There are a good dozen neighbors on the blocks surrounding me who I know by name, but nary a one of them is human. I’m on a first-name basis with Penny, the French Bulldog across the street, and I get better acquainted with Ginger, Ava, and Laverne each day.
Their owners? Not so much. I am vaguely aware of their identities — is it Stove who lives across the street? — but I, like TikToker Billy McCartney (@billy_mccartney), am far more concerned with the dogs around me than their owners.
Thus far, this hasn’t led me (overly) astray. Sure, its awkward when I accidentally call Pam by her Boxer’s name (Peaches), but at least I’ve never breezed straight past a celebrity because I was so fixated on their dog.
McCartney is not so lucky. The TikToker, comedian, actor, and “layabout” works at a movie studio, which means he rubs elbows with stars somewhat frequently. Sometimes even he doesn’t realize who he’s speaking with, however, leading to situations like the one that recently unfolded between McCartney and a widely-popular comedic star.
The TikToker was just going about his day when his eyes caught sight of an incoming dog. Completely unconcerned about the actual human attached to the other end of the leash, McCartney immediately fixated on said dog, and didn’t interact with its owner other than to offer a compliment and a request to pet. Once that request was approved, McCartney spared no more attention for the human, enjoyed a nice lil pet sesh with the starring doggo, and went on his way.
It wasn’t until a co-worker approached him and asked after the conversation that McCartney realized who he was speaking to. That throaty “heh heh” should have been enough to clue us all in, but how McCartney didn’t recognize the Seth Rogen’s voice is completely beyond me.
None-the-less, the star-studded figure in front of him breezed right past McCartney’s attention, and the result is a charming and utterly relatable TikTok that commenters can’t help but see themselves in. In McCarney’s defense, it was apparently “a very pretty dog,” so can you blame him? Fellow dog-lovers certainly cannot, accurately noting that “NOTHING competes with a cute dog who wants to say hi.”
Dozens of people showed up not only to note that they would do the same, and even worse — one commenter had a similar interaction with Henry Cavill — but also to promptly Google Seth Rogen’s dog (who is, in fact, just gorgeous). Months after losing his longtime dog and clear family member, Zelda, Rogen adopted a new pup in early 2024. It is absolutely precious, and 10 out of 10 would similarly distract me from any and everything around me.
Just as it would distract most other people. Greeting a stranger’s dog can actually be a very awkward occurrence, particularly when that stranger, or their dog, aren’t overly friendly. Walking a dog isn’t an invitation for conversation, and not every dog is a safe one to approach. My own dog is absolutely precious, so I understand why I’m stopped so often on the street, but lord can it get exhausting answering questions.
As such, a form of dog-petting etiquette has slowly developed over the years. Asking permission first is always appreciated, as is assessing both the human and dog before approaching. Is the human wearing headphones? Leave them be. Does the dog seem tense? Walk away. Is the dog on a clear training leash, or wearing a service vest? For the love of everything that is holy, please leave them alone.
But if the dog is sweet and friendly, walking loosely on a leash because they’re clearly well-trained, and the human seems open to a conversation, please head on over! I myself had the chance to meet one of my (human) neighbors (yes, I did learn his name — it’s Jim) earlier today, and it was all thanks to the scruffy little companion who takes me for a walk each and every morning.
Published: Oct 7, 2024 06:27 pm