A black Labrador retriever has melted hearts on TikTok after hilariously refusing to get back into the car following a stay at what his owners jokingly described as his grandparents’ “5 star all inclusive resort.”
The clip, posted by user @herbthespringador, showed the moment Herb the dog stood, sat and ran around the driveway, clearly reluctant to go home.
The text overlay read: “Trying to get the dog back in the car after being at grandma and grandad’s 5 star all inclusive resort.”
The relatable scenario struck a chord with pet owners, racking up over 409,000 views, more than 32,000 likes and hundreds of comments from fellow animal lovers sharing their own experiences.
Pet Owners Relate
Viewers flooded the comments section with stories of their pampered pets being spoiled by grandparents—and then refusing to leave.
One user, Kibbix, said: “Facts. Mine wanted nothing to do with me after my dad made him 3 a.m. biscuits and gravy.”
Mary Kay said: “Anytime we leave someone’s house it’s an immediate hide in the bushes or lay on the ground.”
It isn’t just dogs refusing to leave the comfort of the grandparents’ house, either. One commenter said: “My cats never want to leave my parents house because they have a catio and we don’t.”
Doggy grandparents chimed in too, sharing stories of spoiling their children’s pets.
“Our furball grandchild sleeps on our bed, shares breakfast in bed with me and gets a roast Sunday lunch. [He] never wants to go home,” wrote one viewer. Another posted: “That is so accurate my four-legged granddaughter retriever does this every Monday when my daughter comes to collect her.”
The age-old idea of being spoiled by grandparents usually relates to children, but a 2025 report by the Association for Psychological Science revealed that many pet owners now treat their dogs similarly to children. The study found that in surveys across multiple countries, a notable share of respondents described their canines as “furry kids,” with some even saying their pet is more important than many human relationships.
A 2024 survey found that people are increasingly seeing their pets as children. Of Gen Zers in the U.S. and Canada, 38 percent said they would prioritize starting a family over raising a pet.
Herb isn’t the first dog to refuse to leave after a great trip to the grandparents’ either. Earlier this year, 2-year-old rottweiler Marley melted hearts when he made himself “100 times heavier” as his owners tried to get him to leave the house.
Newsweek reached out to @herbthespringador via TikTok for comment.