Golden Retriever's Big Morning Stretch Has Humans Feeling Seen

There are certain unspoken rules to being a pet parent. You have to pretend like you're mad when they do something bad. You have to pay the cheese tax. You have to make up little songs about them.

Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that you must tell them how big their yawns and stretches are every time they yawn or stretch. You have no choice, and on Sunday, July 21st, we got to see one of the biggest stretches of all time:

I love @goldenhrbuzz's commitment to a big stretch here. He's seriously just like me, especially after a long car ride!

Related: Mom Helping Her Maine Coon Stretch Shows Just How Big He Is

Buzz is a beautiful Dark Red Golden Retriever, and he's just over a year old. In that year, he's grown a lot and spent a ton of time working on his muscles, which can only mean one thing: he spends a lot of time stretching them out. His biggest stretches always happen right after a nap!

This video is Buzz's most viral by far: he's gotten 4.5 million views and over a million likes! The only negative thing a lot of people in the comments are saying is that Buzz's mom doesn't remark on the big stretch by saying, "ooh, big stretch!" She most likely said it, just off camera - not saying it is basically a crime!

Different Ways That Dogs Stretch

Buzz is exhibiting the "downward dog" stretch here, which is the most common first stretch a dog does when they get up. There are a variety of other ways dogs stretch though, like:

1. Stretching their hip flexors by splaying their legs out behind them and "looking up."
   
   
2. Stretching their paws and claws by reaching forward and army-crawling a few steps. Also known as the "biscuit stretch."
   
   
3. Stretching their necks upward only, often accompanied by a big yawn.

Dogs stretch after naps, but they may also stretch when they're wanting to play or greeting you or another dog. In greeting, they typically bow down on their front paws and stretch out that way, only coming up when they know you're accepting them.

Every dog needs to stretch , including seniors who may have a hard time doing so. There are ways to help your dog stretch; lay them down or stand them up and gently stretch each of their limbs in gentle, circular motions. It'll help prevent atrophy and keep them from getting too stiff. Don't worry, you can still say "big stretch!" as you're helping them.