This Gentle Dog Babysitting a Toddler Is the Sweetest Thing You'll See All Day
For so many families across the country, the dog is the original fur baby, and when a human baby comes home to join the team, it's always our hope that the dog baby and the human baby will become the best of friends.
Renegade the Good Dog on YouTube takes this ideal a step further, stepping in as a well-behaved nanny when the toddler wants to hang out on the back porch.
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"This is why I trust my dog around my toddler," the video caption says as we see mom walking out of the living room with her fresh cup of coffee, only to find Renegade and her little girl sitting quietly on the back porch.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iWVcIVFMog4
The sweet little girl is sitting with Renegade, trying to feed him a piece of her delicious waffle. Renegade is no small dog, but she's also very well trained, so she's not grabbing at any piece of food from that child's hands- no matter how tempting.
"Are you teasing sissy?" Mom asks the little girl. "That's not nice."
Renegade is clearly thinking to herself, That waffle looks pretty good, but she knows she can't have any until Mom says the magic word. She's wagging her tail as Mom comes over to tell her what a good girl she's being, and of course, as soon as she gives the signal, those yummy pieces of waffle on the floor are eaten right up.
"Not only does she wait until she gains permission, but she doesn't go after the piece that wasn't offered," one commenter noticed. "Incredibly well trained indeed, Renegade is almost an ironic name for such a calm, obedient dog."
"My lab would have eaten the waffle, the plants, the chair, the table, and the deck. The child would have been the only safe thing out there," joked another viewer.
"Some of y'all don't know how motivating food can be for dogs," added another. "Renegade literally fought the primal urge to eat. Wow!"
Related: This Beagle Crashes Another Dog's Training Session in the Park, and It's So Cute
How Do You Train a Dog Not to Eat Until Commanded?
It's not just about showing off. Training your dog to eat on command is an important part of learning impulse control and protects them from eating harmful foods that fall on the floor.
To train your dog, start with the command "sit" and teach them to do so while you're placing food on the floor. This keeps your dog from pushing, jostling or jumping on you as food is being delivered.
If your dog moves toward the bowl while you're placing it on the ground, lift the bowl again and repeat the sit command.
Once your dog has mastered sitting until the food has been dropped and you've stood back up, give the "OK," "eat," or "go get it" signal-whatever command works best for your household-and continue to reinforce this good behavior at meal times. Practice the commands with treats between meals as well, to further reinforce training.
Related: This Woman Reading a Book About Her Dog to Her Dog Is Melting People's Hearts
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 10:05 AM.