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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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The reason why a golden retriever tackled four flights of stairs to reach his owner has left internet viewers in hysterics.
The video, shared to a TikTok account dedicated to 5-year-old Bowie @nycgolden, quickly went viral, amassing over 804,000 views. Before you can see Bowie, you can hear him panting as he reaches the top of the stairs. He then heads down the corridor toward his owner, who is filming and giggling behind the camera. The text layered over explains the dog "rarely makes the four-flight trip so I knew he wanted something."
His owner Sarah Newlon told Newsweek: "I’m lucky if I see him up there once a month."
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The owner then asks him if he came up to see her to ask for a treat, and the dog grumbles back, as if to say ‘yes’ followed by a bark when she asks again if he wants one.
The text layered over says: "My life is a sitcom."
Newlon told Newsweek: "When Bowie wants a treat, he does a little paw stomp, licks his lips and then lets out a specific whine.
"He’s great at communicating what he wants and consistent with his communication so it’s easy to learn."
‘A Perfectly Executed Plan’
The owner follows him downstairs to the front door, thinking perhaps he wanted to go outside, as she didn’t believe there were any treats left there.
But, lo and behold, there was one small snack, which she picks up—and he immediately devours it. The text concludes: "the trip up four stories has been a perfectly executed plan just to get me to grab it for him."
So far, the October 21 clip captioned "All that cardio, just to have me hand it to him," has received over 113,000 likes and more than 920 comments.
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TikTok Reacts
"Wonder how long he thought about that treat before he made the trip upstairs," read one comment with over 10,000 likes.
The owner replied: "Right?! He probably spent 20 minutes plotting his grand snack heist."
"A polite boy who doesn’t steal snacks," posted another user, and the owner wrote: "He could [have] easily taken it off the table."
"He sounds like me after I climb four flights of stairs," commented a third user.
How Many Treats To Give a Dog Each Day
When dogs behave well or go out of their way to "ask" for a treat, it may be hard to say no to their puppy-dog eyes. But treats should only make up 10 percent of a dog’s diet, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Dogs’ calorie needs differ based on their size and activity level, so there is no one-size-fits-all number like the 2,000-calorie standard for humans. Canine food labels list energy as kcals (kilocalories), but in pet nutrition, this is the same as calories—so 364 kcal per cup simply means 364 calories per cup.
To find your pup’s daily allowance, check the food packaging or consult your veterinarian. Once you know the total, treats should make up no more than 10 percent of that amount. Remember, those treat calories count toward the daily total, so adjust meal portions accordingly to prevent overfeeding and maintain a balanced, healthy diet.
Update, 10/28/25 05:05 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to add comments from owner Sarah Newlon.
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