There’s old footage making the rounds that captures something every dog parent has seen but never quite gets easier to watch: a Golden Retriever standing by the door, toy in mouth, waiting for his best friend to come home from school.
The TikTok shows exactly what happened on this sweet little boy’s first day of school. His Golden Retriever brother is sitting right by the door, holding his favorite lovey, completely ready to play the second that school bus pulls up.
The caption hits different: “Why do dogs miss their humans so much? Because to them we are not just part of the day. We are the day. Their routine revolves around us. Their safety is connected to us. Their joy is tied to our presence. They do not understand time the way we do. They only understand together and not together. So when we leave, they wait for us to return.”
That pretty much sums up the entire emotional experience of seeing a devoted dog wait for someone they love to come home.
The comments section got emotional fast. “Some people don’t understand the love these babies give us! ❤️❤️❤️” wrote one person.
Someone else went philosophical: “I will say this 1000 times over, we simply do not deserve the unconditional, pure love that a dog gives 💕”
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Others related hard to the feeling. “I hate when I have to leave” and “I love my little buddy. He is always by my side” captured that two-way bond.
One commenter offered perfect advice for the future: “Save this for later when your sweet boy is having a hard day.”
Golden Retrievers Form Deep Emotional Attachments to Family Members
Here’s what science tells: dogs genuinely miss us when we’re gone, and the bond is real.
A 2020 study from Azabu University in Japan monitored 50 dogs during their humans’ absences and found they experienced measurably increased stress—higher heart rates, more pacing, more vocalizations. The longer the separation, the more intense their emotional response became.
Dogs also form unique attachments with each person in a household. They can display different behaviors depending on which specific family member is missing.
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So when this Golden Retriever stands at that door with his toy, he’s not just bored or confused. He’s experiencing genuine longing for his little human. Dogs don’t understand time like we do—they just know “together” and “not together.”
Which means every school day feels indefinite until that door opens and his best friend walks back through it.
Toy ready. Heart full. Just waiting.
This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Feb 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.