Sometimes a dog’s behavior can be so disturbingly human, we’d swear they’re just fur-covered people walking around on all fours. Take, for example, one dog who tucked his uncovered baby sibling under a blanket. This nanny of a dog seems to know exactly what he’s doing.
In a video that now boasts over 8.8 million views, a loyal, caring pup notices his human baby sibling lying on a blanket. The last thing this dog wants is for the baby to be chilly. He also doesn’t seem to be a big fan of the baby’s whimpering.
Using just his nose, the dog rearranges the blanket continuously. He digs his snout under it to lift it on top of the baby. The helpful dog even thrusts it underneath the baby to tightly tuck him in.
After several lifts and pokes, he successfully drapes the blanket over the baby. What a good, protective older sibling!
Finished with his watchful duties, he stretches out, satisfied. No doubt this baby is in great paws.
Watch the adorable display of love in full below:
Why Would A Dog Feel Protective Over A Human Baby?
Dogs’ deeply rooted instincts manifest themselves in extremely cute ways! Alexandra Bassett, lead dog trainer and behaviorist at Dog Savvy Los Angeles, attributes their investment in a family’s new baby to drive.
“All dogs have a mating drive and den instincts; it’s part of what’s called their ‘pack drive.’”
This basically means a dog becomes bonded with his human family. So, it’s only natural the dog wants to defend a newborn.
Your dog considers itself a member of your pack. When they observe their alphas nurturing another member, they assume the same behaviors.
Dogs are also known to imitate the behaviors they see their humans do. The dog in this particular video may just have been performing a behavior it saw its person do (pulling a blanket over someone.) Friederike Range, lead author of a study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests a combination of these traits is responsible for what we saw.
“Dogs are special animals, both in terms of their evolutionary history of domestication and the range and intensity of their developmental training by humans. Both of these factors may enhance the extent to which dogs attend to human activity.”
As an added bonus, babies that grow up with dogs end up happier and with stronger immune systems. Not that I think any of you need convincing to adopt canine companions.
Whatever the scientific reasons, it sure makes for the cutest videos!
H/T: I Love My Dog So Much
Featured Image: Screenshot, @baywatch106ify/YouTube
Toledo, United States.
