Dog Has Sweetest Habit While Out on Walks With Owner: 'Green Flag'

A senior dog in Canada has found a way to let her human companion know she really likes having her around.

Sadie, who is a shorkie, a crossbreed between a shih tzu and a Yorkshire terrier, has been with her owner, Shaelyn, for eight blissful years, having narrowly avoided a potentially tricky start to life.

"A guy on a farm was going to take his pups to the shelter. She was an accidental litter," Shaelyn told Newsweek. "So when we heard that, we had to snag her up."

Sadie enjoys a pretty idyllic life in Calgary, Alberta. "She likes to go on long walks and play in the snow," Shaelyn said. "She loves the snow. She also loves to play the 'blankie game.' where I hide her toy in a blanket and she tries to get it out."

In recent times, however, Sadie and Shaelyn's long walks together have been punctuated by something a little unusual. "I first noticed that within the last couple years," Shaelyn said.

Almost every time they go for a walk now, Sadie will make a point of continually looking back at her human friend.

"She's always kind of looked back here and there, but it has become more consistent," Shaelyn said. "Now, she is constantly looking back. I think she likes to make sure she's still being followed."

This kind of behavior suggests a clear bond between Sadie and her owner. That's not necessarily a surprise, though, given the body of evidence highlighting how dogs often have a positive emotional reaction to their paw-rents.

In 2022, a study published in the journal Current Biology found that dogs are capable of crying tears of joy when reunited with their owners.

Researchers measured tear volume in a group of dogs before and after reunions with owners and familiar nonowners. They found that the tear volume increased significantly during the reunions with their owners but not when they were with a familiar nonowner.

Sadie's response in the footage may not be as visibly emotional as this, but it's clear she cares and feels a sense of attachment to her human friend.

"She definitely doesn't like being away from her humans," Shaelyn said. "She basically will follow you wherever you go."

This is something Shaelyn is eager to celebrate, posting footage of Sadie continually looking back on TikTok, under the handle Sadiebeardontcare, alongside a caption explaining to viewers: "Sadie's green flag is that she always has to look back when she's walking to make sure you're following her."

In the clip, she can be seen walking along in the snow on a leash and turning back now and then to check that her owner is still there.

The footage resonated with many animal lovers.

"Awww love that," one wrote. Another said that their dog "does the same thing."

A third said they "love it when they look back," while a fourth said simply: "She loves her mom."

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