Reunions between owners and their dogs are always heartwarming. Whether it’s been a week apart or simply a work day, the excitement that dogs show when greeting their human tends to be so passionate and enthusiastic. Any dog owner will tell you that few things beat that moment of walking in the door and being excitedly greeted by your best friend.

But when the time spent apart isn’t just a few days, when it isn’t because of an office job or a vacation, when it lasts months and months, that reaction is even stronger. In this very moving video, we see a Golden Retriever welcoming his human mom home from a tour in Afghanistan.
It’s clear the pair have a very close bond, and there’s also no denying this pup missed his owner a lot. He can barely contain himself when they see each other, nuzzling into her, showering her with kisses and letting out overwhelmed cries of relief to have his best friend back.
Too sweet. Check out the video here:

We’re not crying…we just…we just have something in our eyes, OK?
(Just kidding…totally teared up.)
What a heartwarming reminder that dogs are not ‘just pets,’ but really do become part of the families they join. We’re sure these two had lots of belly rubs and neighborhood walks to catch up on once all the excitement wound down. Still smiling over this one!