Chihuahua Spends Quality Time With Senior Brother Knowing He's Close to His 'Final Chapter'

Between childhood and adulthood, I've had the chance to know several pets through their final days, as truly heartbreaking as that stage in their lives (and ours) can be. It's hard to see the cat or dog you love so much begin to slow down as you accept that their time with you is a lot more limited than you'd want — even if you know they've had a long, beautiful life. But you're not the only one who can sense that the time is coming; there's a good chance that the other pets in your household can, too.

And in some cases, like the one in this TikTok video, those younger pets may even start changing their behavior so they're able to be with the senior dog in the family as often as they can.

Over the weekend, @teenytoby shared a TikTok video that just might make you cry: their Chihuahua pup has made it his mission to be near the senior dog of the family, now that he's picked up on the fact that he's "nearing his final chapter."

It's heartbreaking to even think about, but at the same time, it's so sweet to witness how much love is between these two brothers. They don't need to play or communicate in any other way; they just need to sit beside each other. In a comment, their human said that the older dog is now 18 years old.

"This is the senior boy's second Chi brother," they wrote. "My other Chi passed due to an illness and he was heartbroken so we got Toby for him and now Toby’s here to help him be comfy till he can join his brother."

It's so sad to think about Toby losing his brother, but how special is it that he's able to be with him and show him so much love?

Can Dogs Tell When the End Is Coming for Another Dog?

Dogs are very perceptive creatures, so it's no surprise that they're able to sense when another dog may be getting ready to head to the rainbow bridge .

According to Wag, a dog's superior sense of small can help them pick up a change that lets them know that something is happening. Dogs will stay close to a pet in the house who they are strongly bonded to if they can sense that they are dying, much like Toby is doing in the video above.

Some dogs will even grieve after losing a beloved furry friend, which could show itself by your pup sleeping more than usual, having a lowered appetite, or being super clingy to their humans.

Be sure to show them (and yourself) a lot of extra love during a time like this. You both need it — and you'll be stronger if you get through it together.