And now Buddy the dog has been honored for his quick thinking and absolute determination to ensure his owner was saved.

Buddy's owner Ben Heinrichs, 23, was in his garage working on parts for his truck when a spark ignited some gasoline that was on his clothing, he told reporters.

He ran out of the building to roll around in the snow and put out the flames, shutting the door behind him to stop the fire from spreading. The moment he did, he realized he had shut Buddy inside the now burning building.

Once he let Buddy out, he told the dog, 'We need to get help!' and the dog just took off running.

A trooper who was trying to respond to a call about the blazing building, but had gotten some misdirection from his GPS device, spotted Buddy's shadow heading down the road.

The two met eyes, and the officer, Terrence Shanigan, said he knew instantaneously that the dog was trying to lead him somewhere. "When you know dogs, you just get a sense of what they're thinking," he said in a FOX News interview. "I just knew he wanted me to follow him."

Buddy can clearly be seen running down the icy roads that winded their way to his home, leading the trooper and occasionally looking back to make sure the car was still with him.

The family home was saved, the owner safe despite a badly burned hand, and Buddy the hero dog won a hero's award: a commendation, an engraved stainless steel dog dish, and a big bone.

Go here to read more about this incredible dog and see the award video. Buddy probably isn't much different that every other beloved family pet - much smarter than most folks realize!

Below is the amazing video of Buddy leading the trooper to the fire. (c) tPC