‘He’s Always Right There’: Dog Protects Toddler From Any Danger by Putting Himself in Front of Her

A sweet and caring dog has made it his life’s mission to protect his human toddler sister by always jumping ahead of her when she climbs up or down stairs, or ventures outdoors. His owners say that the pup’s bond with their daughter is “so special.”

Haley, 25, lives with her husband, 28-year-old pipe fitter Dalton Kenaston, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Married since 2019, the couple has a toddler, Everly, together and are expecting a baby girl in June. They also have a nearly two-year-old, purebred Rough Collie named Duke.

Since the Kenastons live on a mountain homestead surrounded by forest, Haley says there have been a lot of things she has had to keep her daughter away from. However, knowing that Duke always has his eye on Everly is “such a blessing.”

“Duke has kept Everly from going up and down stairs more times than I can count,” Haley told The Epoch Times. “Even just small hills or cliffs, he is always right there to put himself in between her and the danger.”

Witnessing this last year, Haley whipped out her phone to take a video of Duke’s protective antics, and the footage went viral on Instagram.

“I saw my daughter start for the stairs,” Haley said. “I was only a short distance away, and knew Duke was going to do his thing. He showed it to me perfectly! I shared it because some people wouldn’t believe me … I wanted people to know how special, smart, and loving Duke is, and how much of a bond he and my daughter have together … I had no idea this video would go viral.”

Haley was excited to see how many people loved the video and commented on it. Many of them even shared their own experiences with their dogs.

“It makes me so happy that it made other people happy and think about their own dogs,” Haley said.