Empathy isn’t something we usually expect from animals, yet it’s something dogs seem to have in abundance. They sense moods, recognize distress, and offer comfort in the most sincere ways. A video making its way around Instagram beautifully illustrates this, showing one dog’s gentle response when his furry sibling started making odd noises in her sleep.
Instagram video shows Golden Retriever checking on sibling after disturbed sleep
Shared by Instagram user @gamjamypotato, the video captures a moment of pure sibling love between two Golden Retrievers, Gamja and Chippie. While Gamja is napping, she starts making strange noises in her sleep — something between a snore and a distressed whimper. That’s when Chippie, clearly noticing something is off, walks over and gently checks on her. He doesn’t bark or panic. Instead, he leans in and lays his head next to hers in a quiet, comforting gesture, like he’s saying, “I’m here.” The video’s caption reads, “He knew she needed him,” and it’s hard to disagree. The interaction is simple, but it’s full of warmth and empathy.
At the time of writing, the reel has received over 169K views and more than 15.6K likes. The comments section is full of emotional reactions and people sharing similar stories about their own dogs’ sweet instincts. One user wrote, “This is the most precious thing I’ve seen all week.” Another said, “we don’t deserve dogs omg.” Many pointed out the quiet understanding between the two pups, with someone commenting, “The head nuzzle? I’m crying.”
Studies suggest that dogs do, in fact, dream, and often relive their daily experiences while they sleep, much like humans. Twitching paws, quiet barking, and even vocal noises are not unusual during canine REM sleep. It’s possible that Gamja was simply caught up in a dream, and Chippie, ever the caring brother, responded out of instinct and empathy.
