A sweet and caring dog has made it his life’s mission to protect his human toddler sister by always jumping ahead of her when she climbs up or down stairs, or ventures outdoors. His owners say that the pup’s bond with their daughter is “so special.”
Haley, 25, lives with her husband, 28-year-old pipe fitter Dalton Kenaston, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Married since 2019, the couple has a toddler, Everly, together and are expecting a baby girl in June. They also have a nearly two-year-old, purebred Rough Collie named Duke.
Since the Kenastons live on a mountain homestead surrounded by forest, Haley says there have been a lot of things she has had to keep her daughter away from. However, knowing that Duke always has his eye on Everly is “such a blessing.”
“Duke has kept Everly from going up and down stairs more times than I can count,” Haley told The Epoch Times. “Even just small hills or cliffs, he is always right there to put himself in between her and the danger.”
“I saw my daughter start for the stairs,” Haley said. “I was only a short distance away, and knew Duke was going to do his thing. He showed it to me perfectly! I shared it because some people wouldn’t believe me ... I wanted people to know how special, smart, and loving Duke is, and how much of a bond he and my daughter have together ... I had no idea this video would go viral.”
Haley was excited to see how many people loved the video and commented on it. Many of them even shared their own experiences with their dogs.
“It makes me so happy that it made other people happy and think about their own dogs,” Haley said.
However, Haley has noticed that since Everly has grown a little older, Duke has toned down his protective behavior a little.
“He will let her get near stairs, go up and down them, now that she is good and capable of doing them,” Haley said.
Everly was born two months early in April 2020 and weighed just 3 pounds (approx. 1.3 kg). Her parents consider her a “total miracle.” A total farm girl, Everly loves being outside on the family homestead and having all sorts of adventures.
She also shares an incredible bond with Duke, whom Haley and Dalton adopted as a puppy.
“There was something special about him when we went to look at the puppies the breeder had, as soon as we saw him, we knew he was the one,” Haley said. “He has been the best dog I have ever had in my life, and I have had a lot of great ones.”
Since the family lives up in the mountains, there are a lot of critters that Duke sees as a threat. He thus always makes sure he is the one in front of the family to scare away any threats.
“If my daughter falls down (any kids really) and they start crying, he runs up to them and starts kissing them all over,” Haley said. “He knows when they are upset and tries to cheer them up.”
Duke is always happy to see Everly, “rubs all over her” when she comes out to play, and loves being on babysitting duty. “They like to run around together or play tug of war–Duke is so gentle–and my daughter just has the time of her life. He makes her laugh every day,” Haley said.
The pair light up upon seeing each other. Everly has a stuffed dog collection and every single one is named Duke. She takes one wherever she goes.
Haley grew up on her family’s horse training and breeding ranch in the Willamette Valley. Two years ago she and Dalton transitioned to a homesteading lifestyle. The couple bought the perfect home to start their journey.
They have since worked hard building a garden, fencing, and animal shelters. They currently have chickens and horses but plan to add a greenhouse and milk cow by the end of the year. Their goal is to be prepared for anything by being completely self-sufficient.
“We always have wanted to know where our food comes from and live healthier lives,” Haley said, adding, “We are very new to it, so we are still learning ... it is a lot of work growing your own food, but it is so incredibly rewarding.”
As Haley, Dalton, Everly, and Duke tend the homestead and await the addition of another baby in June, there’s one thing Haley knows for sure: their protective pup is already prepared to be her bodyguard.
