After losing all his relatives, the duckling became friends with a large Newfoundland dog | Dog | Friendship | Olaf
[Epoch Times August 28, 2024](Reported by Epoch Times reporter Anna Mason/Translated by Wang Jingyi) After losing all his brothers and sisters, Olaf the duck developed a beautiful friendship with a Newfoundland puppy named Sven.
The unlikely bond and playfulness they developed on their owner’s farm was captured in a children’s picture book called Adventures of Biss and Olee.
During the 2020 lockdown, the duck and its siblings were taken in by a farmer family in Oklahoma, and they lived happily together for a while before the worst happened. Since it was March and the nights were still cold, the ducklings first lived at home until they grew feathers.
“They actually lived in my husband’s office for almost a month before we moved them outside,” Jessie Vallier, 35, told The Epoch Times.
“Everything was well-fenced and protected, but we’re pretty sure the coyotes found a weak spot and ate all the ducks except Olaf,” she said.
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)
Mrs. Valliere, a horse trainer and riding instructor, said her family was always ready to help rescue the animals.[由苔丝‧莫恩（Tess Maune）提供]
Around the same time the couple agreed to adopt the 3-week-old ducklings, they also had a 5-month-old puppy from Nebraska whose owner was struggling during the pandemic. So the Vallieres brought Sven to their farm in Broken Arrow.
Mrs. Vallier, a horse trainer and riding instructor, said: “We never turn down rescued animals.”
Two or three weeks later, Olaf lost his siblings, and before Mrs. Valliere and her husband could figure out what to do, the duckling had formed an indissoluble bond with Sven. It really began to be interested in the big dog. Slowly, the duckling began to follow Sven, the “big brown teddy bear,” and soon they became good friends.
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)(Provided by Jesse Vallier)
Mrs Vallier believes their romance began when she spotted the friends playing together in a children’s pool one day.
“Sven was laying in the pool and Olaf was with him. I think from that point on, Olaf was like, ‘Oh, you like water; we’re the same, we’re friends.’ Honestly, after that moment, the two of them were best friends.”
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)Still, the two friends had very different personalities, Mrs. Vallier said.
The Rouen duck is “very bossy and opinionated”. Olaf is in charge of the farm.
“If he’s worried about a chicken, or even a dog, he’ll drive the danger away from them. He’s like a big, strong little duck that feels like it needs to take care of everybody,” she said.
Sven is described as “a big guy, very lovable and very docile” and he gets along well with children and animals.
“He’s never hyper,” his owner said. “He’ll run around energetically, and after two turns, he’ll get tired and want to lie down.”
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)Olaf and Sven’s close relationship is adorable. Olaf is protective of his friend and will lower his head to try to shoo people away from the gentle big guy. He will also constantly groom the dog.
Mrs Valliere said: “He seemed to be pecking at him all the time. But he would also sit down and scratch Sven’s fur with his beak. Sven drools a lot and Olaf likes to wipe Sven’s mouth. He sticks his whole beak into Sven’s cheek and it looks like he’s brushing his teeth.”
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)It is understood that the happy pair also played catch and enjoyed some roughhousing.
“We would throw a ball to Sven and the ducks would chase after it. If they fell over, Sven would stand up and run and the ducks would quickly catch up,” their owner said.
(Provided by Jesse Vallier)Now, the two friends are 4 years old, but they have never had an argument.
“They get along really well. If Olaf bites too hard, Sven turns his nose and pushes him away. But there has never been any aggression.”
The Vallieres said that while they knew birds could imprint on different creatures, they had never seen anything like it themselves. Sven and Olaf’s friendship has lasted four years and has brought them endless joy.
She said: “It’s a very special friendship and we’re really honoured to be a part of it.”
original:Little Duck Befriends Big Newfoundland Puppy After Losing Bird Family—Their Antics Are Melting Hearts: VIDEOPublished on the English website of The Epoch Times.
Editor in charge: Han Yu#
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