A baby's best friend! How Zero, the adorably protective Shiba Inu, watches over his owner's two-week-old daughter at all times



They say dogs are a man's best friend, but one pup has charmed the internet for taking a particular liking to a newborn girl.

Baby River's mother, who goes by the Reddit name Prolificsalo, has captured dozens of moments where Zero, a Shiba Inu, appears very attached to the two-week-old, watching over her as she has her diaper changed and cuddling up to her while she naps.

The resulting images are a testament to the adorable friendships that can spark up between humans and animals, especially when the animal takes his protective role very seriously.

Watchful eye: Zero, an adorably protective Shiba Inu, has charmed the internet for his habit of watching over his owner's two-week old daughter River at all times

Guardian: Whether River is napping, being cradled or having her diaper changed, Zero is never very far away

In a post shared on Monday that links to her Imgur page, Prolificsalo wrote: 'We just had a new baby two weeks ago. My dog has decided that she is his and stays as close as he can to her at all times.'

One of the pictures shows River lying on a blanket on the floor, with Zero sitting next to her and resting his nose in her open hand.



In another, River takes a nap on a couch, and Zero's head can be seen poking out from below as he watches over her intently.



Zero even keeps a watchful eye over River when she has her diaper changed.

Special friends: Back in January, a mother posted a series of heart-warming photos of her dog guarding her newborn baby girl as she slept

Inseparable: One of the pictures shows River napping on the floor, with Zero curled up right next to her

Attentive: Zero gazes lovingly at River while she lies down near some toys, oblivious to her watchful protector

Indeed, in one of the photos, Zero perches on a bed, looking protectively at River as she lies on a table at the other end of the room to have her diaper changed.



Prolificsalo's post has had 1,534 responses since it was shared on Monday, with many commenters writing that their dogs behaved in similar ways with their children.

'We had a similar situation with our shelty,' wrote one Reddit user. 'Except when my mother went to burp me. . . the shelty would growl at her for "hurting" me.'

Another commenter wrote about how her sheep-herding dog would look after her when she was a baby.



Animal instinct: Prolificsalo's post has had 1,534 responses since it was shared on Monday, with many commenters writing that their dogs behaved in similar ways with their children

On the lookout: Zero even keeps a watchful eye over River when she has her diaper changed

Loyal pets: Zero is one of two litter mates owned by Prolificsalo and her husband; his sister's name is Ichi

'As I got older and could start to crawl and then walk, my dog used to herd me and keep me close,' she wrote.

'If I got too far, she'd pick me up and take me back to the blanket. She'd never let me get more than five feet away from her, and when I started moving faster, she'd bark at my mom so she'd know to look.'

According to Prolificsalo's Reddit, Zero is one of two litter mates she and her husband adopted.