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If you’re a dog parent and you’ve ever tried that thing where you pretend to cry just to see how your dog reacts, then this is going to feel very familiar. Sometimes you get confusion. Sometimes you get a quick glance and zero follow-up. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get a full emotional response.

That’s exactly what happens with a tiny Maltipoo named Chloe. The second her dad says, “You don’t love me,” she immediately jumps into action, whining, climbing into his lap, and wrapping herself around him like it’s her job to fix everything.

TikTok user @thekenzz1 shared a clip of a tiny Maltipoo, Chloe, and the caption reads, “She’s the sweetest girl ever… p.s. she pretends to cry because she loves the attention and getting babied,” which honestly makes the whole thing even better. This is not panic. This is performance. And she is committed.

The comments were exactly what you’d expect from a dog this emotionally available. “How I expect my man to react when I say that,” one person wrote, which feels like a very high standard to set.

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Another added, “Can I borrow her? I need someone to love me like that,” and honestly, same. We all want a Chloe in our lives.

Some viewers got protective, saying, “Don’t stress her out. She really loves you,” which led Chloe’s mom to jump in and clarify, “Just to clear the air, she isn’t stressed. She pretends to cry because she LOVES the attention and being babied. This girl is too spoiled and well taken care of.” Which… yes. That checks out. This is a little pup who knows exactly what she’s doing.

“I trained my boyfriend to do the same thing,” showed up (incredible), along with: “Mini Poodles are the sweetest dogs ever… that dog was an absolute angel,” which feels like a strong endorsement of the entire breed category.

And then, of course: “Apologize to Chloe right now AND get her a pup cup,” and “You broke her little tiny baby heart,” which is the correct emotional response even if she is, in fact, acting.

Also, I’m just saying, my dog Kingston would leave the room immediately or else demand a treat if I tried this, and my Maine Coon named Meatball would stare at me like I’m embarrassing him in front of his friends.

Do Dogs Have Empathy?

Dogs can absolutely pick up on human emotions, and many will respond when their people are upset, whether that’s through physical closeness, vocalizing, or trying to get attention.

Studies have shown that dogs are highly attuned to tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. When they sense sadness or distress, they often try to comfort their humans, even if they don’t fully understand the situation.

Some pups, like Chloe, take it a step further and learn that certain behaviors, like cuddling or “crying,” get a strong emotional response. Over time, that can turn into a kind of learned interaction where they lean into those behaviors because they know it works.

Fun fact: Dogs have been shown to approach crying humans more quickly than people who are simply talking or humming, suggesting they are drawn to emotional cues and may feel motivated to respond.

So yes, Chloe may be a little bit dramatic. But she’s also tuned in, affectionate, and very, very good at getting exactly what she wants.

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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Apr 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.