Travis Kelce Named 'Golden Retriever Boyfriend' (2025)

Travis Kelce has been dubbed a "golden retriever boyfriend" after a TikTok trend that assigns the dog breed to some boyfriends.

What is a "golden retriever boyfriend"?

It's a boyfriend who "has boundless enthusiasm, is emotionally available, loyal, playful, super-affectionate, warm, and is a devoted, healthy, and delightful long-term partner, especially after a woman has experienced a less-than-fabulous relationship," matchmaker Alessandra Conti explained to Fox News Digital.

"He is not afraid to hype up his partner and does not hide his affection for her either."

According to Conti, Kelce "embodies" the "golden retriever boyfriend" and that makes him a good match for his girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift, who was labeled a "black cat girlfriend" due to being mysterious.

According to Fox News Digital, the concept of a "golden retriever boyfriend" has been prevalent on TikTok for years.

In 2024, Today described the golden retriever boyfriend as "friendly, faithful, and affectionate."

Today also mentioned the Kansas City Chiefs star in connection with the trend, writing, "They're always willing to go the extra mile for their favorite person: think Travis Kelce flying across the world to see Taylor Swift in the middle of football season."

“They're obviously very loyal,” expert Taylor Frazar-Green M.A. LPC-A, told Today.com. “I think that the biggest thing similar to the golden retriever dog is that they’re very eager to please and always very agreeable with their partner.”

However, Today noted that some "golden retriever boyfriends" can be "high-maintenance."

According to Brides, the golden retriever boyfriend is sometimes shorthanded to "GRB" on social media.

Some men emulate other dog breeds, Fox News Digital reported.

"A rottweiler or Doberman boyfriend is not for every woman," Conti told Fox News Digital. "These men exude masculinity. They are the protectors and providers and have a whole lot more edge than their friendly counterparts."