The Swift family was thrilled to see their little girl crawl for the first time.

But it’s what happened after baby Harper made her first, tentative movements that really melted their hearts.

And those weren’t the only hearts melted – the video has been viewed over 23 MILLION times over the last 5 years!

As 5-month-old Harper gets ready to get off her belly and move towards her beloved labrador Savannah, the dog keeps a close eye on her. But she also looks to the camera for confirmation that this is actually happening. In fact, it looks like she’s thinking “uh oh, it’s mobile!”

No one nails the skill of crawling on their first try, so the babe struggles a few times before getting her hands and feet underneath her while moving forward at the same time.

But she does it – little by little!

And it looks like she’s doing it just to be close to her dog.

After moving about a foot in Savannah’s direction, Harper decides she needs a break.

The dog’s eyes are still on her.

Of course, dad Don Swift is behind the camera – one should never leave such a young baby alone with a dog, even a trusted one. It’s clear the lab is confused about what’s going on, but luckily the 8-year-old furry family member is supportive of the endeavor – even if she looks a bit worried at the same time.

Unfortunately, mom Amanda had just left for a work conference that day, so the video would be her first view of her daughter crawling.

Not only would she be stunned and touched by the moment that followed her little girl’s steps, millions of others would too.

Don Swift uploaded the video two days after he took it and within two weeks it had 3 million views.

The proud dad spoke to Junkin Media about the video going viral. He explained that it was no surprise that looking towards Savannah is what made his daughter work up the courage to crawl for the first time. “Harper absolutely loves that dog,” he said.

He also told the outlet that dogs are big motivators in children’s mobility – that’s certainly something we didn’t know!

“In hindsight, I realize that Harper started crawling at five months,” he said. “That’s really early. Our pediatrician immediately asked if there was a large dog in the home and I told her about the video. She told me that children with big dogs in the home usually learn mobility faster because they want to be with the dog.”

He also shared that when their vet saw the video go viral, they recognized the dog immediately!

But what was so special about a baby crawling towards a dog?

The dog’s reaction, of course.

By the time Harper got near Savannah, the lab turned her full attention towards the tot, extending her paw in what seemed to be an encouragement to keep moving.

And she did! Harper made it a few more inches – close enough for Savannah to reach over and give the little girl a sweet kiss as a congratulations for such a big achievement.

Be sure to scroll down below to see the adorable video of a girl and her dog sharing a special moment.

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Source: Swift Family via YouTube, The Dodo, Junkin Media