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Joy

Golden Retriever with peak good boy energy can't stop snuggling with strangers on a train

Can't stop, won't stop.

Photo by Andrew Spencer on Unsplash

Golden Retrievers are the ultimate good doggos.

If there's any dog breed that encapsulates "good doggo" energy, it's the Golden Retriever. Friendly, gentle, good-natured and oh-so-affectionate, Goldens have come by their reputation honestly. Even "I'm not a dog person" people tend to find themselves taken by Golden Retrievers, and a post on TikTok demonstrates why.

The video shared by @hugoandursula is captioned "my dog getting cuddles from strangers on the train," and that's exactly what it shows in the most adorable montage ever.

In clip after clip, the sweet pup snuggles into unsuspecting train passengers, winning hearts and evoking "awwwws" left and right. (If you're on the fence about getting a dog, be careful watching this video because it will catapult you right over the edge.)

The video has been shared multiple times since it was first posted in January of 2023, and every time, people can't get enough of it. In March of 2024, it was posted in the r/mademesmile subreddit, and people poured all the Golden Retriever love into the comments.

"Golden's love attention.. our Daisy would politely walk around the benches at softball and stop for anyone who expressed an interest in petting her. She was never rude, just wanted to meet new people and show some love while getting some." – michaeldpj

"They are the most 'hi i’m in the room look at me i'm here' dogs i’ve ever met." – botjstn

"I would ride in trains much more often if I was guaranteed to see an adorably squashed doggy nose in front of me. It's delightful." – Designer-Command1417

"The look on the woman's face when the dog snuggles up her is worth a billion dollars!" – Ok-Sale-8105

Reddit users were also thrilled when a "Schnoodle" appeared in the comments. A Schnoodle on social media is a cheesily heartwarming poem from u/schnoodledoodledo, written from the point-of-view of an animal, and the Schnoodle for our Golden train-riding friend here is perfectly fitting.

Look at me - the Traveler! i get to come along

being with my human is the place that i belong ;@)

am friendly with the passengers, n try n spread the JoY!

(they’re frens i haven’t met yet,

n they tell me i’m Good Boy)

so i will find an empty seat, n sit with them awhile

i get aLot of scritches, n i leave them with a smile

am tired from the journey, but i know i did my part

to leave a golden memory

inside their human heart

"FRESHEST SCHNOODLE!!" wrote one commenter, followed by "OMG a schnoodle!! I haven’t seen one in over a year. I thought they had disappeared! This has made my day!" and "Starting the day with a fresh schnoodle for brunch is highly recommended!!!"

For an extended version of one of these good doggo love fests, check out another video from @hugoandursula:

Again, so much love in the comments.

"Are you telling me a stranger got on the train and received all this love for free?!?!" – kirstygu

"I don’t care where that train is going I’m buying a ticket 🥺" – Angharad

"Did he cry before parting ways? I would be bawling" – Melanin. Queen

"I've never been more jealous of a person before in my life." – Carrie Thompson

One thing's for certain—if the train system wants to encourage more riders, all they need to do is get a Golden Retriever to welcome their passengers. They'd fill up those seats in no time.

This article originally appeared on 3.5.24

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Joy

Dog owner dressed up as dog's favorite toy and his reaction was seriously adorable

The life-sized Mr. Quackers was almost too much joy for Charlie to handle.

Charlie the Golden 18/YouTube

Charlie the golden retriever got to experience a life-sized Mr. Quackers and it was sheer joy.

The first thing you need to know about Charlie the golden retriever is that he loves Mr. Quackers.

Mr. Quackers is Charlie's stuffed yellow duck. Charlie carries him around everywhere, he loves him so.

Anyone who's had a dog with a favorite stuffy knows that it's a bit like a child with a favorite stuffy. As long as the stuffy is there, all is well. If stuffy goes missing, all hell breaks loose. Nobody take the stuffy away. Nobody lose the stuffy. Nobody mess with the stuffy.

Where they go, their stuffy goes.

Where Charlie goes, Mr. Quackers goes.

That's just the way it is.

The attachment is real. Watch what happens when Charlie's buddy Buddy tries to mess with Mr. Quackers.

"There, see it!" Oh, Charlie. His love for Mr. Quackers is unrivaled, which is why his owner decided to pull an incredible pet prank and dress up as Mr. Quackers himself.

The things we do for our dogs, indeed.

And when Charlie got to meet the life-sized Mr. Quackers? So. Much. Joy.

Charlie practically wagged his tail right off his body. And he never let go of the original Mr. Quackers the whole time—at least on TikTok.

The extended video on YouTube shows Charlie dropping Mr. Quackers and trying to get a hold of Huge Mr. Quackers by the neck. Not in an aggressive way—more like in a "Hey, lemme carry you around like I do Mr. Quackers!" kind of way.

And then the slow discovery that Huge Mr. Quackers smells an awful lot like his hooman … just too precious.

Animals can bring such joy to our lives, especially when we take the time to play with them. Thanks, Charlie's parents, for sharing this moment of adorable delight with us all.

Follow more of Charlie and Mr. Quackers' adventures on TikTok and YouTube.

This article originally appeared on 03.30.22

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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

Upworthy/Instagram, @queenmotivat/TikTok

This week's list includes love stories, cute kids, adorable animals and more.

It's that time again, friends! Every week, we collect 10 smile-worthy finds from around the internet, wrap them up in a nice bow and share them with our readers.

This week's list includes some adorable kiddos, some inspiring long-term love stories, some hilarious animals, a wildly talented harmonica-playing beatboxer and more. We hope this list brings you as much joy as it brought us putting it together.

Enjoy—and don't forget to share the love!

1. Kids are adorably wowed by a woman's sidewalk chalk art.

"There is no such chalk!" Ah, the pure wonder of children.

2. This little girl standing up for herself and her hairstyle is everything

That's right, little one. You do you and don't pay Owen's opinion any mind.

3. The way this doting husband styles his wife of 25 years is total #couplegoals

Can we clone this man? Gracious. See the fuschia dress on "Flower" and read the full story here.

4. Harmonica beatboxing is something we never knew we needed to see

It just gets better and better. Like, how?

5. Woman pretends to faint and her camel's reaction is the sweetest

Great, now I need a camel.

6. A-ha's stripped down version of 'Take On Me" is a lovely trip down memory lane

When a song makes you smile and tear up at the same time, you just lean into it. Read the full story here.

7. Gorilla siblings being classic siblings is completely hilarious

Everyone with a sibling recognizes this interaction. All that's missing is, "Mo-oommm! He's bothering meeee!"

8. Couple married for nearly 62 years saying goodbye for the weekend is total sweetness

"It's terrible, Troy." Awww.

9. We weren't ready for how this brother and sister talked about their love for one another

Sometimes siblings pick at one another, and sometimes they share a bond like no other.

10. Kid's alien abduction costume inspires an Oscar-worthy performance

Seriously impressive acting skills, kiddo! Read the full story here.

If you enjoyed this post and want to receive more like it in your inbox, sign up for Upworthy's free email newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

Until next week—keep on smiling!

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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Instant mood boost.

Alan Wagner/X, The Dodo/YouTube, r/SinjiOnO/Reddit

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

In a world of negative headlines, misinformation, and the various pitfalls of social media, it's easy to get down on the internet. Most people surveyed say they'd like to return to pre-online days when life seemed simpler, and we weren't bombarded with information and distractions all day long.

But the internet has also allowed us to connect, create and learn in ways that were previously unfathomable. We can talk face-to-face with loved ones from across the planet in real time. We can send photos, videos and art to one another in the blink of an eye. We can share things that made us laugh with countless others to bring an immediate smile to their faces, wherever they are on the planet.

Here at Upworthy, we're all about bringing out the best of humanity, which includes sharing gems of joy that remind us of the good in people and our world. We hope this week's roundup makes you smile as well!

1. Flower girl takes her job seriously, and schools her dad in what's what

Might as well give that girl the corner office right now, cuz she's got boss written all over her.

2. 12-year-old steps up for a younger kid being teased for singing 'Let it Go'

That's how it's done. The fact that he's shy and hates performing and still offered to accompany that kiddo speaks volumes. Well done, Mama.

3. Wallace the Uber driver gamified his passengers' ride experience

Three cheers for Wallace. Gotta love someone who loves their job this much. Read the full story here.

4. Identical twins surprise their dad with a classic identity swap prank, and his reaction is delightful

Not an easy feat to trick a parent of identical twins, but they pulled it off. Such a sweet family. Read the full story here.

5. Percy the bearded dragon really, really, really loves his favorite sock

Who knew lizards could have so much personality? Read the full story here.

6. Pet mom narrates her dog and cat kerfuffles like 'Fight Club' and the deadpan delivery is everything

Bamboozled by the sideways skiddily daps. Perfection. Read the full story here.

7. Woman's neighbor tells her to wear her yellow dress to her art show opening for the best reason

Scroll through for the whole story. What a sweet surprise (though, according to people in the comments who live or have lived in Ithaca, not at all surprising—apparently quite a wonderful community there).

8. Is there anything sweeter than a 96-year-old grandma meeting her 1-day-old grandchild for the first time?

How incredibly special. Also, go Grandma! Looking amazing at 96.

9. Man shares his dad's rave review of 'Barbie,' in which he calls her more of a superhero than Superman

Wow. He apparently really liked it. Pretty amazing considering he's not the target demographic for the film.

10. Not even sure how to describe this raccoon, but…well, just watch

Is it thirsty? Hungry? Cooling off? Whatever it is, it's amazing to witness. Get it, raccoon.

If you enjoyed this roundup and would like to receive more like it in your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

Photo by Terricks Noah on Unsplash

Bringing the joy, one '10 things' list at a time

Hey all! Welcome to our weekly roundup of joyful finds! Hope these nuggets of delight bring a smile or 10 to your face.

If you'd like to have these posts delivered to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

Enjoy!

1. Some solid words of wisdom for the college-aged crowd

As someone who's been called "Gordo" for 25 years, can confirm. You have to be careful.

2. Sibling trio from South Africa sings an incredible rendition of 'Stand By Me'

That angelic voice. Those harmonies. The dancing body percussionist. Utter perfection. Read more about this dynamic trio here.

3. Dog grampa goes all out babysitting his daughter's pooch

Swipe through these texts. Could Gramps be more adorable?

4. Timothy Fletcher brings the house down with his jaw-dropping drum performance on AGT

The drumming is great, but the showmanship is next level. Read the full story here.

5. Woman sings in historic Iranian mosque, despite women being forbiddden to sing in public

Her voice is beautiful, but it's her courage and confidence—and that single finger stopping the man in his tracks—that make this video so incredible to watch.

6. Three cheers for all the Ronnies of the world

That's a young man who knew exactly what to do to put a mom's heart at ease in this situation. Way to go, Ronnie.

7. Girl calls her stepfather 'Dad' for the first time and it's just so beautiful

Here's to the dads who step in and step up to fatherhood. Read the full story here.

8. It's excitement over the little things like Egg Day that make a marriage

So dang sweet.

9. Sean Astin says just the right thing to a fan with depression (f-bomb warning)

A little empathy and understanding can go a long way. Read the full story here.

10. Watch a whole stadium sing their hearts out to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' at a Harry Styles concert in Poland

The music of Queen and the legacy of Freddie Mercury will live on forever, and listening to thousands of human voices lifted together in song will never get old. Read the full story here.

Have a fabulous weekend and come back next week for more smiles!

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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

From a smooch-loving doggo to a match made on Duolingo to an adorable daddy-daughter duet, this week's list of things that made us smile is bringing the joy.

Buitengebieden/Twitter, Duolingo/Instagram, @lif3ofloco/Instagram (via Upworthy)

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

I recently sat down with Rainn Wilson to talk about his book, "Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution," for the Upworthy Book Club, and one of the things we talked about was cynicism. We live in a world where it's so easy to be cynical, to toss up our hands and say, "People suck, so why bother?"

However, when we become cynical, we allow the negative forces in the world win. So what do we do instead?

Wilson posits that the opposite of cynicism isn't optimism, but joy. Optimism too easily becomes "toxic positivity," which is insensitive to the real difficulties people face. But as Wilson writes, joy "doesn't disregard the hard stuff. Joy knows that negativity is a part of life as well. Joy says that life is hard but there is a place you can go, a tool you can use. Joy is a force. A choice. Something that can be harnessed. A decision to be made."

There are lots of ways to foster joy in our lives, from being of service to others to spending time with loved ones to appreciating nature to finding wholesome reasons to smile and laugh.

Joy is powerful, and however small a measure of it this week's roundup provides, I hope it helps you battle away cynicism and offers some hope and peace to your soul.

1. Doggo makes it crystal clear that she wants allll the kisses.

Her communication couldn't be clearer even if she could talk.

2. You never know what a random act of kindness means to the person on the receiving end

"If it's on your heart to do something nice for someone, just do it." Words to live by.

3. Older skater holds younger skater's hand to help with a trick and his reaction when he lands it is priceless.

Skateboarding has really created such an awesome, supportive community. Read the full story here.

4. Two strangers met on Duolingo when he kept congratulating her on her progress. Now they're married.

What an adorable real-life meet cute!

5. Couple raises over $37,000 for a kid who came by their house looking for someone to befriend

It takes a lot of courage to ask for help and to put yourself out there, especially when you've been bullied. This kiddo may not have found any kids his age at the Ray home, but he did find some kind neighbors who wanted to help him out and raised over $37,000 for him and his family in a GoFundMe. Read the full story here.

6. Dad and baby singing their ABCs together doesn't really get any cuter

That little finger. So precious.

7. Cat insists on human doing its makeup…kind of

Let's get this cat together with the chihuahua in the first video and see what happens.

8. Accidental speech-to-text is the absolute best, but especially when you're talking to a dog

"Got to poop, little poopster?"

9. A raucous piano solo turned into a rockin' dance party at the mall

Staged? Eh, perhaps. Fun and joyful to witness? Most definitely.

10. If you're baking in the July heat, take some cool inspiration from this happy polar bear

Are you feeling the joy? Would you like more of it? Get these smiley-worthy posts delivered to your inbox each week by signing up for our free email newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

uplifting

Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

@therealvanvan/@snoopdogg/Instagram, @kevinbacon/Instagram, @contextdogs/Twitter

So much delight in this week's roundup of joy

Did you know that "happify" is a real word? It sounds like a cute, made-up slang term of some sort, but according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it's been in use since at least 1612.

As one might guess, "happify" means "to make happy." And that's what our weekly roundup of joy is all about—happifying you, dear reader.

This week's list of delights includes some moving moments of kindness, some genuine human goofiness, some awesome animal encounters and more. (I mean, we've got Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and a kazoo—what else do we even need?)

Hope these finds happify you. Enjoy!

1. Cat 'massages' an old, blind dog and it's the sweetest thing

Mutual needs being met. And how about that little kiss in the middle there? Too sweet.

2. A reminder that a little human kindness can go a long way

The courtesy of the customer's apology for ordering so late, the kindness and generosity in the response of the employees—these are the small but meaningful interactions that create a better world. (Scroll through for the whole story.)

3. Woman is approached by cops for what looks like a body in the trunk of her car

The way the officer didn't make assumptions but gave her the benefit of the doubt was great, but her reaction was hilarious. Read the full story here.

4. Kevin Bacon and wife Kyra Sedgwick celebrate the 4th of July in the best way

Could these two get any cuter? Read more about Kevin and Kyra's musical farm life here.

7. Three cheers for the people with no chill and no self-consciousness whatsoever

The fact that he asked and the fact that the other dad obliged. These are next-level beach dads.

6. Man does an impressively accurate impression of a Keurig brewing a cup of coffee

Close your eyes and imagine the smell of coffee brewing. Does this count as an ASMR video? Read the full story here.

7. Lil' Van Van and Snoop Dogg giving us all the pick-me-up affirmations we need

Excuse me while I put this on repeat.

8. Man puts together creative games to keep nursing home residents active and now we all want to move in

Yay for caring occupational therapists. How fun does this look?

9. Mama cow named Milkshake shows off her new baby to her owner

Udderly precious. Good job, Milkshake. Read the full story here.

10. Because how could anyone not smile at this cozy scene

Ending this week's list the way we began it—dogs and cats living together, offering the absolute best example to us all.

Hope that happified your day! If you'd like to get these posts delivered to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upwortiest, here.

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