Endearing footage of the moment a woman tiptoed into her home to avoid startling her 14-year-old golden retriever has greatly moved viewers on social media.

A viral TikTok video posted by the dog's owner under the handle @sashasgoldenlive shows Sasha's reaction to seeing her owner and has received more than 500,000 views.

The text overlay reads: "Day 258 of trying not to startle my senior golden retriever when I get home from work."

As the camera approaches, the owner kneels down and softly pets the dog until she wakes up and begins wagging her tail enthusiastically.

Mondrian Contreras, a veterinarian at Carol Stream Animal Hospital in Illinois, previously told Newsweek that the adage "Let sleeping dogs lie" should be respected and that dogs should always be gently woken up because being startled awake can cause them to injure themselves or even others.

"There are medical conditions such as hearing loss, arthritis, and back injuries that can cause dogs to be more reactive if abruptly startled awake," Contreras said. "This intense reaction can result in them injuring themselves. Or the sudden increased physical discomfort may cause them to instinctively snap or growl due to the flight or fight response."

The TikTok clip's comments section quickly became flooded with heartfelt responses from viewers and fellow animal lovers. User Mapping Librarian commented: "Senior dogs are so full of love," while another viewer, tgcthegamecave, said: "I'm not crying, I'm not crying...."

Patrick loved the video of Sasha and wrote: "She is an absolute confirmed treasure. Hands down so precious."

Golden retrievers are known for their gentle and affectionate nature, making them one of the most loved breeds in the U.S., according to the American Kennel Club. The breed was first recognized by the AKC in 1925 and has since been cherished for its friendly disposition toward humans, other dogs and young children.

"Be still my heart," said user That Cali Wonder. "We don't deserve dogs."

Fellow pet owner Brittany shared a similar story. "I have to do this with my senior English bulldog who is deaf," she wrote. "She's always so happy."

User Cameron Myers recalled: "My old gal would sleep HARD. To the point that I would start panicking and then she'd wake up like everything was fine and dandy."

This isn't the first time a senior dog waking to see its owner has caused a stir online. Earlier this year, 11-year-old Maltese Vandy was dubbed an "angel" when he woke from a nap to see his owner returning home from work.

Newsweek reached out to @sashasgoldenlive via TikTok for comment.

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