Internet users are obsessed with a golden retriever who uses manipulation tactics on strangers to push in line and get treats.
Charlie the golden retriever lives with his owner, Lauren Lieberman, 34, in Canada, and has a major online following as animal lovers keep up-to-date with his adventures on his TikTok account, @laurenandcody.
From traveling to his favorite place to pulling tantrums when he thinks his owner is going on vacation without him, Charlie has captured the hearts of millions of online strangers—and a new video has proven that he has this ability in person, too.
Lieberman told Newsweek that Charlie is “known” for manipulation tactics, particularly when it comes to getting treats.
“Any café we go to, he pushes in line, sits in the front and gives everyone the puppy eyes [to] see which one bites first,” she said.
“I’m usually waiting in line to buy him the treat, but, sometimes, he gets to other people who are closer in line faster.”
Now, a video of Charlie successfully convincing a stranger to buy him a treat has gone viral, with close to 2 million views since being posted on March 7.
It shows Charlie sitting in line at the café, wriggling excitedly, as Lieberman half-heartedly scolds him: “Charlie, you can’t push in front of people!”
All of a sudden, a woman at the front of the line turns and asks if she can buy Charlie a treat, as Lieberman thanks her and then shows her dog, who has looked back at the camera, and says: “Look how manipulative he is.”
Lieberman tries to tell the woman in front that she is going to buy Charlie his usual Rice Krispies treat, and he knows it—which is why “he ran here”–but the stranger insists.
And as Charlie realizes what’s in the woman’s hand, he gets even more excited, sitting in preparation for the treat but unable to stop a few happy jumps.
Lieberman wrote over the video: “POV [point of view]: Your golden retriever pushed in line and then manipulated a random stranger into buying him an $8 Rice Krispy square.” She added in the caption: “Master manipulator aka Charlie.”
Speaking about his manipulation tactics, Lieberman told Newsweek: “He’s very good at it, and it’s funny, because someone wrote in the comments [that] he’s the real OG [original gangster] gold digger, which is so funny!”
Commenters flocked to the video in their hundreds, with one joking that Charlie had “pretty privilege,” and another praising the stranger: “I hope her life is [filled] with beautiful things and happiness as she’s a very rare soul.”
One user posted that Charlie “literally knew what he was doing,” and another said: “Golden retriever greed is truly biblical.”
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