I love a happy ending!

“A two-year-old girl who wandered off from her home with her two family dogs was found fast asleep in remote woodland three miles away using one pet as a 'furry pillow' while the other kept watch over her, cops have revealed.

Thea, from the rural village of Faithorn in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, disappeared on Wednesday when her mother Brooke had turned her back.

The toddler, along with her two dogs, walked three miles together through the wooded area before she got tired and decided to have a rest.

Back home, her panicked mother was frantically calling Thea and the dogs' names before her family and friends joined in the search of their family yard and the surrounding thick woods.

After 15 minutes with no luck, Brooke called troopers from Michigan State Police's Iron Mountain post at 8pm on Wednesday and a manhunt was launched.

Troopers used drones and police dogs in the search while 50 local police and residents from both Michigan and adjacent Wisconsin helped look for Thea in the remote wooded area.

It was at midnight that a resident on an ATV found Thea sleeping about 3 miles from her home while using her smaller dog like a furry pillow while the larger dog kept watch over her, police said.

Lt Mark Giannunzio said on Thursday: She laid down and used one of the dogs as a pillow, and the other dog laid right next to her and kept her safe. It's a really remarkable story.' …”

DailyMail article:
https://mol.im/a/12548707

To borrow a line from Jimmy Buffet: Those dogs would be growing old on steak and bacon

Yet another example of why dogs are one of the best things in this world.

Awesome story. Dogs are amazing creatures!

Good pups.

quote:

It was at midnight that a resident on an ATV found Thea sleeping about 3 miles from her home while using her smaller dog like a furry pillow while the larger dog kept watch over her, police said.

Not sure if this is the smaller dog, but if it is, they are growing canine dinosaurs in Michigan.

Two years old ... THREE miles.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Two years old ... THREE miles.

That's crazy. How many hours would it take to get that far? Toddlers are like sprinters. They can cover a lot of ground quickly in a short bursts, but that take a lot of stamina!

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Two years old ... THREE miles.

That's crazy. How many hours would it take to get that far?

Shit doesn't add up:

quote:

disappeared on Wednesday when her mother Brooke had turned her back

It happened that quick eh?

It would take an average adult 20 minutes to walk a mile in open/flat terrain.

Good for the dogs for protecting and comforting the toddler

One thing that pops in my mind is my buddy's story of living in the country on a 55 mph road. Their family dog was a shetland sheepdog (aka sheltie), and it's pedigree is a herder. The cool thing for my buddy is the dogs were not only pets, but they herded the 4 children away from the 55 mph road. Also, when the family went for a walk the shelties kept the children herded to the parents.

I read the OP's story and was pondering if there would even be a lost child story if the family dog was one of the herder breeds?

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Good for the dogs for protecting and comforting the toddler

One thing that pops in my mind is my buddy's story of living in the country on a 55 mph road. Their family dog was a shetland sheepdog (aka sheltie), and it's pedigree is a herder. The cool thing for my buddy is the dogs were not only pets, but they herded the 4 children away from the 55 mph road. Also, when the family went for a walk the shelties kept the children herded to the parents.

I read the OP's story and was pondering if there would even be a lost child story if the family dog was one of the herder breeds?

I see this behavior most profoundly with Aussies. It is hugely amusing to see one or two Aussies herding a group of toddlers like they were sheep. Not much chance of anyone getting lost by wandering away from the herd.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
<snip>
I read the OP's story and was pondering if there would even be a lost child story if the family dog was one of the herder breeds?

Maybe even herding dogs wouldn’t have stopped the little girl from wandering away.

In the story below the protecting dog was an Australian blue heeler, definitely a herding dog. Member BamaJeepster has an excellent (and interesting) photo of his blue heeler in that thread.

Loyal dog saves lost 3-yo girl
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...440049044#5440049044

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Two years old ... THREE miles.

That's crazy. How many hours would it take to get that far? Toddlers are like sprinters. They can cover a lot of ground quickly in a short bursts, but that take a lot of stamina!

Yep. Personal story. Going home, I turned left into a side road before I have to go right into my cul de sac.

I stopped as a toddler was in the middle of the street. It sat down as I stopped. I went to the child and saw the adults talking on the sidewalk half a block away with the empty stroller. TF.

I love the story in the OP.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:

quote:

It was at midnight that a resident on an ATV found Thea sleeping about 3 miles from her home while using her smaller dog like a furry pillow while the larger dog kept watch over her, police said.

Not sure if this is the smaller dog, but if it is, they are growing canine dinosaurs in Michigan.

I think that's the larger dog.

The next picture in the article has her laying on a sofa with the "smaller dog"

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Two years old ... THREE miles.

That's crazy. How many hours would it take to get that far?

Shit doesn't add up:

quote:

disappeared on Wednesday when her mother Brooke had turned her back

It happened that quick eh?

It would take an average adult 20 minutes to walk a mile in open/flat terrain.

Remember the kid didn’t stop walking when mom realized she was missing; she was still walking the whole time and if they found her at midnight, that’s a long time to amble. That’s why search windows constantly grow as time goes by.

Some breeds more than others but most all dogs in general know their family/pack. My dogs would let themselves be tortured when my kids were very little. Riding them like horses etc. never biting at them. Not sure id be keen to let a pit bull or some other certain breeds go solo with a toddler because ive seen too many stories of them mauling kids. Other breeds too of course but more often than not it’s a pit.

If she had a Rottie on guard duty, she was well protected.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
<snip>
I read the OP's story and was pondering if there would even be a lost child story if the family dog was one of the herder breeds?

Maybe even herding dogs wouldn’t have stopped the little girl from wandering away.

In the story below the protecting dog was an Australian blue heeler, definitely a herding dog. Member BamaJeepster has an excellent (and interesting) photo of his blue heeler in that thread.

Loyal dog saves lost 3-yo girl
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...440049044#5440049044

Good for the dog for staying with the kid for 17 hours and protecting her, but a 17 year old, deaf, partially blind herder breed isn't what I had in mind when I posted about a dog herding children to stay in the yard.