Man revisits family dog who once used to 'terrorize' him — and finds a gentle old friend instead

The family dog who once "terrorized" visitors with overexcitement now walks slowly, tail wagging, and asks for nothing but gentle pets. The change was shared in a TikTok video by Dani on his page @allegedlydani, showing him visiting the dog after years apart. The video opens with clips from the dog’s younger years, around age three or four. Full of energy, he barked repeatedly, dropped into a play stance, and insisted on roughhousing with anyone nearby.

Dani shows how the dog would bark with intensity, lie flat on the floor with his tail wagging, and jump up to block anyone from walking away. In one clip, he places both front paws squarely on Dani’s feet, refusing to let him leave. At the time, Dani described the behavior as overwhelming, but typical of a young dog who wanted constant engagement, and it became a regular routine during visits. Now 13, the dog is seen approaching at a much slower pace. His face is white with age, and his movements more measured, but the tail still wags. He leans in for affection, gently licking Dani’s face as he’s petted. In the caption, Dani said, "He’s always been my baby."

While the emotional contrast is clear, the transformation shown in the video reflects a broader pattern observed in older dogs. In a large cross-sectional study of more than 9,000 dogs, researchers found that dogs tend to become less aggressive as they age. The study, which adjusted for factors like sex, breed, and body size, found that senior dogs showed significantly lower levels of both human- and dog-directed aggression compared to younger or middle-aged dogs. According to the researchers, aggression tends to peak in middle age , particularly between six and eight years, before tapering off in later years.

Behavioral traits like playfulness, excitability, and reactivity also decline steadily over time. The findings support what many longtime dog owners observe anecdotally: as dogs grow older, they often become calmer, more affectionate, and less reactive. The story resonated a lot with viewers, and people were struck by the contrast between the dog’s younger, energetic years and his affection now. u/garbagejuicesmoothie2 wrote, "Dipped his whole face in the powdered sugar." u/az_orcus chimed in, "She’s making sure before she goes that you know she still loved you, even though all of the terrorizing." 

u/the_monarhk wrote, "All those years wasted fighting each other, Charles...to have a precious few of them back." Some shared stories of their furry companions. u/l3av3.m3.a10n3 commented, "My dog got dementia and forgot she didn’t like people. We had three very sweet, cuddly years with her."  u/vexxdone said, "Happened with my sister’s Chihuahua. She hated almost everyone, and as she got older, she gained health problems and was too old to be aggressive." @iicanbeurangle added, "I terrorize my dog and he terrorizes me back, but lately he stares at me with the most loving eyes, it's crazy when he holds eye contact through the mirror when he's on the ground right before he sleeps, I can feel his soul fr."

You can follow Dani (@allegedlydani) on TikTok for more of the dog's content.