Watch: Woodchuck hitches a ride on golden retriever's back

When they got close to shore, the dog and rodent gave each other a kiss, then parted ways. Photo / ABC

Wally the golden retriever did exactly what his breed is supposed to do during a recent swim in a Massachusetts lake, retrieving a small rodent and giving it a ride to shore on his back before ending the trip with a little kiss — an interaction all caught on video by Wally's owner.

Lauren Russell was at Hickory Hills Lake in Lunenburg with Wally last month when he came across what appeared to be a woodchuck in the water, she told WCVB-TV on Monday.

"He was about 100m out and a woodchuck, I think, just crawled right up on his back and he swam back to shore with him," Russell said.

When they got close to shore, the dog and rodent gave each other a kiss, then parted ways. Photo / ABC

Wally is a friendly dog, but she had never seen anything like this.

"We were flabbergasted. It was unbelievable. We couldn't believe what we were seeing," Russell said.

When they got close to shore, the dog and rodent gave each other a kiss before parting ways.

"They like touched snouts and then he ran away," Russell said.

- AP