Barclay is an adorable and friendly Golden Retriever whose best friend just happens to be a 4-year-old White Pekin duck named Rudy.
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Interspecies friendship
As animal friendships go, this one is pretty unique!
The two live with owner Pam Ishiguro and her family in Orange County, California. And she thinks the unlikely pair act a lot like brothers.
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‘The animals are much like my two boys – they have a love-hate relationship,” she told the Daily Mail.
But it’s mostly love.
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But they didn’t start off as besties. In fact, alpha duck Rudy would often chase away Barclay from the coop. It turns out the dog likes duck chow – well, actually, he just likes food and knows the duck coop is a constant source of it.
“Just recently, however, Barclay has decided that he’s no longer afraid of the ducks, or perhaps the appeal of getting a bite of their food is so strong that it’s given him more courage,” Ishiguro said.
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Of course, as the alpha, it was Rudy’s job to make sure his flock had enough to eat.
“He is in charge of everyone and everything,” his owner said.
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Eventually, Barclay’s frequent visits led the two to tolerate each other – and then become “friends.”
Together forever
At this point, the two animals are so closely bonded that they’ll cry out for each other when one is missing. That means Rudy is allowed in the house.
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“When they are together, somebody is always chasing or jumping on someone else, but when they are apart, they’re always calling for each other.”
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That’s less charming to Ishiguro’s other dog, a chihuahua-terrier mix named Izzy. In fact, Izzy is probably the one who gave Barclay the courage to approach the ducks after being afraid of them early on. Izzy doesn’t like them and enjoys stalking them.
Of course, now that the ducks are bigger than Izzy, he’s no longer tormenting them.
That’s what friends are for
Now that Rudy has agreed to be best friends with Barclay, they’re inseparable – and they’re pretty possessive of one another.
When Barclay tries to sniff the other ducks, Rudy stops him. And he nips!
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But Barclay is content as long as he gets to sniff a duck’s butt. (Yes, you read that right.)
“[Barclay] likes to drink their bath water and, if he happens to be stealthy enough, he loves to sniff a little duck butt,” Ishiguro told the Daily Mail.
A little co-dependent, don’t you think?
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Well, that’s just the way it is. And Rudy’s alpha status means he’ll take the occasional butt sniff as long as he gets to show Barclay who’s boss every now and then.
“Now Rudy has to ‘claim’ Barclay every once in a while by climbing on top of him. Barclay doesn’t seem to mind terribly because that gives him the opportunity to sniff Rudy’s butt – win-win!”
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It’s probably clear by now that the two animals are pretty unique – not just as friends, but as individuals. And maybe that’s what helps seal their friendship.
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Their mom calls them “oddballs,” but in an affectionate way:
“Rudy and Barclay need each other – I think that’s why they have such a strong bond, they’re like the oddballs on the playground. No one else will play with them, so lucky for them, they found each other.”
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If you want to follow their adorable adventures, they have an Instagram page at @ducksmakegreatpets.
And you can scroll down below to see a video that includes more adorable footage of the feathery, furry besties.
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