Rescue German Shepherd ‘Rates Dad's Pets' and Shows No Mercy
If anyone told you a dog will appreciate any pets you have to give them, they were lying straight to your face. Once your dog feels comfortable in your home, they're going to have opinions on literally everything, from the volume of your sneezes to the quality of your pets.
One German Shepherd was rescued from a shelter, and even he knows that not all pets are created equal. Recently, he decided to rate his dad's petting game, and he wasn't in the business of sparing any feelings with his reviews:
@emptynestermishigas I'm not content with the petting #germanshepherd#dogs#rescuedog#dogsoftiktok#dog
original sound - shenanigans
Puppa the German Shepherd knows what he wants, and even if he's getting pets, he's a man of standards. He seems to prefer pets from mom, first of all, and he loves soft, slow pets. Rubbing is not his jam, and that's totally fine!
He's a rescue, which you might think means he's very grateful for pets in any form, and he is. Puppa just also wants to make sure everyone knows what he likes, and that's his right! The key to his forever home being happy and healthy for him is for everyone to be on the same page, and they definitely are.
Related: Shelter German Shepherd Begs Human To Hold His Paw and Gets the Happiest Ending
He came into a forever home that had just officially become empty: his new parents are empty-nesters. What do you do in the quiet years after you've finished raising kids? Raise a whiny, needy perpetual toddler who you'll love more than life itself:
@emptynestermishigas life after kids #germanshepherd#dogsoftiktok#rescue#escapeddeathrow
original sound - shenanigans
Clearly, it's just Dad who's the problem. Mom can pet Puppa whenever and however she likes, but Dad is the spare human. It's just the way the cookie crumbles when you have a dog!
The 'Right' Way to Pet a Dog
It's not something everyone thinks about, but there definitely are some different ways to pet a dog, and some are preferable to others to some dogs. You'll never really know what they like until they're in your home!
There are a few different ways to pet a dog:
- Smooth, one-way petting.
- Rubbing.
- Gentle patting.
- Double-sided rubbing.
For a rescue dog, you should always start with a smooth, one-way pet: don't ruffle their fur or move too fast. They may take "rougher" petting as a sign of aggression. As they get more comfortable in your home, you can experiment with different styles of petting. My oldest dog prefers to be pet as if he's going through a car wash. He loves a good, firm pat!
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM.