When the trash truck arrives, this Golden Retriever would act very strangely. Joshua Byrne said his dog Shelby was acting weird and he assumed it was the sound of the garbage truck that was disturbing her.

He assumed wrong.

Whenever Shelby was outside on her leash, she would reach for the garbage cans – so “disturbed” wasn’t really an accurate term. She was clearly excited.

Wanting to get to the bottom of this strange behavior, Byrne decided he would let Shelby out in the yard on trash day to see what all the fuss was about.

Lucky for us, he filmed the whole thing.

As soon as the trash truck pulled up, Shelby bolted for the trash collector.

Byrne got nervous, thinking that Shelby was in attack mode.

Panic quickly subsided once he realized that Shelby was happy to see her friend who always stopped to say hello and pet her. She was so excited to see her buddy!

Byrne was shocked by this secret friendship that was taking place, but he was also happy at the same time. Someone else loving on your dog is always a win.

It’s apparent from the video these two have a long-standing friendship. Bailey really cannot get enough of the attention of her friend.

Byrne was so thankful for how his dog was treated that he went outside to thank the man.

We’re not surprised by Shelby’s reaction to her new friend.

The American Kennel Club describes Golden Retrievers as “friendly, intelligent, and devoted.”

Golden Retrievers have a tendency to have a puppy-like attitude and demeanor all through adulthood.

Golden Retrievers may be one of the most popular dogs in the United States, but they have a foreign origin.

Dudley Marjoribanks, the first Lord Tweedmouth, developed the Golden Retriever breed in the Scottish Highlands. Between 1840 and 1890, Tweedmouth had wanted a dog that would be able to handle the rainy climate and the terrain, so he bred a Yellow Retriever with the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel. The Irish Setter and Bloodhound were added in the mix.

“Through several generations of clever breeding,” an admiring historian wrote, “Tweedmouth created a consistent line of exceptional working retrievers.”

Golden’s first made a public debut at the British Dog Show in 1908 and they started making their way to the United States.

The AKC states that “sport hunters appreciated the breed’s utility, show fanciers were enthralled by their beauty and dash, and all were impressed by the Golden’s sweet, sensible temperament.”

The AKC registered them as a breed in 1925, but they really rose in popularity when President Gerald Ford entered the White House with his Golden, Liberty, and the breed really took off in popularity. According to CBS News, Golden Retrievers are the number three dog in the United States, trailing only behind the German shepherd and Labrador retriever.

Be sure to watch the video of Shelby and her trash collector friend below.

After watching their heartwarming friendship, you may want a Golden of your own!

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Source: Animal Channel, AKC, CBS News, We Love Animals