Hero dog Ozmo saves Morrinsville baby choking on vomit

Ozmo has only been with Jackie's family for a couple of weeks but has already formed a close bond with her son. Photo / Supplied

A Morrinsville mum is praising the actions of a hero dog for saving her infant son's life as he choked on his own vomit.

Jackie, who did not want her son to be identified, said the 10-month-old boy had been running a fever yesterday morning when she put him down for a nap.

"I was doing housework and bits and pieces. Ozmo, the little doggy that I'm looking after, started running from my son's room and back to me, whining," she said.

"I was like 'stop it, he's sleeping, you can't play with him'. He just kept carrying on and carrying on. I walked into my son's room, he had actually vomited and was choking on his own vomit."

The horrified mum raced to clear her baby's airways.

I could never actually repay him for what he's done for me.

"I didn't really think. You just sort of go blank. Everything happens so fast.

"My first priority was just getting the baby up and getting him sorted."

Jackie was astounded that Ozmo, despite only having been with them for a couple of weeks, has already formed a close bond with the baby.

"If it wasn't for Ozmo hearing him or noticing something was wrong, it would have ended very badly. It was just so scary.

"He just picked up on it straight away, he didn't give up, just kept hounding me to go in there. It was absolutely incredible."

The maltese shih tzu quickly took a liking to the baby when he first joined the family.

"Ozmo spends so much time just sitting with him and playing with him.

"I love that little dog, he is just the most amazing little doggy ever. I could never actually be thankful enough that he was here. If he wasn't here, it could have been very bad, very quickly.

"I've never met a dog that was just so onto it."

Ozmo got "so many treats" and cuddles after saving the baby's life.

"I could never repay him for what he's done for me."

Ozmo hasn't left the baby's side since he vomited, except for when Jackie had to take her son to a specialist appointment.

"I put Ozmo in the sun room, he just cried. He was like 'you're taking my baby'.

"Last night he went in and slept on the other bed in my son's room and stayed there for the night, just keeping an eye on him."

Jackie is looking after the dog for Hamilton woman Bianca Austin, who had to "temporarily rehome" him.

After hearing about her pet's heroics, Austin too was proud of her dog.

"To be honest, I was like 'oh, that's my boy'. I did sort of pride myself on the way I've trained him as well. He's always been a real people dog."

Jackie said she was "dreading" November, when she has to return Ozmo to Austin.

"We've got so much love for him," she said.