Parents at a family-friendly festival try turning Max the golden retriever into a pony ride for their kids, and throw a tantrum when the dog’s parents refuse: ‘And Max? I got him a Pup Cup later and forgot the whole thing’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Jun 25, 2025 4:00 AM EDT

One golden retriever named Max became the unwitting star of a bizarre scene at a local family-friendly festival when a group of kids, under the watchful eye of their parents, decided that the calm, patient dog was less a living creature and more a furry carnival ride.

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  • They threw a tantrum when I wouldn’t let their kids ride my golden retriever.

    "He's calm, trained, and used to crowds, so he was just happily trotting beside me"
    via Sumi Kunst/MOAimages

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Max, ever the gentleman, wagged and tolerated pets, but when the parents started hoisting a child onto him like he was a pony at a county fair, he wisely backed away, confusion written all over his doggy face.

  • I took my golden retriever, Max, to a local family-friendly festival last Sunday. It had outdoor booths, live music, food trucks,
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • Cheezburger Image 10521186304
    via Sumi Kunst

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • kids everywhere. I kept him leashed the entire time. He's calm, trained, and used to crowds, so he was just happily trotting
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • beside me, soaking up pets from strangers and stealing attention like a pro. At one point, while we were resting near a shaded picnic
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • area, a group of kids ran over and started fawning over him which was fine, it happens as the time. Max sat patiently, tail wagging.
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • Cheezburger Image 10521187840
    via MOAimages

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Then their parents showed up but instead of pulling the kids back or thanking me for letting them pet the dog, they started positioning
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • one of the kids like he was about to sit on Max with one leg lifted like he was about to mount a pony. Max stood up, confused, and backed away.
    via Candy_For_Naughty

  • The owner, equally confused, stepped in and repositioned Max, only to be met with a wall of parental annoyance. No polite request, no friendly chat, just the silent expectation that this dog, and by extension, its owner, was public property. When the owner made it clear that Max was not, in fact, a ride, the family stormed off, dragging their disappointed kids and muttering under their breath, as if the real crime was saying no to a stranger’s bizarre request.


     

  • I gently repositioned him and moved between them. And the parents? Visibly annoyed. One of them even pointed at Max like he
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • was some kind of prop. No asking, no eye contact, just an unspoken expectation that their children were entitled to use my
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • living, breathing pet as a ride. When they realized I wasn't going along with it, they stormed off with the kids whining, one of the
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • adults muttering something under their breath and shooting glares back at me like I had ruined their family outing.
    via Candy_For_Naughty

  • Max, unfazed by the drama, received a well-deserved pup cup, while his owner was left wondering if some people actually think a dog’s job is to be a moving jungle gym. In the end, it’s just another reminder that sometimes, the hardest part of owning a dog isn’t the training, it’s the people.

  • And max? I got him a pup cup later and forgot the whole thing.
    via Candy_For_Naughty
  • Constantlyhaveacold NTA. Dogs aren't horses for pity's sake. That could harmed him.
    via Constantlyhaveacold
  • Tradefor969 Ask if the parent has a collar on them. Then you can sit on the parents back.
    via Tradefor969
  • If they want to mount your dog, you should be able to mount the parents to, right?
    via Tradefor969
  • TeachBS "The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity," Harlan Ellison.
    via TeachBS
  • Skinnybet Some people aren't fit to be parents. If you can't even treat an animal with respect you shouldn't be around kids or pets. Mini rant because it's so annoying.
    via Skinnybet

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dogs cute dogs adorable puppy dog memes cute doggos doggo festival hilarious dogs carnival ride golden retriever family friendly animals entitled people
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