'Good Boy' Golden Retriever Crying After Owner Leaves Home Breaks Hearts

A video of a dog letting out a "cry" after his owner leaves the house has gone viral on Instagram, where it had 113,000 views at the time of writing.

The clip was posted from the Instagram and TikTok accounts of Nash the golden retriever (known as @nashypaws on both social media networks). The dog is based in Minnesota, according to his social media profiles.

A message overlaid on the video says: "How my dog reacts when I leave the house." A voice in the clip is heard saying "don't cry" repeatedly. The dog is later seen howling while looking out a window, as a note across the clip says "his cry."

Nash's response in the viral clip is unsurprising because dogs shared an intimate bond with their owners. "This unique relationship between adult dogs and their human owners bears a remarkable resemblance to an infant attachment bond: dogs are dependent on human care and their behavior seems specifically geared to engage their owners' care-giving system," according to a May 2013 study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One.

Dogs with separation anxiety "vocalize, become destructive or eliminate," starting from either when the owners prepare to leave or shortly after their departure, veterinarians Debra Horwitz and Gary Landsberg explained in an article for VCA, one of North America's largest animal hospital chains.

"The vocalization is due to distress and may therefore consist of howling or whining," the veterinarians said.

An October 2014 study in the Vet Med (Auckl) journal found that "dogs seem to develop separation-related behavior problems if they are male, sourced from shelters or found, and separated from the litter before they are 60 days old."

"The most successful treatment for canine separation-related problems may be behavior modification that focuses on systematic desensitization and counterconditioning, which can be supplemented with medication in the initial stages," the study said.

The footage in the viral video shows the golden retriever sitting up on a couch, as a man is seen walking out of a home. He re-enters the house to give the dog a kiss on the head before closing the door shut. The dog is seen staring out the window before laying at the top of the couch with his head down. He is later seen howling, with his head turned towards the window as the clip ends.

A caption shared with the TikTok post says: "He's a good boy."

The dog's reaction has broken the hearts of users on Instagram and TikTok, with several saying they could relate to the experience.

TikTok's Underrated savage said: "I recently found out my golden is doing this when I leave," while user2077378769035 noted: "Awh mine look like that too everyday when i leave for work breaks my heart."

TikToker Koda, Kaia & Finn wrote: "Welp. I'd never leave the house again," and Kelly simply said: "Poor baby."

Heather McGraw on TikTok said: "OMG [oh my god] don't ever leave that baby alone ever again."

Over on Instagram, user peaches_thetherapygolden said: "Oh that breaks my heart!!" and user maybie_thegoldenpup wrote: "Cutest cry."

Instagram user mustika_sayang said: "Awwwwwwww...I am crying too..FLOOFER."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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