Golden Retriever Caught Carrying Groceries From Car for Owner—'Goodest Boy'

A video has surfaced that shows a golden retriever who helps his owners carry their groceries, putting countless other dogs to shame in the process.

It's fair to say that our canine companions enjoy more than their fair share of rest. In fact, according to a study published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, some dogs are capable of sleeping up to 16 hours a day.

When they are not resting, our canine companions are likely eating, playing or going out for walks. It's a pretty charmed existence. But wouldn't it be nice if, once in a while, your dog offered to do something around the house?

That might sound like an absurd idea, but Boone, the 3-year-old pure-bred golden retriever who lives in Orlando, Florida, with his owner Yvonne Hayes and her partner is proof that, on some level at least, it might be possible.

In a video posted to Boone's TikTok account golden_boy_boone, the adorable looking pooch can be seen helping one of his human's carry the groceries in from the car.

The video has been watched over 2.4 million times and it's far from a one-off. Hayes told Newsweek Boone has been helping with the groceries for some time now and actually enjoys it.

"He has always been curious or wants to be involved in anything I'm doing," she said. "When I would get home with groceries, he always wanted to take them to carry them. So I started handing them to him and he would follow me into the kitchen and would trade him a treat for the bag."

Hayes is keen to stress that it took time for Boone to learn this particular skill. "It didn't start off successfully," she said. "We had a lot of practice."

The reason why he enjoys it, however, may have its roots in the way dogs often greet their owners by holding a toy or other random object. Speaking to PetMD, veterinary behaviorist Dr. Wailani Sung suggested the act of holding something in their mouth may be about something more basic.

"These dogs may have learned that their owners give them more attention when they hold something in their mouth, and they like the undivided attention they get when they show off their favorite toy," she said.

Boone has certainly got plenty of attention on social media, with many fellow dog owners stunned at the fact he is able to not only carry the groceries, but stay focused while doing so.

"Mine would run around the neighborhood and then eat the food," one user wrote with another commenting: "My dog is afraid of grocery bags." Several commented that he was the "goodest boy."

Boone's bag-carrying abilities may also be down to something else: breeding. Booneis pure-bred golden retriever and American Kennel Club Champion and Hayes and her partner went above and beyond to make him a part of their family.

"He is from Michigan, and we knew of his litter as he is from the same bloodline from a (now passed) family dog, Wyatt—who is Boone's grandpa," she said. "Boone came to us right at the peak of Covid in 2020, so we had to drive from Florida to Michigan and back to pick him up."

Boone isn't the first golden retriever to be helpful around the house either, although their efforts haven't always gone quite to plan.

Hayes said Boone has always been a sociable dog. "He LOVES people, if you make eye contact with him, it's over. He's wiggling and ready to say hi," she said. "He is such a mama's boy. He loves going on walks, hunting for lizards, and carrying anything and everything."

She said they shared the clip of him carrying groceries to show people how happy he is when he is carrying something.

"His whole demeanor changes and he develops this proud little prance," Hayes said. "He loves retrieving."

Boone is going to need to be extra helpful in the next few months, with Hayes currently expecting her first child in early February. "I'm sure he will want to be involved in something when the baby comes," she said. "This is our first, so Boone will have to learn to share our attention."

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