Laughter as Overexcited Dog Accidentally Scares Away Friends at the Park

They say that first impressions last a lifetime, which may be why one small dog that comes off a little too strong has such a hard time making new friends.

After Wilee dragged his owner to the dog park one evening, he might have hoped to meet some new friends he could play with. But things didn't quite go that way. In his desperation to play, Wilee "tried to recruit friends to come in but accidentally scared them away," according to his owner.

Poor Wilee looked defeated after struggling to make some new buddies because he "came off too strong."

The clip was posted on his dedicated TikTok account (@wileefam) in August, and it's been viewed more than 172,000 times and received over 26,000 likes.

Wilee's behavior certainly isn't unique. The American Kennel Club (AKC) says that dogs can often become overstimulated and desperate to greet their compatriots. Dogs who behave like this will usually become calmer once they've said hello, but they don't always get that far because their initial eagerness puts off some dogs that don't like all the excitement.

The AKC recommends trying to counter-condition any dog that gets too worked up by rewarding it when it stays calm or doesn't react. Showing the dog that this desired behavior will result in treats can often help to resolve the problem.

Praising and nurturing any alternative response is the best way to discourage a heightened reaction to other dogs. The AKC suggests that this may include sitting still, observing the other dog without barking, looking at its owner or sniffing the ground. As soon as the dog behaves correctly, it should be rewarded without hesitation.

The caption alongside the video explains that Wilee "got too happy and zoomied a little too much" when he saw a potential friend.

Although Wilee's efforts to make a new friend go on, his owner is happy to offer him some advice about what he could do better next time. She instructed Wilee to "be smoother next time" rather than immediately scaring away the other dogs.

Even though Wilee may not have made any new friends yet at the park, he's gained plenty of new followers online after going viral on TikTok. Many commenters were quick to praise his valiant effort to make new friends, with some dog owners saying their pet has the same problem.

One comment reads: "Okay but he looks so proud of himself."

Another person wrote: "Aww, you tried buddy! You got this, I have faith in your ability to make friends."

"The pit genes are strong. Mine is also a victim of her own excitement," responded another TikTok user.

Newsweek reached out to @wileefam via TikTok for comment and could not verify the details of the case.

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