In a viral TikTok video, a dog owner shared her heartbreak at her senior dog no longer being able to do all the fun things he used to do in his youth, and internet users can’t stop crying.
In the heartwarming video, shared on Thursday under the username @yourgirrltash, the poster shows her black Labrador retriever a few years ago, jumping all around her with a smile on his face like a little child.
“No one tells you how hard it is to watch your dog go from this… to this,” the caption says, as the second part of the clip shows the senior dog struggling to move as he walks toward his mom for pets.
“His tail is still wagging though,” the caption continues.
While many believe that the age at which dogs turn seniors is around seven years, this can actually vary widely depending on the breed and size of the dog. For some pups it can be as early as five years while for others it can be as late as 12.
Most dogs are puppies until age six months to one year, however, calculating when they become seniors is more complex.
Small dogs, up to 20 pounds, usually reach their adult age a lot quicker than bigger breeds, around six to eight months old, but they age a lot slower.
The lifespan of a small breed dog is typically longer than their larger counterparts—up to about 16 years, so they are not considered seniors until age 12 usually.
Larger breeds live less, like for example Labrador retrievers live to about 12 years old, so by the time they are eight or nine, they are already considered seniors.
Dogs that are even bigger, like the Bernese Mountain Dog, are usually considered seniors by age six to eight.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 375,900 views and 29,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Mary Walsh, commented: “I try not to give out to my dog for jumping everywhere by reminding myself one day he won’t be able to jump and it’ll be all I wish for.”
Honor Gray said: “It sad to see them like this ours just been diagnosed with arthritis in hind legs.”
The Bonsai Noob wrote: “Taking care of old dogs is a privilege and should be treated as such every day.”
Newsweek reached out to @yourgirrltash for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
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