ooh she looks like a dog owner. Yeah, that’s it, put on the sad face. Well done you got that down pat, haven’t you?”

As the pedestrian walks past without stopping, the poster says, “Ah, lucked out, mate! You’ll have to start learning how to drop some teardrops on another victim! Hey Harley, try being cuter mate maybe!”

Harley’s owner told Newsweek that the 2-year-old New Zealand Huntaway ended up getting no pats at all, although that’s probably because they didn’t stay for a long time.

Dogs enjoy getting love and attention from their humans because they know that’s how we show affection. According to Forever Vets, they love it so much that their brain releases oxytocin whenever we give them a hug or a pat.

However, every dog is different, and some may not like to be cuddled in a certain way or even by specific people.

Dogs generally enjoy scratches on their chest, neck, and shoulders, and around their ears or along their back, and if your furbaby rolls on his back showing its belly, he may be asking you for belly scratches!

The video received viewers from across TikTok, garnering over 501,900 views and 80,400 likes on the platform.

One user, PurplePooch, commented: “Please get a sign, I want to pat EVERY dog I see, but I don’t because it’s not safe to do so, and I don’t want to annoy other dog owners by asking.”

And gdhhbfdhjtdhjgcsgh said: “You gotta get a cardboard sign for him: ‘PLEASE HELP: In desperate need of pats. Anything you can spare.”

Greta Garbo the Calico added: “It’s sad but I was taught not to pat strange dogs without asking first. I Def would have hello tho.”

Update 1/12/24 6:02 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from the OP, and new pictures.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.