Laughter at How Golden Retriever Gets off the Couch: 'The Only Way'

Dec 12, 2023

A video of the way in which a golden-retriever puppy decided to get off the couch has left TikTok users in stitches.

The clip, with more than 3 million views and posted under the username 3goldens1heart, shows Gus as he "slides" off the couch, much to the amusement of owner Kayla. The caption reads: "Now this is the only way he gets off. It's the slide of nothing."

Ten-month-old Gus lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with Kayla and his two canine siblings, Flynn and Libby.

"The first time I saw him slide off, I thought it was hilarious," Kayla told Newsweek. "I was standing right there and so happened to have my phone with me to capture the video."

The golden retriever is ranked by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as the third-most popular dog breed in the U.S.

First seen at a British dog show in 1908, golden retrievers were brought to America by way of Canada around this time. They were recognized as a breed by the AKC in 1925. Sport hunters were drawn to the agile nature of the dogs, while others fell for their sweet temperament and flowing golden coat.

The popularity of the breed in the U.S. really took off in the 1970s when President Gerald Ford's golden retriever Liberty became famous.

Today, the breed is loved for its joyous and playful approach to life and energetic nature. Affectionate, good with other dogs and children, they make a great family pet.

Thousands of commenters on the TikTok video thought that Gus' slide was hilarious as people rushed to share their reactions.

"The flop and everything—he has fully committed to that move," wrote one viewer, while another TikTok user posted that it was like: "Me getting out of bed for school."

"That's how I get out of bed every day," commented another TikTok user.

Since the first slide-move, Gus has taken to using this tactic to get off the couch every time. "He started doing this about 4 months ago," Kayla said. "I'm not entirely sure why he does it. He jumps up onto the couch but slides off when he's sleepy."

Kayla often shares content on TikTok featuring her three golden retrievers and now has over 15,000 followers, but she was still surprised by the reaction to Gus' sliding video.

"I did not expect it to go viral the way that it did," Kayla said. "I didn't expect my account to grow as much as it did from one video either—I'm pretty new to TikTok, so it's really exciting to see my content reach as many people as it did in such a short amount of time.

"I hope that my content continues to make people smile, and that I can continue to build a community on my social-media accounts," Kayla added.

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