A VIDEO of a dog a baby girl cuddling has gone viral on Instagram.

Mum Vanessa Fernandes frequently posts pictures of eight-month-old daughter Olivia on her account – but little did she know that her video would reach more than 110,000 views in less than two weeks.

The video shows the rottweiler Hammer sat on the sofa while Olivia hugs him.

Vanessa told the Adver: “The dog likes to seat near the window, he’s got a separate sofa for himself, and my daughter she likes playing with him.

“He was so protective, making sure that she didn’t fall, and my husband just filmed it.

“They’ve bonded well together. For example, if she cries, he will literally run to the kitchen, and pull on my clothes to tell me to follow him.

“He would run around her, making sure that she doesn’t go near the door, so that when someone opens the door she doesn’t get hurt. He makes sure that she doesn’t touch any wires.”

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Vanessa, who lives near Tesco Extra on Ocotal Way, was surprised by the number of messages and shares on social media.

She added: “I didn’t expect it, we’ve got so many shares. I had also countless people messaging me on WhatsApp, it was really surprising."

The family got Hammer in 2018 despite Vanessa’s relatives and friends’ concerns.

The 22-year-old added: “People kept saying that we shouldn’t keep babies near big dogs. But I believe it’s how you raise them.

“When I was pregnant everyone told me to keep her away from the dog, because they’ve heard a lot of stories of dogs hurting babies because of dogs being jealous.

“But I was never worried for her safety. Hammer has always been our son and he will forever be. He is obedient, trustworthy, gentle, and protective.

“A great brother for his baby sister. He just completes our little family.”

Vanessa used one of Instagram’s latest features called Reels, which allows users to create and share 15-second videos on their account.

She included James Arthur’s song Say You Won’t Let Go.

To watch the video visit: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CGProdUDt3i/?igshid=11excthp5ks5j.