- [Voiceover] Blakely has the most difficult job

in Cincinnati Zoo, he has to play with babies all the time.

(squeaking)

(hissing)

He's never shown any aggression or snapped.

If he gets upset, kinda like any mom would,

he just leaves the room. (laughing)

- [Voiceover] You are so cute!

- My name is Dawn Strasser, and we're

at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Blakely is a five year old Australian Shepherd.

We got him from a rescue.

And I use him in the nursery as a nanny, or companion dog.

This is about you, and you're taking a nap!

Blakely's here for the main purpose of teaching the babies

the correct animal cues as they grow up,

so when they are introduced back to their own kind,

they know what appropriate behavior is.

He teaches them how to play, how to interact.

I can tell them, no don't bite me, but I'm not an animal

and I don't give the same cues that he can.

So we make a great team.

(cheerful music)

- [Voiceover] Smile for the camera!

- [Dawn] Blakely has worked with cheetahs, ocelots,

a takin, bat-eared foxes, a warthog,

wallabies, to name a few.

He's working with four baby cheetahs right now.

It's been a long seven weeks for him

with these little cheetah cubs, and he's, I think, tired.

He's on alert for 24 hours a day.

If they start making too much noise, he'll come and get us.

Like, something's not right, something's not right.

He's kinda like a second set of eyes for us, too.

A lot of times they still recognize each other,

like Dale the takin he raised, when they see each other,

Dale'll still run up in front and grunt at him,

and he'll kinda jump up on the wall and it's kinda like,

hey, how ya doin'?

- He's beautiful.

- [Dawn] Thank you!

Yeah, well, I like to think I have an office,

but I'm pretty sure it's his.

(light cheerful music)