Owner's Way of Helping Rescue Dog Terrified of Elevator Melts Hearts

A video of a dog owner's heartwarming way of helping their rescue pup cope with her fear of elevator rides has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was shared on August 9 by TikTok user @macrosbymel and has received more than 4.7 million views in less than a day.

A message overlaid on the clip reads: "POV [point of view]: You have a little jingle for the elevator ride to hype up your fearful baby." The dog is seen inside an elevator with two people, and the pup jumps up onto a person's chest before standing on the floor again.

A voice in the video is heard singing a tune with the words: "She's so great, she's well-behaved, she is not afraid. She's powerful, she's a good girl, she is our whole world," while the dog is seen looking up toward the two people. The pup is given a treat as the clip ends.

Dogs can develop fears and phobias for different reasons. These include a lack of socialization and exposure to different settings, as well as traumatic learning experiences. This is explained in an article by veterinarians Kenneth Martin, Debra Horwitz and Gary Landsberg for VCA, one of North America's largest animal-hospital chains.

"Dogs are impressionable, and through the effect of 'single event learning,' one negative or traumatic experience may induce fear or phobic responses that generalize to many similar situations," the veterinarians wrote.

Some canines may also develop fears or phobias because of a medical condition or a genetic predisposition.

Professional help is required for dogs displaying extreme fear. But if the fears seem mild, "owner intervention may help to improve the problem or at the very least prevent the fear from getting worse," Martin, Horwitz and Landsberg said in the VCA article.

The veterinarians added that using positive reinforcement training and classical conditioning/counterconditioning can help "foster positive emotional states rather than neutral or negative experiences."

Martin, Horwitz and Landsberg said: "Add small, readily consumed food treats to situations that have in the past induced fear responses. The sight of people and/or dogs may be associated with offering the dog a food treat. Consumption of the treat can change a negative emotion (fear) into a positive emotion."

The latest viral clip has melted the hearts of users on TikTok, with BipolarBear8911 writing: "Oh my gosh, I'm gonna cry."

MellowSnails posted: "THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL."

ClueGirl41 commented, "This is beyond adorable!!!" and Jamie <3 wrote that the dog was "The bravest baby."

User @mrwallypants posted: "Such powerful affirmations..."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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