​An intruder breaks into a San Diego home, but Golden Retriever Nash keeps offering him toys; then police arrive, and the dog has the same plan, all caught on camera

Dante Rowley and his fiancée were boarding a plane when the Ring camera alert arrived on their phone. A stranger was breaking into their home in Sherman Heights, climbing through a ladder to their second-story window near 20th and J streets. The Southern California couple watched it happen live through their security camera, helpless at 30,000 feet, as their worst nightmare started playing out on a screen.Then things got weird. Nash, their 4-year-old golden retriever, had one job that afternoon: sound the alarm and be the guard dog. But he had other plans. He treated the intruder like a long-lost friend, and the only thing the 90-pound golden dog wanted to do was play, ABC News reported.

Intruder breaks in and gets cosy

The video shows an intruder hopping into the compound, then using a ladder to break into the second-story window. The man didn’t exactly skulk around. He removed his shoes and shirt, settled onto a bench in the foyer, and raided the refrigerator for yoghurt, turkey and cheese. Then he took a nap. For roughly 30 minutes, he made himself completely at home.Then Nash showed up. The security footage shows Nash approaching the stranger, each time with a toy clenched in his mouth. The golden didn’t even let out a warning bark. All the ‘guard dog’ did was offer toys and wag his tail. The intruder, to his credit, seemed bemused by the gesture. But Nash wasn’t trying to be funny. He was genuinely convinced he’d met his new best friend.

Then the cops showed up

When police finally arrived, Nash’s hospitality didn’t waver. Officers found him at the door, tail wagging, toy still in his mouth, ready to extend the same warm welcome to anyone in uniform.The burglar, on the other hand, made a run for it. He attempted an escape through a bathroom window, only to find officers waiting in the backyard. He was arrested without much fuss.The suspect faced burglary charges, along with other outstanding warrants from unrelated incidents, according to NBC7. But Rowley surprised many with his response. Rather than dwell on the violation or anger, he expressed hope the man would get help. “We just hope he gets some help, honestly,” he told the outlet.

Homeowner reacts

Nash wasn’t alone when the stranger climbed through the window. One of the family’s three dogs simply walked out through the doggy door and disappeared. Nash stayed put, apparently convinced he’d found his new best friend. The third wasn’t home.Dante Rowley, the homeowner, wasn’t mad at his furry babies for not confronting the intruder. “The dogs, we just wanted to make sure they were safe. Nash is not the greatest guard dog. We thought he was going to bark at people and he did the exact opposite,” Rowley told NBC7.Well, you see, this is not Nash’s fault either. Golden retrievers aren’t really known for their confrontation capabilities. They are great at retrieving game, swimming in cold water and living alongside humans in trusting harmony. Nash did exactly what his breed knows how to do. His actual calling was something different: bring joy to whoever walks through the door.So on that afternoon, when a stranger was raiding the refrigerator and a family was watching in real time from thousands of miles away, Nash did what he was supposed to do. He brought his toy, wagged his tail and made an intruder smile.In the end, didn’t he do exactly what he was meant to do?Not just the intruder, Nash has brought a smile to the faces of millions of others, including you. The security footage hit social media, and people couldn’t figure out how to feel. Was it terrifying or wholesome? Could it be both? The goofy golden’s hospitality made many go ‘awww’. One netizen thought Nash was just protecting his precious toy. “He just wanted to make sure that toy wasn’t taken haha.” Others called him a good boy doing his best: “Well… if you didn’t already know he’s a good boy, now you know.” Nash didn’t discriminate when it came to making new friends.As for Rowley, he acknowledged the obvious: Nash probably wouldn’t be getting hired for security work anytime soon. But if the actual job was to make everyone feel genuinely welcome, the golden boy had already passed with flying colours.Perhaps that was Nash’s job all along: to put a smile on everyone’s face, even in the middle of a bizarre break-in. And be honest, are you smiling? Let us know in the comments below.