Tough dog is trained to track down bears, but has a soft spot for a baby deer

We always love to see unlikely friendships between animals. Dogs are so naturally protective animals that they’ll often take a smaller creature under their wing to help them, becoming their guardian.

And sometimes it’s the dogs you least expect who become the most caring. Like one dog whose job whose job tracking down dangerous animals required him to be fearless, but at home had a soft spot for the local deer.

A dog named Mishka was Washington Fish and Wildlife’s first bear dog, a job in which he tracked down wild roaming bears so they could be captured and relocated.

Miskha was also trained in tracking down cougars and animal bones. But it was his rare talent for bear tracking that made him a hero: his actions likely helped save people by discouraging the bears from human-populated areas.

“Bears are very, very smart and can be taught to stay away from people,” his handler officer Bruce Richards told the Tri-City Herald.

And it’s thanks to Mishka’s tough attitude: “He will go nose to nose with a bear,” he said.

But at home, it’s a very different story.

While you might think a dog who spends his days facing down bears and cougars would be aggressive with wildlife, it turns out Mishka has always had a heart for the little guy.

Like a baby deer:

Mishka lives with Officer Richards, who says the local deer love the dog and he loves them right back.

“Fawns go up to Mishka and he adopts them,” Richards said.

One viral video shows the bond he had with one adorable deer. He is seen kissing and licking the fawn, who kisses him right back.

In another scene, Miskha walks around the property and the fawn follows his ever step. It’s clear the deer trusts him to lead the way.

People speculated that the young fawn believed the dog to be its mother.

Miskha might be best known for his fearless bear-tracking abilities, but the internet fell in love with this tender side of him: a video of him with the deer has gained over a million views on YouTube.

According to the Tri-City Herald, Miskha retired from the Fish and Wildlife department in 2015, a well-earned end to a great career that will give him plenty of more time to play with his friends.