Dog Has the Sweetest Way of Telling His Deaf Dad He’s Scared of Fireworks

Thunderous holiday fireworks can easily send even the bravest four-legged companions sprinting for the nearest hiding spot. This super viral Instagram video posted by @robertandmaggie_ shows a terrified pup handling this scary situation a little differently. The lovely black Labrador named Slater climbs right into bed to let his humans know that the fireworks have become a little too much. This intuitive dog knows exactly how to get a reassuring message across to his deaf dad. True love really requires zero spoken words to be understood.

The touching bond between the dog and his deaf dad shows how deeply they understand each other

The clip opens in the bedroom where Slater tightly snuggles up against his father’s side. Dad is scrolling on his phone but instantly notices his pet’s tense body language. He looks toward his wife, who is filming, and asks in American Sign Language, “What’s wrong?” On-screen text explains that the dog is trying to tell his deaf dad that he’s scared.

His wife signs back that it’s fireworks, prompting him to mirror the sign back. Then he immediately shifts his entire focus toward soothing his frightened dog. He pulls Slater close and signs that everything is completely okay. The sweet dog responds by resting his heavy head directly on his deaf dad’s belly.

A moment later, Dad signs, “Daddy will protect you,” while Slater keeps his eyes fixed on him the entire time. Little by little, the nervous pup settles in. He stretches out beside him, rolls onto his back for extra belly rubs, and stays tucked safely against the person he trusts most. One amused glance toward the camera also makes it pretty clear what Dad thinks about whoever decided fireworks were a good idea.

The heartwarming clip has now reached more than 37.5 million views and 4.5 million likes, with viewers admitting they couldn’t stop watching it. Many joked that Slater understands sign language better than they do, while others couldn’t get over how quickly Dad knew something was wrong before anyone even explained it.