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By Liz O'Connell
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A routine package delivery quickly turned into an unforgettable moment when a doorbell camera captured a driver taking a leap of faith—straight toward a very vocal Labrador retriever.
The Clendenning family dog, Sampson, is a 7-year-old black Labrador who has appointed himself as the guardian of the eight-member household. Carla Clendenning told Newsweek via email that Sampson fits into the chaos of the big family, sweet and gentle with the kids, but ready to go into watchdog mode when strangers or unexpected visitors arrive.
However, over time, the dog has convinced himself that the delivery drivers arrive to give him a treat. Clendenning said UPS and FedEx have "spoiled" Sampson, so when the delivery driver recently pulled up, the Labrador assumed the worker "came bearing gifts too."
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Little did Sampson know that his big-dog presence could be a bit overwhelming. In last week's TikTok video posted by @carladavidclendenning, a doorbell camera captured the moment the driver hesitated on the front porch as Sampson approached. The man was unsure whether to proceed or retreat, but he "risked it all" to finish the job, despite the threat that Clendenning described as an "old, chunky farm Lab who gets winded walking to the food bowl," in the caption.
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The delivery driver dropped the package at the front door and used his phone to snap a proof-of-delivery photo. As he began to leave, he noticed Sampson and quickly retreated to the porch, keeping a cautious distance.
Slowly but surely, Sampson continued his mission to greet him. But, without knowing the dog's friendly nature, the worker chose to play it safe. With his eyes locked on Sampson the entire time, he made his escape by hopping off the porch railing and escaping toward the truck.
Encounters with dogs are common for delivery drivers; some even form friendly relationships with pets or bring treats, but not every interaction is positive. There were more than 6,000 reported canine attacks on postal workers in 2024, an increase from 5,800 the year prior, according to the U.S. Postal Service. These workers are typically trained to avoid interacting with dogs altogether, keeping a safe distance and never assuming a pet is friendly.
In an email statement to Newsweek, Amazon encouraged pet owners to take a few simple steps to support safe deliveries, including answering the dog prompt in the app's delivery instructions, providing additional information, securing pets before delivery and keeping them secure until the driver leaves.
"No driver is required to complete a delivery if they feel unsafe, and they can mark a delivery as unsafe if a pet is in the area," Amazon said. "We provide pet safety support and regular dog avoidance training and learning content for Delivery Service Partners and their drivers, and Amazon Flex delivery partners."
While Clendenning was home, she did not realize what had unfolded outside the front door until she watched the footage later, which left her laughing and feeling bad at the same time. Clendenning said she wishes she could have apologized in the moment for Sampson's protectiveness, as he takes his job very seriously.
"[Sampson] doesn’t mean any harm, but he definitely has a big personality and isn’t shy about announcing himself, as you see in the video," she added.
TikTok users couldn't stop laughing at the video, with many questioning how the driver could be spooked by the typically friendly dog breed.
"Who could possibly be afraid of that chonky boy? He was just checking if his Chewy order was delivered," wrote a viewer.
Meanwhile, others pointed out the dog's reaction. One person said: "The pupper is going to be leaving a 1-star review. 'Alexa, do NOT thank my driver.'"
Another commented: "And of course the dog is like, 'Ugh, he didn’t even pet me, how rude.’"
Update 4/21/2026 6:39 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comment from Amazon.
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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