Moment Goldendoodle Shows His Attitude As Owner Tries To Touch Toy: ‘Scary’

A dog determined to protect his favorite toy using a “happy scary smile” has gone viral.

Danielle, 31, from New Jersey, is the proud owner of 7-year-old goldendoodle Jaxson, whose personality quirk has led him to go viral on TikTok.

The pup has a favorite toy, a stuffy banana, and is “on his fifth one because of destroying the others,” Danielle told Newsweek.

On May 27, Danielle showed the internet what Jaxson does when someone dares to touch his favorite toy, captioning a video to her account @jaxsonthedoodle: “When you try to touch his toy…and forget whose house this is.”

In the clip, viewed more than 270,000 times, Jaxson relaxes on the sofa with the plushie by his side—and as Danielle reaches over to touch it, he bares his teeth in a smile.

She moves away and his face returns to normal—until she reaches over again and the bared teeth return. The battle continues, with Danielle touching the toy and moving back, and Jaxson’s face smiling and relaxing in turn.

Danielle told Newsweek Jaxson will “show his teeth for pretty much anything.

“He started this when he was a pup, which initially didn’t sit well with me,” she admitted. “Because what puppy shows their teeth? I came to learn that’s how he communicates.”

Qiai Chong, chief behaviorist at Pet Coach SG, said baring teeth is “often associated with aggression or fear,” however “some dogs develop this expression early on, often during interactions with littermates or humans, as a unique way of communicating.”

“In certain dogs, baring teeth can be part of their greeting or play style,” she said, but warned it can “mean very different things in different dogs,” and it may also signal “stress, anxiety or a request for space.”

“Understanding a dog’s full body language, their history with people and other animals, and the setting in which the behavior occurs is key,” she explained. “If a dog has a positive history with their handler and displays relaxed body cues while ‘smiling,’ it’s likely just part of their individual personality.

“The most important thing is to look at the bigger picture: their past experiences, overall demeanor, and how their whole body—not just their teeth—is communicating in the moment.”

In Jaxson’s case, Danielle says she and her partner “can get in his face when he’s showing us his teeth, and he’ll just give us kisses.”

“He does it to protect his toys and treats, when he’s playing with other pups, or protecting his humans when they’re sleeping,” she said.

Calling Jaxson the “smartest dog I’ve ever met,” she said she is “waiting for the day he responds back to me in English—and I don’t think anyone would be surprised.”

TikTok users had a big response to Jaxson’s video, awarding it more than 20,000 likes, as one admitted they “can’t tell if he’s happy or angry,” and another describing it as a “happy scary smile.”

“The chances of being killed by a doodle are low, but never zero,” one joked, as one laughed Jaxson was “acting like he bought [the toy] himself.”

And another shared that their dog had a similar quirk, writing: “We call that evil face with our doodle. Ours has done it since he was a puppy.”

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.