Love at first sniff: Alberta dogs go viral for long-distance relationship

When it comes to love, distance is no obstacle for this pair of Alberta pooches.

Rollo and Sadie are two Alberta dogs that recently rose to internet notoriety after a TikTok of the two visiting on Skype received more than 20 million views.

The dogs and their owners met more than two years ago, when Kayla McTeer and Caitlin Banks moved into two different suites in the same home.

There were some concerns at first, since "Sadie is not really a dog's dog," her owner said.

"When I moved into that place and I was told that there was going to be a girl living upstairs that also had a large dog, I thought, 'OK, I really hope this goes well,'" McTeer added.

But it couldn't have gone better when the two dogs finally met nose to nose, and their owners agreed that it was love at first sniff.

"Sadie rolled over and immediately was so excited," McTeer said. "They just started chasing each other around and they loved each other instantly. It was very clear that Sadie was going to be fine with Rollo."

After two years living together, Banks landed a new job in Calgary and her and Rolo hit the road. Leaving was difficult for them both, she added, but maybe more so for Rollo.

"When they moved apart he seemed a little bit depressed," she added. "He doesn't have other dog friends in Calgary like Sadie, it's kind of like a one-of-a-kind situation.

"So, it's been challenging but I think that it makes our visits even more special when we do get to get the dogs together."

All four keep in touch regularly since moving apart. Banks and McTeer said they try to get together physically once a month and they make time every Thursday to connect online.

"Caitlin and I like to have our weekly catch ups and see how each other are doing," McTeer said. "Then we'll put the cameras on them and they get to say hi to each other as well."

One of their online visits recently caught the public's attention. Banks said she's posted videos of the dogs online before, so she was surprised when a TikTok of Sadie and Rollo saying hello over Facetime raked in more than 22 million views.

"We were really kind of touched at how much people loved our dogs," McTeer said. "Then when CNN reached out, I think it was really surprising for us to realize that it had gotten that far."

The canine couple now have their own dedicated TikTok and Instagram accounts, and Banks and McTeer said it's been fun to share their long-distance relationship with the world.

"Moving into that house, neither of us expected for us to really go the way that it did, and from it we've both gained lifelong friendships and our dogs have gained these lifelong friendships that we get to sit back and watch and enjoy," McTeer.

"We're just really lucky to have these dogs and be their owners and for all four of us to be friends forever," Banks added.