Gus, a loving Bernese Mountain Dog, completely stopped us in our tracks tonight when a sweet social media video featuring the brotherly Bernese crossed our feed. In an emotional moment caught on video, Gus is both an attentive caretaker and a heartbroken bestie to his Bernese brother undergoing treatment for lymphoma. This is definitely a two-Kleenex tearjerker of a video. We warned you, but it’s worth it.
In the emotional video captioned, “Gus watching over Walt today while he got a UVBI ozone treatment paired with acupuncture,” the aforementioned Gus can be seen lying on all fours in the middle of the treatment room, with brother Walt receiving his treatments nearby. Walt can be seen panting while enduring his acupuncture treatment. Meanwhile, Gus remains the stalwart guardian who does not take his eyes off his beloved pup.
We’re not going to lie, this one put a lump in our throats. Judging by the emotional comment section, we’re not alone.
“The best brother,” wrote one. “He doesn’t know life without him.”
Another added, “The eyebrow moment. You know they have a bond like no other.”
Related: Bernese Mountain Dog Gets Mischievous and Figures Out How to Get His Own Ice
Do Dogs Recognize Their Siblings?
The bond these pups share is clear, but their relationship begs the question: do dogs recognize their siblings? The answer is yes. Dogs recognize siblings mainly by scent. Canines form the deepest bond with their mother, but are likely to form deep and special bonds with the pups to whom they were most connected in early childhood, up to 16 weeks.
Dogs don’t connect to siblings the way humans do, but they recognize kin through the unique scents developed as puppies. That sense of smell also gives dogs the ability to recognize when other dogs or humans are sick.
Gus likely recognizes the attention being paid to Walt, but also likely knows his sibling pup isn’t well due to dogs’ ability to pick up scents related to illness, including cancer.
Get well soon, Walt. We’re all rooting for you.
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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Dec 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.