Some dogs cannot contain their excitement when meeting another furry companion, but not every dog enjoys a lively interaction and one realizes that in a touching video.
The miniature schnauzer’s owner told Newsweek via TikTok that Scotty typically squeals with excitement and stands on his hind legs when meeting new dogs. But this time, when they were visiting an apple farm in California, Scotty was on his best behavior.
The farm has its very own welcoming committee: the resident dog. A senior golden retriever named Farmer approaches all the visitors. Scotty’s owner was expecting him to be his typical self with an over-the-top reaction, but this time he behaved differently.
In a February 17 video posted to the account @scottytheschnauzer, Scotty was unusually quiet and calm, compared with his usual self. He even kissed and sniffed the senior dog gently. The owner believes this is “proof” that dogs have empathy.
@scottytheschnauzer/TikTok
Farmer is an older dog who was injured and has a hurt paw. Somehow Scotty knew. The two dogs kept touching noses with each other, a sign of trust, respect and love.
“Scotty was like a different dog when he met the old dog,” the owner said. “His demeanor was very respectful and out of character.”
That was the first time the owner saw Scotty show this kind of empathy, but it certainly wasn’t the last. A few weeks later, Scotty’s owner had foot surgery and after she came home, he went directly to her cast, laying his head on it, and stayed by her side.
“It just goes to show that he is aware of and empathic to people’s suffering, in addition to this dog’s age and hurt paw,” she said.
The owner was struck by the response she’s received from the video. As of Tuesday, the clip had over 436,800 views, 46,500 likes and 362 comments, with many users sharing similar experiences with a dog showing empathy.
“What a sweet old man! Your baby was just kind and lovely to him!” said one viewer.
Another added: “Dogs just know.”
One user reflected: “Aww. Reminds me of when our mini schnauzer met my mom for the first time. My mom was in hospice care and our dog was so gentle with her, just laying next to her and giving gentle kisses.”
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.