Dog Gets ‘Social Anxiety’ When Meeting Puppy, His Reactio...

By Lydia Patrick

Life & Trends Reporter

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A dog’s anxious reaction to a new puppy has left the internet in stitches.

TikToker @annataylorrrrrr shared a video of her 9-year-old dog reacting to his new puppy companion, and viewers couldn’t get enough. The clip has racked up over 88,000 likes and 430,000 views on TikTok.

"POV: our 9 year old dog is scared of our new puppy," poster Anna Taylor wrote in the text overlaying the video.

"He loves her he just gets social anxiety," she captioned the post.

In the video, the tiny puppy is held in her owner’s arms and brought in close to give the older dog a kiss on the forehead. Instead of leaning in, the older pup appears utterly bewildered, pulling away as if unsure what to make of the excitable newcomer.

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According to Dogs Trust, this kind of reaction is completely normal when introducing a puppy to an older dog. It recommends taking introductions slowly by swapping scents before the dogs meet, supervising early interactions and keeping each dog’s food, toys and sleeping areas separate so they feel secure during the adjustment period. A calm, gradual approach can help prevent overwhelm, especially for dogs who have been the only pet in the home for years.

The behaviour shown in the clip may also reflect genuine social anxiety. The Spruce Pets explains that socially anxious dogs might display timid behaviour such as pulling away, cowering, trembling or looking confused when approached by unfamiliar dogs.

Puppies, who often bound toward others without understanding boundaries, can easily overwhelm older pets, who prefer predictability and gentle interactions. Allowing the older dog space, monitoring their body language and giving them time to decompress can make introductions smoother.

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TikTok users immediately related to the older dog’s expression, flooding the comments with humour and empathy.

"Omg this is how our dog was and she still hasn’t fully adapted after almost a year," shared one user.

"Pet lawyer here. filing a lawsuit! unacceptable! where's the extra treatz for the anxiety?" said Raj.

"Doodles are the biggest babies, mine would be so jealous cause she’s the youngest," said Niky.

"Poodles have to be skinwalkers way to human," said one Tom.

"My mini golden doodle is the exact same way around puppies," said Emmy.

"He’s just overstimulated," added another user.

Newsweek reached out to @annataylorrrrrr for comment via TikTok.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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