Rudy feisty duck and his doggy best friend Barclay are getting into the festive spirit.
Proud duck owner Pam Ishiguro has a flock of seven ducks but her four-year-old Pekin duck Rudy and her golden retriever Barclay have formed the strongest bond.
With the Christmas season in full swing, the duo are getting into the spirit with festive movies, tasty treats and presents that are just asking to be torn apart.
Rudy and his friend Barclay are getting into the Christmas spirit together at their California home
The inseparable duo have been watching movies and opening presents
The two like to spend quality time together cuddled up in each others’ fur and feathers
Pam, from Orange County California, said: ‘For Christmas, Barclay received several fun chew toys and of course, his favourite gift of all time…steak!
‘We always have to cut his steak into small, bite-sized pieces so he won’t swallow the entire piece of meat at once!
‘Rudy received his favourite gift of live, wiggly mealworms. He especially loves having them in a big bowl of lettuce and pea soup!’
The fluffy pair love the festive season as all the extra people mean that they get lots of extra attention, belly rubs and kisses.
Pam said: ‘For their special Christmas treat, we make snacks and watch their favourite Christmas movie, The Polar Express, together.’
Owner Pam Ishiguro explained: ‘Rudy is our alpha duck. He is in charge of everyone and everything.’
Rudy is protective of his friendship with Barclay, says Pam, stopping other ducks getting too close
Pam explained that ‘the animals are much like my two boys – they have a love-hate relationship’.
‘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,’ she said.
‘Barclay loves to eat duck chow – actually he just likes to eat and knows there’s always food in the coop, so whenever he gets a chance, he’ll sneak into the coop and eat their food.
But the dog and duck pairing was not always so friendly. At first Rudy enjoyed chasing Barclay away whenever he tried to approach any of the ducks in the group.
Barclay was afraid of the duck at first but he has become firm friends with Rudy
Rudy and Barclay are like two oddballs in the playground so are drawn to each other, says Pam
It was only recently that Barclay overcame his fear of ducks and he even steals their food now
The pair are now relaxed in eaCH
Miss Ishiguro explained: ‘Rudy is our alpha duck. He is in charge of everyone and everything.
‘When Barclay tries to sniff any of the other ducks, Rudy is there to stop it. Rudy used to chase Barclay away, and for a long while, Barclay would run away.
‘Barclay was afraid of the ducks when they were ducklings. We even tried showing the ducklings to him, but he wouldn’t even look in their direction. I think he had always been scared of the ducks until just recently.
‘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.
Although the unconventional family has a few conflicts, Rudy and Barclay continue to spend as much time as possible cuddled up in each others’ fur and feathers.
‘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.’