Some dogs would freak out if they got within 3 feet of a squirrel… and then there’s Ben, a 6-month-old Golden Retriever who recently had the perfect chance to catch one but decided it just wasn’t the job for him.
As shown in the Instagram video, the squirrel appears to be caught in some fencing or netting in the family’s backyard. While the poor squirrel fights for his life—and probably thought it was the end—the Golden Retriever stands there looking at the little guy with a confused expression.
The video’s caption describes the situation perfectly: “When the opportunity presents itself… and your resume does not match the job.” Anyone familiar with a Golden Retriever knows that they are very patient and gentle animals who would never react to this kind of situation with anything other than pure curiosity!
Now, let’s remember that Ben is still a puppy, and as he gets older, maybe he’ll get braver—but maybe he won’t! We had a bird in our house, flying around, torturing me, and my Golden Retriever hid behind me! She was literally no help at all. Something tells me that Ben has a similar personality!
Related: Toddler Keeping Her Golden Retrievers Safe During a Walk Is Making Everybody Smile
Viewers Adore This Golden Retriever Puppy
Obviously, this puppy is a fluffy ball of cuteness who we can’t resist. His humans made the internet happy when they shared this adorable video with us. @roxyheart66 said, “My Golden would freeze! LOL,” and @henryandbentails replied, “They don’t have a lot of natural instincts from what I’m seeing!” 😂
While many followers said their pups would react similarly, one viewer, @gianopulos78, mentioned, “My 15-pound Poodle would have tried to unalive the squirrel. He’s already tried that with a baby possum who got into the laundry room through the dog door. I think I have a mini Cujo!”
Several people inquired about the squirrel’s fate, and Ben’s paw parent was happy to report that they, in fact, assisted in freeing it so it could go on to live another day—hopefully far away from that fence!
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This story was originally published by PawNation on Jan 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add PawNation as a Preferred Source by clicking here.