The adorable relationship between a sick dog and her own "support dog" has melted hearts online. As she gets some emotional help during her hernia treatments.
Owner Giulia was told her chihuahua Gue had a back hernia two years ago and that surgery was not recommended. In the time since, Gue has been receiving regular acupuncture, massage, and laser therapy. It sounds scary, but Gue has had her "support dog" through it all, in the form of canine sibling Chew.
Gue and Chew's supportive relationship was shared online in a TikTok video that has since captured over 1.7 million hearts in the form of likes. "As you can see, at every session, her emotional support dog Chew is present," Giulia said in the video. "Chew is not a certified service dog as she failed her exams several times, but her presence during these sessions has been essential for Gue's healing process."
In the clip, Gue could see acupuncture needles placed across the head and body while Chew hilariously watched on and sniffed Gue during the treatment.
What have the studies shown?
Although Chew is not technically a natural support dog, emotional support in canine form can be beneficial for dogs. Studies have shown.
In 2018, 29 military dogs participated in an experiment in which they had weekly socialization sessions with a non-military dog, where they could do whatever they pleased. Their behavior was evaluated after the study, and it found that the dogs that took part in the experiment showed less aggressive behaviors than the military dogs that did not have regular socialization with another dog.
Dr. Stanley Coren, a psychologist who works on the human-to-animal relationship, theorized in Psychology Today that these effects weren't just down to overall socialization sessions but "the effects of exposure to a therapy dog for short periods."
It's clear that Chew has had enormous benefits for Gue during her healing process, and TikTok viewers were left touched by their sibling relationship.
"Anything for the fur babies," wrote one user.
"Chew deserved that certification," added another.
Newsweek has contacted Giulia for comment.
Chew and Gue aren't the only dogs to play huge parts in one another's lives. This month, two other dogs went viral for their apparent love for each other.
Dog Rocky and his sister Marlow gained over 800,000 views after their owner captured Rocky "obsessing" over his canine sibling.
