A golden retriever patiently waiting for her siblings to be big enough so she can play with them has melted millions of hearts online.
Poppy could be seen peering over the wooden crate to check on the litter of puppies regularly. She even brought them toys at times, in the hope that they might be able to play with her. The excited big sister watched the puppies at "every chance she gets," and eventually Poppy was able to greet them with some gentle kisses.
After several weeks of waiting, the puppies had finally grown strong enough to enjoy some playtime with Poppy, as their owner said it was the best day of Poppy's life.
The adorable clip showing "the love of a big sister" was posted by TikTok user @our.golden.gang on August 21, and it's already amassed more than 1.9 million views and over 180,000 likes.
A golden retriever litter can be anywhere between four and 12 puppies, with an average of around eight. The largest ever recorded consisted of an incredible 17 puppies, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Golden retrievers are undoubtedly a sought-after breed, and despite being a family-oriented dog, they still need plenty of training from a young age. It's recommended that training should start as young as 8 weeks old to establish a routine, rules, and boundaries, so the dog knows what's acceptable.
Puppies are constantly developing between 2 and 6 months, so helping them learn to communicate through barking or signals will cut out any unwanted behavior. Socializing the puppy will enhance its confidence in groups. The AKC refers to this early stage as their angel phase, before the teenage rebellion phase from the age of 6 to 18 months.
The teenage phase is about building on the foundations that were set in their early weeks, but this can be a difficult task. Goldens love to carry things around in their mouths, so teaching them commands to drop and leave items they shouldn't take is fundamental, according to the AKC.
Once goldens reach 18 months old, they will start to move towards the maturity phase, which means they understand the rules and have learned basic obedience. By this stage, the AKC says that dogs will show more signs of individuality and their emotional development is complete.
While the puppies in the viral TikTok clip still have a long way to go, there is no doubt that Poppy will happily be on hand to help them learn. Her main priority appears to be playtime for now, though, as their owner joked that her "moment has finally arrived."
Social-media users can't get enough of the golden's gentle nature and patient temperament, despite being desperate to play with her siblings. There are already more than 1,100 comments on the post from people praising Poppy for being such a loving big sister.
One comment reads: "So cute when she gave them her toys."
Another person wrote: "The pup booping her nose. Made me kinda emotional watching this."
"This is so sweet, I actually teared up watching her," commented a third.
Newsweek reached out to @our.golden.gang via Instagram for comment. We could not verify the details of the video.
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.
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.
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