A German shepherd may have saved its owner's life when it used the phone to dial 911 when the man began having a seizure.

Buddy, an 18-month-old service dog, is trained to assist his owner, Joe Stalnaker, who sustained brain damage 10 years ago in a military accident that has left him prone to life-threatening seizures.

Since Buddy was 8-weeks-old, Stalnaker and the Paws with a Cause organization worked with the dog to train him to pick up the phone when Stalnaker begins to seize. The phone is specially programmed, so Buddy's teeth hit the button necessary to make contact with a 911 operator.

The Arizona Republic reported that Buddy can be heard whimpering on the 911 tape, so help was dispatched when the operator traced where the call was coming from.

Stalnaker spent two nights in the hospital, but he and Buddy are back home.

He told a reporter, "Buddy, he basically gives me my independence," he said. "He's my world. He's my best friend, no question. He's always there, and I just hope I can be as good to him as he's been to me."