Loyal dog puts himself in ‘timeout’ so his best friend doesn’t have to do it alone

Most of us were put in a “time out” at least once when we were kids. It’s the classic way for for parents to set some consequences for rambunctious behavior.

But when one young boy faced a few minutes of time out, his furry best friend joined in him solidarity, as one heartwarming viral photo shows.

Like many kids, Peyton Smith is inseparable from his beloved dog, Dash. “Dash has made life happier for the whole family,” mom Jillian Marie Smith told The Dodo. “Most of all, for Peyton. If you ask Peyton, Dash is his buddy.”

And in 2020, a heartwarming photo of the two went viral, proving that this dog is loyal through and through.

According to Good Morning America, Peyton got into a spat with his sister Ryleigh and the parents decided to reprimand Peyton with a few minutes of time out.

The 3-year-old took his punishment and stood quietly at the wall — but he didn’t suffer alone. Dash joined him, sticking by his side as Peyton puts his arm around him:

Jillian, thankfully, caught the adorable moment in a photo. “When you’re in time out but your best pal wont let you serve your time alone,” she wrote in the caption.

“I just happened to have my phone on me at the time he was in timeout and took the picture,” she told GMA. “I adore the picture, definitely something I will treasure forever.”

It was so adorable that the boy’s troublemaking was soon forgiven. “I couldn’t be mad long because it was just so cute how Peyton wrapped his arm around Dash,” the mom told The Dodo. “When Peyton had to go to time-out, I think Dash knew he needed his buddy.”

Posted in January 2020, the photo blew up and went viral. It’s become a true classic, and continues to make the rounds online even years later.

“To this day their photo is still going strong!!! I am in awe of how this photo has touched so many life’s and I LOVE to see that it continues to go around,” Jillian wrote on Instagram last year.

“To this day, these two are still best pals.”