Dog's Hilarious Expression as She Realizes Day Care Doorbell Isn't for Her

The moment a dog at day care realized that she wasn't going home yet has left people amused online.

In a video shared by @campbowwowtroy on TikTok, Dublin the dog noticed the familiar sound of the doorbell but was heartbroken to learn that it wasn't her owners arriving to collect her.

"Frequent campers recognize the doorbell and watch the cameras! Sweet Dublin was played out and ready to get her emotional support cookie and hit the road," said the caption alongside the video, which has been viewed 14 million times.

Located in Tory, Michigan, Camp Bow Wow is a boarding and day care facility for dogs that opened in 2000 and offers plenty of opportunities to play and interact with other dogs. The camp looks after pets during the day while owners work or for longer periods when they go on vacation.

During their time at day care, the dogs are in a room with a large TV screen that allows them to hear and see people arriving to collect their dogs in the reception area.

On this particular day, Dublin was clearly ready to head home and got excited when she heard the doorbell, only to realize it wasn't for her.

"We got such a huge kick out of seeing Dublin's sweet face when she realized it wasn't her turn to go home and we're glad so many millions of others are enjoying it too," Camp Bow Wow Troy told Newsweek. "Fortunately, Dublin's pet parent came just a few moments later. We showed them the video too and we're all still laughing about that look. Dublin loves to come to Camp, but when she's ready to go, she's ready to go."

Viewed 14 million times, the video has been a hit, prompting a series of reactions in the comments.

"She looked at the camera like she was in The Office," said one laughing viewer on TikTok, while another asked: "Why is she literate?"

Of course, Dublin wasn't really reading the message on the screen, but she did recognize the doorbell.

Dogs can associate sounds with certain things, thanks to classical conditioning, a type of learning that involves an association formed between two stimuli.

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus—like a sound—is paired with a stimulus that naturally elicits a response—like being collected by the owner, according to the American Kennel Club. Over time, the dog learns to pair the sound with its owner's arrival, and eventually it will become excited just from hearing the noise.

This also works the opposite way, of course. For example, if a dog hears the same sound when receiving a punishment, it will learn to associate that sound with something negative and may cower or become anxious when it hears it.

Viewers of the video of Dublin said that her reaction was pretty relatable, likening it to moments in their own lives.

Laura Nicole said: "Me watching my coworkers leave while I'm still stuck at work."

And Toretto wrote: "This is how I feel at the DMV."

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.

Update 10/19/23, 9:45 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Camp Bow Wow Troy.