One of Lady’s favorite things has always been playing around with other dogs. When her family moved into a new neighborhood about a year ago and realized there were dogs living next door, Lady was so excited, but not quite as excited as her new neighbor, Nikko.

From the moment Nikko met Lady, she was so happy to have her in the neighborhood — and it wasn’t long after she moved in that she started bringing her a little gift to show her appreciation.

“She (the neighbor’s dog) first brought her a ball a few times after they said hello through the fence,” Erika Ekman, Lady’s mom, told The Dodo. “Sometimes there are no toys out in the front yard. I think she would have brought it the first time she met Lady if she had a ball in the yard.”

Now, if Nikko and her brother, Mac, are outside when Lady passes by on her daily walk, Nikko will search around for a ball to bring to her. She can’t always find one, but if she does, she always gives it to Lady to play with — probably in the hopes that Lady will throw it back so they can play fetch together.

“Lady would keep it if she [could],” Ekman said. “We take it from Lady and give it back, otherwise they will have no balls left!”

This little routine between Lady and Nikko makes both of them so happy, and Lady is always so excited when it’s time for her walk so she can pass by Nikko’s house and say hello.

“She drags us to their house every day [and] gets up on the fence to see if either of them are out,” Ekman said.

Even though most of the time the dogs are only able to say hello through the fence, their families have since gotten to know each other, and they’ve managed to arrange some playdates a few times — which, of course, everyone loved.

The first time Nikko gave Lady a ball, it was pretty cute, but now it’s blossomed into the sweetest friendship and most unexpected routine, and Lady, Nikko and their families wouldn’t have it any other way.