Australian Shepherd's Sweet Moment with Wild Bunny Is Warming Everyone's Hearts

All dogs react differently to seeing another animal. Some are very freaked out by it, either if the animal in question is another dog. My dog immediately thinks that whatever the animal is wants to be her friend, and runs at it accordingly (which almost never works out the way she hopes it will). Others are immediately in hunting mode, which isn't always ideal. But the one thing that most dogs don't do? Approach slowly and stand still near a potential new friend. 

Well, unless they're the dog in this TikTok video, who's being so sweet I can hardly stand it — and judging by the comments, I most certainly am not the only one who feels this way! 

On Wednesday, June 5, @sidneypoo shared a video of the surprising thing that happened when her Australian Shepherd, Sidney, spotted a bunny near the road where she was walking.

While other dogs might have ran, that's not Sidney's style. Instead, she slowly and calmly approaches before stopping to stand near the bunny. She's curious, but she's not going to push too hard — and as a result, the bunny doesn't move, either. It's like they're communicating wordlessly with each other. 

"I tell her to go say hi & she knows exactly how close she can get before scaring the bunny off," Sidney's mom wrote in a comment.

Since Sidney was diagnosed with mast cell cancer earlier this year, followers were glad to see her out about — it looks like she was feeling pretty good that day if she was up for taking a walk. And she even got to make a friend along the way! 

Do Dogs and Bunnies Get Along?

The moment that Sidney and this wild bunny shared is truly unique, since many dogs' first instincts will be to chase a rabbit they see outdoors. But if you're planning to introduce a bunny to your family and already have a dog as a pet, you can take steps to ensure that this doesn't happen.

However, it's important to take every precaution to keep everyone involved safe, and as one humane society has pointed out, that may mean not adopting a bunny if you already have a dog that belongs to a hunting breed, like Greyhounds or German Shepherds.

You'll want to make sure to introduce your dog and bunny slowly and under full supervision, while also giving them each a safe place to run off to where they can be undisturbed. It's also a good idea to keep their feeding areas separate, and to never allow your dog to chase your rabbit. 

Who knows? They could end up being fast friends, like Sidney and the bunny in this video.