Watch Senior Dog’s Incredible Reaction to Meeting Puppy: ‘Crying’

A senior dog rolled back the years during a play date with his owner’s sister’s new puppy.

In a video posted to TikTok under the handle rebeccapepeel, an elderly Labrador by the name of Cooper can be seen happily playing with his tiny new canine friend in the garden. While Cooper lies out on the grass, the pup runs in and around him, with both dogs evidently loving the playful interaction.

The encounter had Cooper’s owner feeling emotional. “He played like a puppy again,” she wrote alongside the heartwarming clip, which can be viewed here.

According to the comments she left on the video, her sister recently adopted the puppy, a Chihuahua Dachshund mix, from a foster home.

At the time of writing, the video has been watched over 410,000 times and serves as a reminder of the benefits of providing pet pooches with some company.

Those benefits were thrown into sharp focus by a 2023 study published in the scientific journal Evolution, Medicine & Public Health. Researchers found that dogs who engaged in regular social interaction as a result of living with another canine were associated with “better health” outcomes than dogs who lived a more isolated existence.

Cooper certainly appears to be benefiting from his encounter with the puppy who is not only putting him through his paces but also boosting his mood.

That was the consensus among those watching the clip on social media. “Just two young souls enjoying the sun and each other’s company,” one user wrote, with another commenting: “And all of sudden the elder dog became a puppy again.”

Some were left in tears watching the clip. “This made me cry,” one TikTok user confessed while another admitted they “broke down crying” watching the footage.

Elsewhere, one user even claimed to have witnessed firsthand the benefits of adding a puppy to a household with an aging dog. “We got a puppy when my dog was close to dying and he went on to live 5 more years,” they wrote.

Another viewer offered a more analytical look at the way the two dogs were playing on the video. “Not to nerd out in your comments but this is a fantastic example of healthy play! Your dog is self-handicapping in order to make the experience,” they said.

More than anything though, there was just a general sense of happiness at seeing the two dogs enjoying each other’s company. “Old dogs being invigorated by a puppy’s youth gotta be the best videos ever,” one user said. “This is so adorable I’m going to explode,” a second user added.

The encounter won the backing of dog owners everywhere. “I love just doing anything to make my older dog feel like a puppy again,” one said.

“That’s what I strive for everyday,” Cooper’s owner replied.

Newsweek has reached out to rebeccapepeel for comment.

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