For some parents, the decision to have a pet around their children is a difficult one. But if this video of this toddler is any indication, having a pet in the family can teach your little one some critical lessons.
Studies have shown that having a pet around can teach a child compassion, empathy and trust. Many pets also develop a lifelong bond with infants that grows as they grow.
That was the type of connection displayed in this video of a mama dog, her babies and a toddler. While the mama dog lay down to rest with her puppies, the toddler came to check on them.
The child approached the mama dog first, giving gentle pets on the dog’s head, as if to remind the sweet mama that she was loved and cared for, too. Then, equally tenderly, the toddler stroked one of the puppies.
For a second, it looked like the child might leave, but the toddler turned around to share a little more love. She bent over and placed a tender kiss on the mama dog’s head. Then, she pet the puppy once more.
With that gesture, the mama dog guided her lost puppy back into the puppy lineup of nursing pups. Unsurprisingly, this short video went viral, gaining nearly 3 million views at the time of this writing.
People around the world were impressed by both the connection that this little human and her dog shared and the toddler herself. As one person put it, “[Her] parents should be proud [to have] such a compassionate baby.”
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