Oftentimes when you pass a dog at his home, he'll bark at you in an effort to protect it. Many dogs get aggressive when they are trying to protect their territory, so they don't like it when strangers come near.
That's exactly what 17-year-old Elisa Lee of Lakewood, California, thought when she saw a golden retriever sniffing under a fence on her way home from school.
She told BuzzFeed, "At first I was afraid that he would bite me, since most dogs would bark at you and seem aggressive if you came near their house."
Elisa originally ignored the golden retriever, Ralph, but when she noticed him in the same spot the next few days, her friends encouraged her to go pet him.
"The first time I pet him he was so excited and started licking my hand and pawing at it," Elisa explained.
From that moment on, Elisa and Ralph were inseparable.
[H/T BuzzFeed]
As soon as Elisa pet Ralph for the first time, Ralph was immediately attached to her.
He started waiting for her every day after school, poking his little nose out from under his home's fence.
Elisa noticed that Ralph was always waiting for her, so she stopped every day to pet him and talk to him.
At first she didn't know his name, but she met his owner one day and they let her know that the loving pup is named Ralph.
The golden retriever is so playful, and always loves seeing Elisa on her way home.
Elisa explained, "Sometimes he's not there, probably chewing on a toy or laying in the grass, but if I call his name he is sure to come to the little spot on the right side of the gate where he can see me better."
As soon as Ralph hears Elisa calling to him, he comes running over to her to get his daily pets.
The two have an inseparable bond now, and Elisa is so glad she met Ralph.
When Elisa had a four-day weekend and wasn't at school, she didn't see Ralph for multiple days.
"He looked mad at me since I didn't pet him for that period of time," she explained. "A lot of the time he looks so sad when I leave and tell him bye, but I tell him I will be there the following day or so on."
When Elisa shared the photo on her Twitter account on February 21, people immediately loved their story.
Elisa wrote, "This is Ralph he is a dog that lives near school and waits for me everyday after school to say hi to him before I have to leave."
What do you think of Ralph and Elisa's adorable friendship? Let us know in the comments below!
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