Watch Moment 'Gentle Giant' Doberman Rushes to Protect Baby Girl

The mom of a baby recently discovered that she may not need eyes in the back of her head when her Doberman is around.

On April 11, Tina Meeks, under the handle @herlifesparkles, posted a video on TikTok that showed Mila, her 11-month-old daughter, opening a door that led to a balcony. The baby makes her way out of Meeks' home in Virginia, but it isn't long before their dog, Cinnamon, steps in.

Meeks told Newsweek, "Cinnamon pretty much follows Mila through the house now that she's crawling and exploring more."

The footage, which has received 15.5 million views, shows Cinnamon lying on her bed while watching Mila, who is on her hands and knees in the doorway. When the baby goes outside, the 1-year-old dog leaps up and stands in front of her.

In the post's caption, Meeks wrote: "She's sick of me. Looking back like 'lady, if you don't come get your baby!'"

Meeks told Newsweek: "Cinnamon lays near her whenever she's napping and makes sure we notice her if she starts crying.

"Mila adores her, too. Cinnamon has a plush bed in our family room, and they both sit on it together like a mini couch and hang out."

According to the American Kennel Club, female Dobermans can stand between 24 and 26 inches tall and weigh as much as 90 pounds. Meeks said she has faced negative remarks about the breed when it comes to Cinnamon and Mila.

"I think lots of people are weird about babies near dogs in general, but most wouldn't go near a Doberman themselves," she said. "Especially when you consider how they are portrayed on film and TV. However, they are great family pets, and Cinnamon is a gentle giant."

"She loves our family, especially the kids. She was only 3 months old when Mila was born, so they've pretty much grown up together over the last year," Meeks added.

So far, the video has received 1.6 million likes and more than 26,000 comments, with one user writing, "This is so incredible."

Another added: "He jumped up like gahh damnit, I have to do everything around this place! this isn't even my kid!!!"

"The dog definitely judging yo parenting," a commenter said.

"The dog is tired of both of y'all," another wrote.

This isn't the first time a baby's canine companion has taken the internet by storm. Dogs have proved on many occasions that they are caring protectors—like the retriever that refused to leave a sick baby's side.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.