‘My dog thinks it’s his job to look after the kids.’: This rough collie takes pawtecting his young family members from harm very seriously, much to the delight of adults and dismay of kids

Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor

Oct 1, 2026 9:00 AM EDT

There is no shortage of hero dog stories out there. Whether it is the classic style of story where little Timmy has fallen down a distant well or the more novel case of the doggo who helped mend his hooman's broken heart, there are tails of all shapes and sizes to suit all interests and needs. But the story we have lined up for you today stands out as unique even amongst the wide variety of those stories as this pupper takes on the role of protective pawrenting alongside his hoomans.

We have come to expect that our doggos make up an integral part of the modern family unit. Often taking on the role of the jokester, the prankster, the funcle if you will. They play with our kiddos, make them laugh and overall are a delight to have around the home. Sure, sometimes they get up to no good with the kids but that is just part and parcel of having them in our lives. But in this story we have an example of something quite different, a doggo that has taken the responsibility upon themself to protect their kiddos with the same vigilance and vigor as their hoomans would.

Resulting in one of the more heartwarming child-pupper relationships, even if the kids themselves are not all too keen on having a goody two-shoes ratting them out for doing things that they should not be. You know what they say, better safe than sorry. So we invite you to dive into this delightful story and hopefully inspire you to teach your pup how to handle some of the parenting, you never know when they might just save your child's life.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

01

via CollieflowersBark

Rough collie sitting on lake edge.
_{Actor performance of story events.}
02

via CollieflowersBark
03

via CollieflowersBark
04

via CollieflowersBark
05

via CollieflowersBark
06

via CollieflowersBark
07

via CollieflowersBark
08

via CollieflowersBark
09

via CollieflowersBark
10

via CollieflowersBark
11

via CollieflowersBark
Honestly wow, it is not uncommon to hear about the lengths that doggos will go to in order to pawtect their families. But it usually happens from afar, like a watch tower guard the doggo will keep a wide view on the situation, largely concerned about larger predators coming in from afar. But this doggo has taken a far more granular approach to his pawtection technique, paying close attention to the minute details of his protectees’ actions. Something which is pretty reasonable considering that in the more urban environment of a home there is little threat from roaming wildlife and far more danger in what the kids get up to themselves.
12

via CollieflowersBark
13

via CollieflowersBark
14

via CollieflowersBark
15

via CollieflowersBark
16

via CollieflowersBark
17

via CollieflowersBark
18

via CollieflowersBark
This is such a lovely story and one that we do not get to hear about all too often. More commonly canines view the smaller hoomans in their family as siblings rather than dependents and so get up to all kinds of mischief together. But this tale really goes to show just how brilliant and dependable a pupper can be as a co-pawrent to your kids. Perhaps it came to be that way because this doggo had spent a long time growing up alongside his pawrents and now felt mature enough to contribute to the pawrenting himself. Or maybe it was simply in his nature to be a carer of kids.
19

via CollieflowersBark
20

via CollieflowersBark
21

via CollieflowersBark