A golden retriever’s tender way of waking his canine sister during a “bad dream” has captured hearts online, with more than 1.7 million views on TikTok.
The sweet interaction between the two dogs, Gamja, 5, and Chip, 3, has gained viral attention on TikTok as the footage reveals the pair’s sweet bond. In the video, posted by owner Yuni Lee from California, the older retriever, Gamja, was stirring and making noises as she slept. Chip, sensing something is wrong, gently approaches his older sister, nudging and licking her face in an apparent attempt to comfort her.
Alongside the sweet moment, owner Lee wrote a text overlay that said: “Wondering where Chip learned to gently wake his sister when she’s having a bad dream.” The answer became clear as the video unfolded; Chip’s adorable wake-up was learned behavior from Gamja herself.
The video transitioned to a shot of Chip as a puppy, being lovingly licked awake by his older sister while he naps, revealing that the compassionate behavior was passed down from one dog to the other.
“I see them do it whenever one is dreaming and making sounds,” Lee told Newsweek. “Although it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re having bad dreams, the sounds do make it seem like it.”
Lee added: “Watching them gently wake each other is so sweet. Their bond is very special.”
Whether Gamja was having a “bad dream” or simply a restless night—scientific evidence supports the idea that dogs do, in fact, dream. A 2001 study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology observed the brain activity of lab rats as they navigated a maze.
The MIT researchers found that the rats exhibited similar brain patterns during REM [rapid eye movement] sleep, suggesting they were dreaming about their experiences. The researchers said that, since dogs possess more advanced intellectual capabilities than rats, it was reasonable to conclude they also dream.
On TikTok, people couldn’t get enough of the adorable moment, and viewers flooded to the comments section to share their reactions. “Dogs are so compassionate and intuitive,” one commenter wrote, while another posted: “Dogs are better than people.”
“They are absolutely so sweet and adorable. I can feel the love,” added a third viewer.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup.
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