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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Hugo, a 2-year-old malamute, takes his role as the big brother very seriously, but even he can't help accidentally scaring his owner's new little puppy, Barry, without realizing from time-to-time.
For a long time, Hugo has been Brian Hanshaft's only dog child, but that all changed in recent weeks when his owner brought home Barry, the golden retriever. Thankfully, Hugo has adapted well to becoming the older sibling, as Hanshaft told Newsweek that he "loves to protect Barry."
But despite being cautious around his little brother, Hugo often seems to forget how much smaller and younger Barry is and will accidentally give him quite a fright. Hanshaft, from Denver, Colorado, shared a hilarious clip on social media of the various times when the malamute got a bit too loud, or played too rough for Barry, leaving the pup running away in fear.
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Since the clip of him "unintentionally scaring his little brother" was shared to TikTok (@hugothemalamute) earlier this month, the viral video has already been viewed more than 848,000 times and gained more than 99,300 likes.
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"Barry would get startled by Hugo when they first met, but he's very calm and Hugo is always so patient with him. That's why when Barry would get startled it was so odd," Hanshaft told Newsweek. "Hugo is the ultimate big brother. He teaches Barry and corrects his behavior. Sometimes he can get quite annoyed, but it's super reminiscent of how my big brother would get annoyed with me as kids."
Seeing the brotherly bond between the two dogs has been hugely rewarding for Hanshaft, who adds that Barry "doesn't get spooked much anymore" now that he's more accustomed to his brother's size.
It's completely normal for a young pup to get startled by seemingly innocuous things, as the American Kennel Club (AKC) refers to this as the "puppy fear periods." This usually begins from around 8 weeks old or when they come home to a family and have to adjust to their new life. As they start to explore and develop, they're likely going to be scared by many things, according to the AKC who says that owners shouldn't overwhelm the dog or force them into any interactions they're not sure about.
The fear periods can last until the dog is around 14 months old, and although they may have physically grown in that time, they'll still be mentally developing. Allowing the puppy to walk away from whatever they're frightened of and praising them for any positive associations they make are good ways of helping them overcome this phase, the AKC says.
TikTok Users React
Hanshaft has loved sharing the clips of his dogs on social media and will continue to keep their followers up to date on their hilarious antics.
"When I first started making videos, I was overwhelmed by the amazing things people would say. Hugo and Barry's followers are some of the most amazing and supportive people," he said.
The viral video left many TikTok users in stiches, leading to more than 100 comments on the post. One TikTok user commented: "The way he ran away on the third clip."
Another user wrote: "The way he just got scared by looking at Hugo in the second clip is hilarious."
While a third TikTok user joked: "Okay but the sneeze scared me too."
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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