Golden Retriever's Sweet Chomps at Mom Make Us Love the Breed Even More

A cute Golden Retriever likes to playfully chomp at his mom during playtime, and it's the funniest and cutest thing you'll see all day.

In a video posted to TikTok, the Golden Retriever named Pilot enjoyed playfully chomping on his mom whenever she tried to pet him. In the video, she would put her hand close to him before he tried to playfully bite her.

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The sweet pup would bark at her while they played, and eventually give her the most gentle little chomp before they continued.

The internet fell in love with the playful pup, with users jokingly calling him a "snapping turtle," a "land shark," a "crocodile," and "a golden velociraptor" from his spicy chomps.

"You have a cute stapler," one user joked in the comments. "He said 'ima piranha' ," another one added. Another user even said that the Golden Retriever " was an orange cat in a past life."

While the chomps may seem like they're not very friendly, one user noted that "his sneezes," so "he's letting you know he's just playing. He's absolutely adorable ." Another also agreed and added, "People who own dogs know that this is not aggression but playfulness."

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Why do Golden Retrievers play bite?

Play biting is a common behavior, especially seen in young puppies. According to the Golden Meadows Retrievers organization, "Golden retriever puppies nip, and biting and chewing behaviors can strengthen their gums and teeth as well as burn off excess energy through play."

"Most young puppies nip and bite as part of play behaviors that mimic hunting," they continued. "This is an important part of their development - golden retrievers were bred as game dogs, so biting is also part of the breed."

While this behavior may seem cute, it's highly recommended to discourage it at a young age.

"As the puppy grows, unchecked biting can lead to injury and aggressive behaviors," they note. "Your puppy will be discouraged from biting too hard by littermates and its mom until it's about 8 weeks old. Socialization will then teach puppies that hard bites have consequences."

Related: Adorable Golden Retriever Has an Unlikely Deer BFF and Their Energy Is Unmatched

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 9:00 AM.