An adorable friendship is blooming between two neighbor dogs, with the internet following along to watch every moment.
American bully dog Gemma Louise lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her owner Sophia Rudy, and is an adored pet, with TikTok account @missgemmalou dedicated to her daily adventures.
The page is filled with clips of Gemma being showered with cuddles and treats, on walks, playing in the yard and relaxing with her owner.
Recently however, Gemma has developed a new hobby: trying to meet the new dog next door.
Rudy explained to Newsweek: “Our neighbors recently got a puppy named Rocky, and they immediately started hanging out through the fence.
“All of the sudden, we can see his nose peaking through and realized they started to dig a hole to see each other!”
In a video posted on November 18, Rudy stepped into the yard where she spotted Gemma lying by the fence, her tail wagging, and her nose sticking into the bottom of the slats.
“What is happening?” Rudy asked, as Gemma stuck her paws through the bottom of the fence to play with whoever was on the other side. “Are you playing with your friend? Are you guys digging a hole to see each other?”
And as Rudy explained to viewers that “our neighbor’s dog is right there, and they’ve been digging a hole on each side,” the neighbor’s dog made an appearance. He stuck his face through the shallow hole at the bottom of the fence, staring up at Rudy, as Gemma sniffed his face happily.
She captioned the clip: “Soon enough the tunnel will be complete and we can have playdates all day long!”
TikTok users were obsessed, watching the video more than 1 million times and awarding it 137,000 likes, as one viewer shared their own story: “Neighbors and I have a gate connecting the backyards. Doggos patrol both yards, get treats at both doors, let themselves into both houses… Hardest. Lives. Ever.”
“My neighbors put a fence between our yard so that they can play together,” another said, while one pleaded: “Please tag me when the tunnel is completed!”
One user asked whether Gemma and Rocky have “every met outside the fence,” adding it was “so cute.” And Rudy explained: “Not yet. He’s still a puppy and is waiting to get neutered before they hang. Gemma is spayed tho!”
While Rocky is waiting to be neutered, Gemma is also “recovering from dual TPLO surgery and is just getting more active,” Rudy said.
Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy, or TLPO, is a knee surgery for dogs who suffer joint problems. A veterinary surgeon cuts part of the tibia and rotates the joint surface to a lower angle, giving to restore joint function in dogs, according to a vet report from The Ralph.
Speaking to Newsweek, Rudy said she and her neighbors “joke about” their dogs’ friendship all the time, and “a play date will be in the books for sure. And we may put a little gate up for them.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.