Watch Incredible Moment Dog Handles Child's 'Toddler Tantrum'

A debate rages as to whether dogs and babies mix, with one camp thinking it's great for a child to grow up with a dog, and others not wanting to take the safety risk, or the extra responsibility.

One video on TikTok—captioned "When your dog can handle toddler tantrums better than you"—is strongly in the former category, showing that a dog can even take some child-minding responsibilities off parents.

In the video, posted by Stephanie Palmer, which has been viewed more than one million times, a two-year-old Henry can be seen having a "toddler tantrum," standing by the door and screaming. At one point a Pomsky—a mixture of a Pomeranian and a husky— joins in, letting out a gentle howl. Henry stops screaming and turns to look at the dog, named Oakley, laughing.

"Henry started to throw a tantrum because he wanted to play outside in the rain instead of taking his daily nap," Palmer, 30, from Elgin, Illinois, told Newsweek, "After my normal tactics of calming the tantrum down didn't work, I tried something different where I would tell him I'm going upstairs and I'd like him to follow me to read books, etc.

"Then as I was walking away and Henry still was tantrum-ing, Oakley started howling. Luckily I had my phone on me to capture the cuteness and by God's grace I captured the perfect sweet video of Oakley inserting himself into the chaos and transforming the situation to laughter and peace. No editing necessary, what you see is exactly how it happened."

When dogs and kids do mix well, like in this video, it can be an incredible experience. Dogs can get a lot out of a toddlers endless energy and children can play and learn how to respect and look after animals, but it is essential that they are always monitored carefully.

"Toddlers can be very unpredictable," says holistic dog training expert, Tonya Wilhelm in an article for Animal Wellness Magazine. "They sometimes fall, grab, scream, run and throw things."

"The ideal situation is to teach toddlers how to gently and kindly interact with dogs. This will also teach your dog that little humans are friendly and enjoyable, not something to fear or feel they need to be defensive around," she said.

"Henry and Oakley have been best buds since Henry was born in 2021," said Palmer. "Oakley is very patient and playful with Henry, he's a really great furry first friend. Oakley recently gained another mini human when we brought Alexis, our 6 month old, into the world in December.

"If you're willing to put in the extra work—and patience—of having both a dog and toddler at the same time, the hard work pays off in the joy, laughter and love it creates for everyone in the family," she added.

Retrievers, Labradors and bulldogs rank highest as the best child-friendly dogs according to website PetHelpful, while chow chows, Afghan hounds, and Akitas, rank the lowest.

Never, ever leave your dog alone with your toddler, even if they're ordinarily the sweetest pet. Sudden movements or noises from a child might spook a usually calm dog.

"This applies even if you're confident that the child will be kind and gentle with your dog," says Animal Wellness Magazine. "A toddler's quick movements or high-pitched cries can cause some dogs to react in unexpected ways. It's best to be cautious and provide supervision when young kids are around your dog."

Users on TikTok loved Palmer's video.

"That's your service dog lol," commented one user.

"Man, whatever the dog said it worked on him," said another.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.