Dedicated Harley will even alert Ms Rowe if the baby is crying

Now Isla and Harley are best friends, and love to play together

She fell pregnant with Isla a few months after bringing Harley home

They may seem like an unlikely pairing, but this seven-month-old baby is best friends with a 110lb Great Dane.

Vanessa Rowe and Ben Wickens from Stockport, Greater Manchester had feared their dog Harley would not accept baby Isla when she was born in June, but now the pair are inseparable.

The couple had adopted Harlequin Great Dane Harley after enduring a tough year following a miscarriage and illness, but after the huge dog bounded into their lives, Ms Rowe, 40, fell pregnant with Isla.

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Seven-month-old baby Isla, from Stockport, Greater Manchester is best friends with 110lb Great Dane Harley

Parents Vanessa Rowe and Ben Wickens had feared their dog Harley would not accept Isla when she was born in June, but now the pair are inseparable

Now Isla and Harley love nothing more than curling up together for a nap on the sofa or playing on Isla's floor mat, and the baby's parents are convinced their dog thinks she is an 'ugly bald puppy'.

Isla even learned to roll over by using after patient Harley as support, and if the baby cries, Harley will run off to alert Ms Rowe.

Harley won't sleep at night unless she is keeping a close eye on little Isla, and she loves to rest her huge head on the baby's tummy.

'As soon as I said I was pregnant people asked 'what are you going to do about the dog?,' said cafe manager Ms Rowe.

Ms Rowe says Harley is so gentle with her baby and says the huge dog is like her 'other daughter'

'But to me she's like my other daughter. I would no more get rid of her than I would Isla.

'But there was no need to worry.

'From day one Harley has been so gentle with this strange little bald puppy we bought home from the hospital and Isla only shows an interest in rolling or crawling if it means getting nearer to her long-legged, floppy eared sis.

'Isla breaks into a smile whenever she sees me or my husband - but that's nothing to the way her face completely lights up when she sees her big sister.

'Isla has got so many toys - all the usual interactive ones - but there is nothing more interactive than a huge dog.

'Harley lets herself be petted, and Isla loves playing with her ears.

Isla and Harley love nothing more than curling up together for a nap on the sofa or playing on Isla's floor mat

Harley won't sleep at night unless she is keeping a close eye on little Isla, and she loves to rest her huge head on the baby's tummy

'Isla grabs her to help her move, and the first time she rolled over was to get closer to Harley.'

Ms Rowe and Mr Wickens, 36, were married in 2011 but the former counsellor had to give up work after he fell ill, and was later diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

The couple from started trying for a baby in early 2012, and while Ms Rowe fell pregnant quickly, the pair suffered a miscarriage.

Life-long dog lover Ms Rowe then decided the time was right for them to adopt a dog and instantly fell in love with Harley, two, when she saw her photo on the RSPCA website.

Isla was born in June last year. Her mother fell pregnant just months after adopting Harley

Isla even learned to roll over by using after patient Harley as support, and if the baby cries, Harley will run off to alert Ms Rowe

Ms Rowe added: 'No matter what kind of day you've had, to be greeted by someone that excited to see you at the end of the day - every day was better because we had her.

'Every worry was made better by her.'

The couple fell pregnant a few months later, and adorable Isla was born in June last year.

'We introduced them as soon as we could in the first couple of days, and this huge dog gave this little fragile baby a sniff to try and work out what it was, and that was it,' Vanessa added.