Hearts have melted over a canine who failed his guide dog assessment years ago still unable to help himself from wanting to lead.
Labradors and golden retrievers are often the most common dog breeds that become guides. However, not all dogs who start training to become guide dogs make it through the entire process and get hired. An article from New Scientist reported that 70 percent of dogs that enter guide dog training will successfully complete the program.
Those who don’t complete the training might be turned away because of their health, skills, behavior or overall trainability. These canines who don’t get hired are often called “career change” dogs and can be adopted by the general public.
TikTok user @izzyalice3’s dog, Joey, went through training to become a guide dog about six years ago. But like many dogs, he “failed” his assessments and didn’t become a certified guide dog. That setback hasn’t stopped him, however.
With the skills he learned during guide dog training, Joey continues to implement in his daily life. A September 22 TikTok video showed just one example of Joey still wanting to guide. The owner walked inside to Joey sitting down. He started wagging his tail at the first sight of her.
Thinking she needed assistance, he stood up and walked over to her. He grabbed onto the string of her pants with his mouth and happily started guiding her in a direction. Not wanting to tell him she didn’t need the assistance, she followed along.
The caption reads: “Once a guide dog, always a guide dog.”
Screenshots from a September 22 TikTok video of a “failed” guide dog still wanting to work. The dog started pulling his owner by the strings on her clothes.
@izzyalice3/TikTok
Joey is always ready to lend a helping paw. He doesn’t care if the person needs assistance or not. He’ll try to guide whenever he gets the chance. It’s like learning to ride a bike; once you learn it, you’ll never forget it.
“He holds on to a top or sleeve or anything he can hold anytime he sees us,” the owner told Newsweek via TikTok.
TikTok viewers instantly fell in love with Joey’s selfless act of helping.
One person said: “Bless his little heart.”
However, another user thought Joey might’ve been doing it purely for his own benefit. They jokingly wrote: “Yeah.. Guiding you to the treat drawer…” Well, he does deserve a treat for assisting, right?
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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