When the Gaylords returned earlier this month, they found Madison patiently sitting outside the charred remains of their home.
The California family who discovered one of their dogs waiting for them at their home following the devastating wildfires were confident the pup would survive.
Andrea and Bill Gaylord, of Paradise, California, fled for their lives the morning of Nov. 8 with just seconds to spare. Dog Madison and his brother, Miguel, were left behind because they refused to get into the car.
"They are not domesticated very much, they are guard dogs," Bill told Inside Edition. "They have been in a vehicle except once in their life when they were about 6 weeks old."
When the Gaylords returned earlier this month, they found Madison patiently sitting outside the charred remains of their home.
"It is a very tough breed of dogs," Bill said. "We have very tough people and tough dogs on this mountain."
Shayla Sullivan, an animal rescue expert who knows the Gaylords, was one of the few civilians allowed into Paradise after the flames passed by. She left food and water for the dogs just in case they survived.
"I actually called Andrea to let her know that we had been here looking for the dogs," Sullivan told Inside Edition.
Madison wasn't the only lucky survivor. Somehow, Miguel ended up in an animal shelter 70 miles away.
The owners and the dogs recently were brought together for an emotional reunion.
"I guess we were missing and he was home!" Bill joked.
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