Parents feared toddler would struggle on first school day — but it was their pet’s reaction that broke them

Frankie’s parents expected his first day of school to be tough for them, not realizing their dog, Beau, would beat them to it. Yes, that's right! Beau couldn't understand why his brother, who had gone out with their parents, hadn't returned with them. So he stayed put by the door, waiting for him. The video, posted by @beaunosebones on August 24, has received over 17 million views within the first 48 hours.

Frank and Erica, the parents, went together to drop their baby boy off at school, but not before letting Frankie say goodbye to his best buddy, Beau. As soon as they left, the dog, who couldn't understand anything, kept peeping through the glass door. He waited there until Frank and Erica returned, but that didn't relax Beau, as he noticed his brother was missing. The couple went upstairs, but their dog kept looking at them, as if asking where they'd left Frankie. Beau didn't move from there and spent hours by the door, waiting for Frankie's return. Whenever the dog heard something, he thought his brother had returned, and so he would run to the door, only to get disappointed. However, after waiting for hours, Frank and Erica went to pick up their son, and upon seeing his brother back home, Beau couldn't keep his excitement under control. Frankie was equally excited to meet Beau after school, and it's safe to say that he had also missed him. "Leaving Frankie at school was hard… But watching Beau wait for him by the door? Heartbreaking," the parents wrote in the caption. 

Dogs have an uncanny ability to form bonds with whomever they meet, especially the kids. In fact, researchers at the University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute found that young children from dog-owning households are less likely to experience difficulties with their emotions and social interactions. Just like Frankie, most kids who grow up around pet dogs get to experience raw emotions and strong bonds very early on in life, and hence are raised to be emotionally strong and have outgoing personalities.

Reacting to Beau's video, @diyabandopadhyay commented, "The biggest blessing we can receive comes with four legs and lots of fur. Life without a dog is not a life well lived!" Similarly, @sabrina_hope.v said, "I am actually crying because I remember being that age, and the best part of coming home from school was always seeing the dog. Love & miss you, sweet Tiki girl!" @veagerailed12 shared, "I cried. This is all I think about when I go to school. (I moved away for college; my dog stayed in my family's house).

@sandh_yaa007 confessed, "We also have a dog; she does the same whenever my mom goes out, and she doesn't even play with us no matter how much we try, but still it's her part of emotions and care for our mom. Even my mom adores her the most. I'm jealous, but I love my dog too, and she deserves all this love." @carusocomm wrote, "Just wait until Frankie goes to college. Beau will be beside him whenever he sees Frankie packing. It’s heartbreaking… they actually get so sad!" Echoing the sentiments, @kaysiebu_gs wrote, "When I went back to work and my daughter went to daycare for the first time, my cat became really uneasy and anxious and stopped eating. After going to the vet, it turned out my cat had bonded with my daughter, so we ended up having to put him on anxiety medication to help him adjust to her not being home. It broke my heart."

You can follow The Derise Family (@beaunosebones) on Instagram for more dog-related videos.

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