Moment Deep Sleeping Senior Dog Senses Owner: ‘Tail Wag’

While the amount of sleep dogs get as they age increases, their senses might decrease, sometimes making it difficult to wake them up.

In a recent viral TikTok video, an owner knew that her 14-year-old senior canine was in a deep sleep when she returned home. But instead of rushing over to greet him with love, she took it slow, extending her hand in front of his nose and hoping he would wake up from the smell.

Barney, a golden retriever, did not wake up immediately, which can happen since an older dog’s sense of smell isn’t as sharp as it once was. The owner then lightly rubbed his snoot and Barney gently lifted his head. And with a few more sniffs, he couldn’t believe his owner was back.

The caption on the TikTok video posted by user @barneysharland reads: “MUMS HOME if you can’t tell by my smile and tail wag.”

Barney’s tail started wagging nonstop as soon as he put it together about who was waking him up from his slumber. Luckily, he wasn’t mad. He lit up. He even stood up like a gentleman to greet her properly.

Newsweek reached out to @barneysharland via TikTok for additional comment.

TikTok Users React

The precious TikTok clip quickly melted hearts and has so far reached over 2.7 million views, 248,100 likes, and 379 comments.

“Oh gosh, so cute that tail went from 0 to 100 so quick,” commented one TikTok user.

A second added: “He got up for her. Our angels.”

Another commented: “Barney was getting out of bed for mum but no other person or thing.”

Sleepy Senior Dogs

As your dog begins to enter his or her senior years, you may start noticing their energy levels decreasing and with this might come some extra naps throughout the day. Senior dogs could sleep up to 18 or 20 hours a day, according to PetMD.

Aging dogs might also experience a decline in their senses, which makes it crucial for owners to know how to wake a sleeping dog. The last thing you would want is to startle them and make them feel disoriented or agitated.

When a dog’s hearing starts to go, owners might want to try gently tapping their dog awake instead of calling their name, website OodleLife recommends. Or sometimes gradually increasing your volume as you call them works too.

If their sight is in decline, you will want to avoid turning on bright lights or making sudden movements. Try turning on a soft light to wake them up. Or, since they deserve the best sleep in their golden years, let the morning light wake them up naturally.

Always remember to approach a sleeping senior dog with a delicate touch and opt for gradual and gentle methods to wake them up.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup.