Sad golden retriever only wants 'grandma' to play with — owner's videos explore Wally's human side

If you ever thought that only humans seek comfort after a bad day, then this adorable golden retriever will remind you that even our furry friends need a shoulder to cry on now and then. A clip of a golden retriever, Wally, hugging his owner after a long, overwhelming day went viral recently. Posted by @wally.meets.world, the dog's dedicated Instagram account, on July 15, 2025, the video has garnered over 2.1 million views and 151K likes so far.

The clip's overlaid texts mentioned, "Comforting my very emotional golden retriever," and that is exactly what is happening in the trending video. Wally's owner and mother can be seen hugging him, ever-so gently, and offering words of affirmation, reassuring him, "Why are you feeling sad, you had a really fun day. Your grandma came over." The owner continues with her warm words while lovingly patting Wally's back, letting him know that she is there for him. "Aww, it's okay, you don't have to be sad." She then realizes Wally's reason behind feeling low: "You want grandma to come back over. Aww, she will come back soon." Wally's strong bond with his grandma can be seen in numerous clips on the profile. In one video, with on-screen text reading "Wally's favourite person comes to visit," the pet dog can be seen constantly wagging his tail and jumping happily on the senior woman as she enters the house and greets him. The excitement Wally feels whenever his beloved human is around is evident in all the clips. 

Wally's owner also shared a precious video of a before-and-after comparison, showing Wally when he first arrived as an 8-week-old pup versus now, a beautiful, fully grown 4-year-old dog. The owner and her partner welcomed him in January 2021, during COVID. The couple adored him so much that they even bought a house to keep him as their previous landlord didn't allow pets. In many posts, Wally is also mentioned as overly-emotional and highly sensitive, and while these big emotions may seem tough to handle sometimes, they only make Wally even more lovable and endearing. One footage shared, "3 things that made my overly emotional golden retriever sad this week," going on to show different clips like Wally having to leave the beach he enjoyed so much that "he refused to make eye contact."

One report by the National Library of Medicine talked about how dogs, in particular, are really good at reading not only the emotions of other dogs but also humans. This ability helps them respond in a way that helps them succeed in social situations. They can use emotional information, like facial expressions and body language, to make decisions, especially when solving problems, showcasing high emotional intelligence. In a study of 2,033 guide dogs, 39% were returned during training, and 56% graduated. Golden Retrievers (GR) had a lower pass rate but showed great adaptability, improving with extended training, making them successful guide dogs when given more time. Another report covered the study of 60 golden retrievers and shared how these canines naturally have higher oxytocin levels, making them more affectionate and emotionally in tune with humans.  

Many users also expressed their support for the viral video, praising Wally for his big heart and big feelings. @alimiami316 wrote, "Oh my sweet Wally, he wanted grandma to stay forever." @callifornia90 shared, "Wally reminds me so much of my sweet, and also emotional, golden Brady, who passed last month. I really enjoy watching your videos." @mittendad commented, "Grew up as an only child, and our golden was one of the best gifts I could’ve ever received growing up. Made a great sibling." "Wally needs his Mom's special hug," wrote @zaratubman7. 

For more heart-melting dog content, follow @wally.meets.world on their Instagram account.