



It can be a stressful time for any new parents: the moment their first child-the pet-meets their newborn baby. Turns out Jeff and Danielle Livak of Nashville, Tenn., had nothing to worry about, though. In the adorable video above, the Livak's 6-year-old boxer Bella and 3-day-old daughter Melina formed an instant bond.

Filming the first time when the two met, Jeff caught a priceless moment. "I went upstairs and couldn't find Bella, so I looked underneath the sheets," Jeff said. "We knew that Bella was a really loving dog, but we had no idea she was going to be that protective. She was a lot more curious and had that maternal instinct kick in right away."

In the video, Bella hears Melina begin to cry and immediately starts empathetically whining and pacing her crib.

In the year and a half since, the pair has become inseparable, according to Jeff. "Melina feeds her constantly, sneaking food off her little tray. And Melina will go down and give her kisses all the time," he said. "We'll find them occasionally with Melina lying on the dog watching TV. And Bella sleeps in that room pretty much every night now. They've been really good."