A social media video of a Staffordshire bull terrier staring longingly for his owners out of a living room window has broken hearts across the internet.
The viral video, which has been viewed more than 241,000 times to date, shows the dog waiting anxiously beside a window. A caption under the post says that the pup had recently woken up to an empty house after a long nap.
The dog's owner had written across the video, "He thought we left him."
@tessyau He woke up from a nap and didn’t realise we are home. 🥹#staffytok #staffy #staffylove #petsoftiktok #doglove
♬ original sound - didiandkaza
Being apart from key members of their household for any period of time can cause or trigger separation anxiety in some dogs. While it's not made clear in the TikTok post whether the Staffy suffers from separation anxiety, the breed are known to be close to their owners and have a nervous streak. The U.K's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals writes online that separation-related behavior occurs when a dog is left alone.
"In many cases, the behavior is a result of distress," writes the RSPCA.
Common signs of separation anxiety include a dog howling or barking, trembling, peeing indoors or being destructive when left alone or kept apart from their loved ones.
The animal welfare organization recommends that dogs prone to separation anxiety be left in an stress-free environment with toys they are fond of or with people they know to minimize any discomfort they may feel. Over time, and with training and persistence, separation anxiety can be addressed.
The dog and his family, which includes another male Staffordshire bull terrier, are based in Melbourne, Australia.
What Do The Comments Say?
Since it was shared to the social media platform on June 2 by @TessYau, the TikTok post has been liked by more than 13,000 people and commented on over 200 times.
Many TikTokers have shared messages of support for the emotional pup in the comments section under the post.
"Hug him here, because. The poor man is sad," one user wrote.
"Well, I need to quit my job now," another added.
"Did [you] come back? He is so frightened and sad. I hope [you] did," commented a different TikToker.
"Bless him," shared another TikTok user.
Newsweek reached out to @TessYau for comment via TikTok.
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