Couple Sarah-Jane Little and Sam Leadley live on a farm in English Yorkshire. They got a cocker spaniel puppy in February of this year. The couple had previously had a 2-year-old male duck named Dennis, and they were worried about how he would react to the pup. But as it turned out later, their worries were in vain.

Account manager Sarah-Jayne said: “They love chasing each other all day every day. When Dennis gets in the pond, Fern watches over him. She’s not brave enough to get in with him yet but she stands at the side and looks over him so he’s safe”

The moment they met, the two were interested in each other, and it was as if they immediately found common ground. Dennis didn’t try to chase little Fern away, and they just started playing.

“They’re now rolling around together on the floor daily. She’ll lay down and let Dennis jump on her having a play. We were worried he might have been being territorial but it’s definitely playing now. Dennis was the boss from day one but they’ve developed into best friends ever since. Now everything is a game for them.”

Now every morning the first thing Dennis does when they let him out of his cage is to run around the farm looking for his furry friend. They play, cuddle, fool around together, and share food. 6-month-old Fern often watches her friend swim in the pond – making sure everything is in order.
The main one in this couple is definitely Dennis – the duck is always in control of the little pup, and Fern follows him everywhere. In these few months, they have become the best of friends.

Sarah-Jayne said: “Fern isn’t interested in any of our other three ducks and they’re not bothered about her. It’s only Dennis who has made the cut.I think she realised she had to fit in with him which has helped. As she’s known him since she was a pup she knows to play with him rather than hunt him. He’s very bold and the first thing every morning when we take Fern outside to go see all the animals, Dennis will run over to her. What is even funnier is Dennis isn’t interested in any other dogs. If our family brings their dogs over, he’s not bothered by them at all.”