When Bayan Jablonski got a pet cam to monitor her dog Rudy, there was one added bonus that she hadn’t previously considered—checking on her “golden retriever husband.”
Bayan, from Chicago, was out walking her mini sheepadoodle when her husband, Dominik Jablonski returned to find the house empty. He immediately scoured the house for his wife and dog, but when he realized they weren’t home, his reaction was exactly what you’d expect from a certain four-legged friend.
Although she was only gone for around 20 minutes, Bayan told Newsweek that her husband was “super confused that no one was home,” and he patiently waited for them to return. Bayan shared the adorable pet cam footage on her TikTok account (@bayjabs) in December, joking that Dominik is “the biggest baby” when she’s not there.
Social media users couldn’t get enough of her “golden retriever husband” getting so sad, and the clip has already been viewed over 4.6 million times and gained more than 576,700 likes on TikTok.
Bayan told Newsweek: “When I came back, Dominik explained the situation to me and I looked over, realizing the camera must have picked up his reaction, and I knew I should check it. It was hilarious to look back on because that’s his personality in a nutshell, he is the mushiest man ever and loves being home with Rudy and I.”
@bayjabs / TikTok
With more and more pet owners choosing to monitor their four-legged companions while they’re out, the market for pet cams has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2019, spending on the devices has gone from $28 million to $73.2 million in 2023. It is expected to continue growing to more than $116 million in 2025.
Having a pet cam can provide owners with peace of mind when they’re out for the day or at work as they can check on their furry friends whenever they need to. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), having a camera can also be beneficial for the pet, because owners can see when they’re unsettled or causing mischief, and they can talk to them through the device and soothe them, or prevent them from getting into too much trouble.
Since posting the video of Dominik, Bayan has loved seeing the positive responses online, although some people wanted to know why they have a camera monitoring everything they do. She explained that it’s only so they can check on Rudy, who she jokes is “like a criminal living in [their] home.”
Bayan continued: “People loved seeing my husband’s reaction and were able to see how much he truly loves our family. Lots of people made me crack up when they said this could pass as an internal dialogue for an actual golden retriever, which I’ve said before. My husband has the biggest golden retriever personality.
“Some people questioned why we have a camera watching us, but the people with super active puppies who love to bite everything got it. We initially got it so we can see what Rudy is up to while we’re not home, on top of the fact that all our furniture is white, so we need to keep tabs on him.”
With more than 1,200 comments on the viral video so far, many social media users were obsessed with Dominik’s golden retriever energy, and they wanted to see more. One comment reads: “I want to see his reaction when you got home.”
Another person joked: “Guys, I think there’s an actual golden retriever trapped inside the body of a man.”
While one TikToker wrote: “Are you sure you took the right retriever out on the walk?”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.