Labrador Puppy That Hates Kisses From Owners Sparks Debate: 'Very Sad'

A woman kissing a puppy who "doesn't like kisses" has divided the internet.

Over one million people have watched the viral video posted by @carrilyne on TikTok.

The four-month-old black Labrador called Kimi can be seen barking and growling when Carrilyne attempts to kiss her.

Newsweek spoke to a dog behaviorist, who described the video, which has more than 155,000 likes, as "very sad".

"The puppy is showing clear signals they're not comfortable. It's such a shame the owner isn't reading the puppies' cues and pushing the interaction," said Jacqui Zakar.

"At such a young age a puppy is in their critical phase of development. Everything they experience at this age is teaching them about the world. What is safe and what is not?

"In this interaction, the puppy is learning their discomfort will be ignored and their owner will not advocate for them.

"It's not a given that a puppy will enjoy affection, being picked up, etc. Or that sometimes they welcome it and sometimes they don't. What we need to do is allow a puppy to 'consent'. Kneel down and see if the pup approaches, do they look up to you with a soft gaze, do they keep doing that when you pat them, or do they turn away?"

The owner of Dog Sense Training and Behaviour based in Perth, Australia has pointed out puppy cues that indicate they want the interaction to stop.

"This puppy's communication is being ignored. The puppy asks for space with a growl and snap, that communication is ignored, the puppy shows numerous cues such as:

• Stiff body language
• Tongue flicks
• Whites of the eyes
• Turning head away
• Closed mouth
• Freeze

"What makes me the saddest is when the other person says "oh you better do it all the more now", and later the owner says 'she's accepting it, where the puppy is learning that nothing works so they start shutting down and could very likely 'really' bite the next time it happens."

It seems other TikTok users agree, one person said: "[You] shouldn't have a dog if you're acting like that with her."

Another person asked: "if he doesn't like it, why are you continuing to do it?"

Speaking from experience, another user said: "My pup was like this, she growled when I hugged her, she's nearly one now and she's the most loving dog there is."

"These comments! My dog hates cuddling and kisses too. But he's well-behaved aside from that! This doesn't mean she's gonna grow up to be viscous!" wrote another.

Newsweek reached out to @carrilyne for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.