We always tend to lose composure around small, cute things. It seems like this is true for some animals too, as this German Shepherd shows us.

The loving German Shepherd is a great family dog.

Its protective nature makes it one of the perfect breeds to act as a surrogate big sibling to any little thing, be it a baby human or a baby animal.

This one’s taken a liking to this litter of kittens, and it’ll make your heart absolutely melt.

Our curious Shepherd, Rocky, spends the first few moments looking at the little runts and sniffing them up.

He paces back and forth a bit, probably because he’s dealing with curiosity and a feeling of love at the same time. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

German Shepherds can weigh up to 40 pounds, quite a bit more than even a full-grown cat.

Though despite their large stature next to some small critters, they know how to be gentle and soft. It’s one of the reasons the breed is so beloved and sought after as a companion.

Rocky’s probably thinking “OMG, what are these? Don’t matter, I watch over them now”.

A protector and older sibling figure have to be many things.

Loving, protective, loyal and gentle. Fortunately, German Shepherds are all of the above. These kittens don’t know it yet, but this good Shepherd might just be the best guardian and best friend they could ever need.

I wonder if Rocky even knows that these are kittens. I’d guess that newborn puppies and kittens look pretty darn similar to a dog. Maybe they don’t smell too similar, then?

Rocky has interacted with cats before, so he probably recognizes the scent.

Unless he thinks of cats as just weird-looking, weird-smelling dogs.

The size difference between the kittens and Rocky is just plain comical.

Both kittens together are barely the size of Rocky’s head. Those kitties must be awfully confused as to why this giant, furry nose is nuzzling and sniffing them nonstop.

Rocky seems barely able to contain his affection for them. He starts planting down his paw and gently swiping near them, like he wants to interact but doesn’t know how.

It seems like Rocky is aware of how much bigger he is and doesn’t want to hurt them.

How do we know that Rocky is feeling affection? Well, it’s not that hard to see. Look at how his tail is wagging. That’s love and affection if I’ve ever seen it!

When his mom picks up one of them in her hands, Rocky finally gets his chance to plant a few kisses on the kitten.

I bet that felt really good after trying to contain himself for the first 3 minutes.

I hope Rocky gets to see them grow up because I know for a fact that family dogs would like that very much. Having a German Shepherd as a big brother might just be the best thing ever.

Watch Rocky try to unsuccessfully contain his affections in the video below!

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Source: Rocky on YouTube, American Kennel Club