Boy, 10, drags german shepherd off his mum

Oscar Arrowsmith, 10, dragged his mother's german shepherd off her when it snapped and went into "kill mode".

He ran towards Dana Lyall's screams as she shielded the family's older dog from the usually placid Lexi, who had started a fight, in their Cockatoo home near Melbourne in 2012.

More than four years later, Oscar, who is on the autism spectrum, will receive a Commendation for Brave Conduct.

"Kill mode is how I'd describe it. She (Lexi) wanted to kill something," Ms Lyall told AAP.

"She lunged and lunged again and again - it happened six times until Oscar dragged her and locked her in the bathroom.

"He was that calm and he just knew he had to get the dog away. He rang triple-zero, got a towel and helped me out to the lounge room."

To this day, Ms Lyall cannot understand why the dog didn't turn on her son.

"He's just a skinny little reedy thing. There's nothing of him. So for him to be able to do that is just amazing," she said.

"Without a doubt, if Oscar wasn't there that dog would have killed me."

While Oscar is thrilled with the award, he remains level-headed about the rescue itself.

"He just thinks of it like it's a matter of fact, like 'that's what I needed to do so I just did it'," Ms Lyall said.

And this only makes her boy that much more special.

"Oscar was born three months premature. He shouldn't be here. He had a real battle to begin with and he's a real miracle, he's my hero."

He's one of 76 people, as well as six groups, to receive an Australian Bravery Award from Governor-General Peter Cosgrove for risking their lives to protect others.