No One Prepared for What Spaniel Finds During 'Traumatic' Walk

Dogs will often deliver things they find to their owner, and while it's usually a large stick or an old tennis ball they discover, this woman was horrified by what her spaniel found in the woods.

Dog owner Lizzie is certainly kept on her toes by her two spaniels, Hazel and Willow, but it was their latest antics during a walk which caught everyone off guard. After wandering into the nearby woods, 6-year-old Hazel came out looking incredibly pleased with her latest find, which turned out to be an adult toy.

Lizzie, who doesn't wish to disclose her full name, from the U.K, was horrified by her dog's discovery, telling Newsweek that "this has definitely topped the list of things they've found."

As soon as it became clear what Hazel had carried out of the woods, she was told to leave it immediately, and thankfully she did exactly that.

Hazel discovered the item in the park
Hazel and Willow the spaniels during their walk, when Hazel discovered an X-rated item in the woods. Reaction to the video has been a sheer mix of shock and amusement. @hazelandwillowspaniels/ TikTok

"I was mortified and grossed out that such a thing would be in a public place. I did also laugh, purely out of shock. Of course my dogs would be the ones to not only find it, but drag it out of the bushes in pride," Lizzie said.

"It does beg the question of who has left this in the middle of a country park? I'm not sure Hazel knew what she wanted to do with it, I'm sure she thought it was a gundog dummy that she found in the bush."

Spaniels have long been used as working dogs due to their tireless work ethic and impressive ability to retrieve items. Game hunters regularly used them to search for the prey they shot down and deliver it back to them in a timely manner.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests that this is inherent for spaniels because they are motivated by a prey drive which helps them to track game and deliver it directly to their owner. Other breeds are less inclined to flush out the space for any potential finds, but nothing is getting past a spaniel.

The AKC also highlights that spaniels are very family oriented, so they are more than happy to show off anything they find and share it with their owners—regardless of what they have found.

Lizzie posted a video showing Hazel's unexpected discovery on the dogs' dedicated TikTok account (@hazelandwillowspaniels), much to the delight of many social media users. Since it was posted on October 12, the video has racked up more than 278,000 views and over 2,700 likes in a matter of days.

She continued: "I think people can see that the girls are very obedient, and they too are just perplexed that such a thing was in a park. Others were tagging friends and making jokes, which just made me laugh. I just thought this was too funny to not post.

"I think it also teaches people that it's vital that your dogs have good recall and obedience. Granted the girls did go back to look at it again, but when they were told to leave it, they did on both occasions."

Following the "traumatic" experience, Lizzie was relieved that her dog dropped the X-rated item instantly. However, she added that "Hazel was sad she wasn't allowed to play with her new toy."

Many TikTok users were equally as shocked that the item was in a public place, which made Hazel's antics even funnier.

One comment reads: "I had to pause vid to see what it was. Definitely not what I expected."

Another person wrote: "She found her new chew toy."

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

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Alyce Collins is a Newsweek Life and Trends reporter based in Birmingham, U.K. with a focus on trending topics that ... Read more

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