Golden Retriever’s Wide-Eyed Look Has Mom Joking He Thinks He's 'Being Held Hostage'

With how often I watch and truly enjoy content involving dogs on the internet, I do always appreciate how cooperative many of them are about going along with their humans' crazy ideas. From wearing costumes to supporting them in their silly stunts, their effort and hard work absolutely does not go unnoticed, and I always hope they're rewarded with plenty of treats for a job well done when they're finished recording. Plus, it's always good to see that many of the dogs end up in really fun situations to make the adorable footage so many of us love to see.  

But of course, dogs have minds of their own, and it makes sense if they aren't feeling too camera ready that day. And not only did the Golden Retriever in the Instagram video below not seem to be feeling it, but he was not feeling it to such an extent that he made an expression I'm fairly certain has never appeared on a dog's face before in history. 

In order to really know what I'm talking about, you have to see this video from dog mom Danielle Vanos (@airbudkobe on Instagram) and her Golden Retriever, Kobe, for yourself. There is no good way to put that dog's expression into words — he's saying so much while saying nothing at all! 

"When you're trying to film content but your dog is acting like he's trapped in a hostage situation," she wrote. LOL. That is exactly what it looks like! 

What's even wilder is that they weren't even trying to do anything out of the ordinary here — sure, she was talking to the camera, but they were just hanging out on the couch, totally relaxed. I would love to know what was going on in Kobe's brain in this moment. 

Are we sure this guy didn't see a ghost? 

Do Dogs Understand What a Camera Is? 

Obviously, Kobe's been alive and in the world long enough to know that camera his mom is holding is not going to hurt him and probably understands it as a normal, every day object, but do dogs understand what's happening when we try to take a picture or a video of them?  

According to Dogster, dogs don't understand the way that photography works, but they can identify a familiar person in a picture, which is pretty cool. 

If your dog seems to clam up around cameras, you can try to make photo time a rewarding experience for them by giving them treats when they pose for pictures, along with some truly over the top praise. Some dogs may never be into it, and that's okay — candid shots are very cute, too! 

The good news? In all other videos on Kobe's mom's account, it looks like he is just fine with making videos, so this was probably just a one-off. What an expressive pup!