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Daily Mirror
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Sophie Norris & Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas

Baby dubbed 'MOWGLI' after six dogs teach her to walk on all fours and eat their food

A toddler who walks around on all fours and tries to eat dog food "any chance she gets" has been dubbed "Mowgli" by her own mum.

River Shell - who has been raised in the family home with six German Shepherds - has drawn comparisons to the legendary

Jungle Book

character after forming a strong bond with the pack of large dogs.

Her mum Ashley Shell, 31, claims she was nervous after she was first born about how the pack of large dogs would take to the tiny baby.

But the 31-year-old has revealed that her worries soon disappeared when they became best friends, "accepting her into the family" like one of their own.

Enthusiastic 14-month-old River enjoys playing with Meeka, Kai, Ryker, Koba, Brenna and Roma, so much every day that she has started to act like an adorable pooch herself.

River Shell, who is 14 months old, has started walking on all fours after bonding with her family's six German Shepherds (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)
Mum Ashley Shell, 31, claims she was nervous at first about how the pack of large dogs would take to her young child (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)

As well as walking around on all fours, influencer Ashley says her daughter has even started using the dog flap.

She recently posted a video showing the journey they have been on together, with River first seen as a helpless newborn surrounded by the dogs before a more recent image shows her playing with their water bowl.

An on-screen caption reads: "My baby was raised with five dogs, and sometimes I think she thinks she's a dog,"

The toddler started 'watching' and 'copying' the dogs when she was about eight years old (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)
Videos posted on TikTok show how the dogs have accepted the toddler as 'their own' (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)

The cute tot appears very at home while playing with her toys in their crate and even sneakily tries to eat their food, with Ashley seen trying to pick tiny bits of kibble out of her mouth.

Her video has now attracted more than 9.1million views and more than 2million likes and comments after she posted it on TikTok.

Commenting on her daughter's friendship with the dogs, Ashley, Tulsa, Oklahoma US, said: "When she was around eight months old, she started watching them and trying to copy what they were doing.

River always smiles when she sees the dogs and likes to show them affection (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)
The toddler has even started using the dog flap (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)

"She loves playing in their water if we forget to pick it up and she tries to sneak dog food any chance she gets..

She added that "River usually smiles at them when she sees them" and "goes to give them a hug or kiss" while trying to say their names.

"River's still learning to be gentle around them by petting and hugging them.", she added.

Ashley says River even attempts to eat some of their dog food (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)
River's mum says her daughter reminds her of Mowgli from The Jungle Book - and commenters on TikTok agree (Kennedy News/@von.jakoba)

Some social media users joked that her close relationship with the animals would boost the toddler's immune system, while others echoed the comparison with Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli character.

One viewer said "She will have a great immune system. I think it's awesome!", while another remarked: "That's the cutest thing I've ever seen."

A fellow dog owner said: "Not the Mowgli walk."

Another mum said: "A what a happy lovely baby she is."

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