When Kayla Evans filmed a man struggling to walk his stubborn golden retriever, she never thought it would go viral.
But the video, filmed on Queensland’s Gold Coast, has attracted about 55 million views on Facebook and another 2 million on TikTok.
“We were just out with our neighbours one afternoon, having some drinks we were watching the dogs walking past,” Ms Evans said.
“And this man walks past and all of a sudden his dog just stops and does not want to move.
“It went on for a few minutes and it was just so funny, we were in tears we just could not get over it.”
A ‘bad attitude’
The pair at the centre of the video is Mermaid Beach man Mike Cook and his dog Elsie.
“I was trying to take my dog for a walk and she wasn’t in the mood for walking,” Mr Cook said.
“We live about 100 metres from where that video was taken, let’s put it this way when we turned around to go home, she ran home.”
At one point in the video Mr Cook tried to carry the 29-kilogram pooch.
Some viewers expressed concern about the possibility of an underlying health condition, but Mr Cook said Elsie was fit — she just had a bad attitude that day.
It was not the first time the duo have appeared on social media for Elsie’s antics.
In 2017, a video of the golden retriever refusing to walk on Burleigh Hill attracted more than 15 million views.
As the most recent video edged closer to 60 million views through various platforms, TikTokkers have been filming their initial reaction to the video.
But how does Mr Cook feel about becoming a viral sensation?
“It is what it is, the dog is always up to antics, it’s to be expected I suppose.
“Elsie is quite a character, she is a pretty good dog, I would say borderline spoilt, she is very loved and loves adventure.”
Viral video a surprise
Ms Evans said she did not expect the video to have been so popular and was not even sure how it came to be shared beyond her personal social media page.
“When it was happening I had my phone on me and I was filming on my [Instagram] story, so it was just for the people who follow me.
“It wasn’t on Facebook or TikTok or anywhere else it was just for my personal Instagram,” she said.
“At first I didn’t mind, and I still don’t, but I did have a lot of people getting defensive for me because it was my original video.
“I guess the credit would have been a little bit nice.”
Mr Cook said he was happy for the video to be viewed and shared in the spirit of how it was posted.
