From the UPI:

A South Dakota toddler who went missing from his back yard was found safe, police said, adding he was protected by his pet pit bull.

The boy, 3, and his dog went missing Monday from his yard in Custer, the Rapid City Journal reported.

His mother told police that while she was watching her son, she turned around to do something and in a very short time the boy and the dog were gone, Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler said.

When police arrived, they tracked footprints made by the boy’s boots in the snow and found him and the dog in the woods about a quarter-mile away from home, Wheeler said, adding he couldn’t go near the boy because the dog would not allow it.

It makes sense that the dog wouldn’t let the officer approach the boy.   According to the article, the dog wasn’t aggressive, just wary.   From the dog’s perspective, he didn’t know if the officer was there to help the boy or hurt him, which makes sense. All the dog instinctually knew was that he had to protect the boy because the boy was in trouble, being away from his home in cold and harsh conditions.

The article continued,

Wheeler said it wasn’t clear if the dog was following the boy or the boy was following the dog: “I think it was a joint venture.”

It’s most likely that the dog was following the child. That’s what bulldog breeds do; they protect and look after children.   That’s why they have been called the “Nanny Dog” for over 100 years.   And I guess that’s why they call toddlers toddlers.   They toddle…sometimes away. 😉

Good dog!   I hope he got an extra treat when he got home.