This Dog Watching That Old Jump Scare Video Is Going to Take You Back to Your Childhood
Everyone’s seen that “Relaxing Car Ride” clip—the one that looks harmless at first, with soft music and a quiet stretch of road, until a screaming face suddenly flashes across the screen. It was one of the earliest internet jump scares, and now, nearly twenty years later, it’s made a comeback. This time, though, the one getting startled isn’t a kid but a golden retriever who just met an old prank for the first time.
In a TikTok posted by Lydia Stewart, her dog sits in front of the TV, tail moving, completely focused on the video. The calm drive plays, the gentle music rolls on, and for a few seconds everything feels peaceful. Then the jump hits, and the dog springs off the couch, wide-eyed, looking around the room like the TV just came alive.
Fear And The Funny Side Of Instinct
Fear in dogs is a mix of instinct and experience, the same emotion that helps them survive. When a dog watches a sudden image flash on a screen, its body interprets it as a real threat. Experts say dogs process visuals differently from people, but they still respond to movement and sound. That’s why this golden retriever flinched so hard; to him, that scream was happening right there in the living room.
This emotion in dogs can also come from early experiences. Puppies that don’t get used to new sights and sounds between 8 and 16 weeks of age often grow up more cautious. Some even develop long-term fears after just one bad encounter, like a thunderstorm or fireworks. So when a loud sound jumps out of a TV, their brains light up the same way ours do when we’re startled. What appears to be an overreaction to us is actually self-protection to them.
A Real-Life “Good Boy” Moment
People flooded the comments with jokes and memories. Watching a dog relive the same scare that terrified an entire generation hits differently. It’s a flashback to simpler internet times when viral videos didn’t need filters or special effects to make everyone laugh.
This whole thing feels like a short scene from the indie horror movie “Good Boy,” which tells its eerie story from a dog’s point of view. In the movie, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Indy wanders through a haunted house, sensing things his owner never notices. The jump-scare clip captures that same idea: a loyal dog facing something strange and reacting with the kind of emotion only animals can show.
The best part is that the dog was fine after a quick cuddle and some reassurance. It’s pure internet fun, connecting two generations: the one that screamed first and the one now watching their pets do the same. There’s something comforting about how simple it all is. No production tricks, no setup beyond a dog and a TV. Just a genuine moment of surprise that reminds everyone how easily fear turns to laughter.