A viral TikTok highlighting the sweet moment a mother dog recognized her grown son after spending time apart melted hearts, proving their bond never faded.
The October 24 clip, posted by @hellosweetpuppy, shows the two German shepherds circling and sniffing each other in a grassy field. While this is a typical greeting among dogs, the mama canine—who was not wearing a collar—stopped for a double take. She needed extra sniffs to confirm her suspicion: this is my baby. Their tails began wagging rapidly the moment she seemed sure.
While it may seem like a touching coincidence, research suggests this recognition isn’t random. A study published in the Behavioural Processes journal found that both mothers and offspring can recognize each other through scent cues, retaining the information for up to two years.
Even though this mother-son duo is well into their adult years, 9 and 4, the scent recognition didn’t fade, in part because of regular playdates. The owner told Newsweek via TikTok that this clip showed them reuniting after the longest time they spent apart.
“My dog lost an eye about six months ago due to an injury, so he hadn’t been able to see his mom for a while,” the owner said. “This interaction was after the longest stretch of not seeing each other.”
An article from PetsCare stated dogs often display specific behaviors when recognizing relatives, such as prolonged sniffing, relaxed body language and tail wagging—all of which were visible in the reunion. The son even made a playful jump back to stop the sniffing and start playing. Canines will especially remember relatives with whom they spent meaningful time during puppyhood.
“Their relationship has really evolved over time,” the owner said. “He listens to everything she ‘tells’ him. She’s very much the leader, especially when he was younger. He would always learn a new lesson after seeing her, which was really fun to witness.”
Viewer Reactions
The TikTok video amassed over 1.4 million views, 47,600 likes and 284 comments as of Wednesday, with viewers obsessing over the precious reactions. But some questioned whether it truly was recognition or just a greeting.
“She like, ‘Wait a minute, let me REALLY smell u,'” commented one person.
Another viewer wrote: “Mama is always boss! She’s reinforcing this.”
A third added: “She was definitely smelling familiar from the start, what a beauty.”
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