Meet Marley, the sheep who is having lessons on how to be a lamb because he thinks he’s a dog and doesn’t like grass or the cold.
The woolly pet was orphaned and taken in by a family and became best friends with their labrador Jess.
Six-month-old Marley, a Valais Blacknose Valley breed, is now so big he has to move outside – but needs lessons on how to be a proper sheep.
Marley the sheep was adopted by Ali Vaughan from Cumbria, and acts just like a dog
Marley has adopted more traits of a dog due to spending so much time indoors with Jess the labrador
The problem is Marley doesn’t like the cold, wind or rain – or even know how to eat grass.
Marley, a Swiss breed which should usually be more at home in the Alps, is more accustomed to lying in a dog bed in front of the aga.
He eats from bowls, goes out for family walks- much preferring to be inside with his family.
Marley, a Swiss breed, does not like the cold, wind or rain and isn’t keen on going outside
Within two weeks of having the little lamb, Marley contracted an illness called joint-ill, a common cause of lameness in young lambs where one or more joints can be infected and swollen
But as Marley has quadrupled in size – growing larger than their dog – mum-of-two Ali Vaughan is having to try move Marley outdoors where he belongs.
Self-employed upcycler Ali, 34, said: ‘We absolutely love animals and have always had ducks and dogs.
‘But when we moved into a farmhouse in September, with three acres of land, it seemed natural that we should add to our animal family.’
Best friends: When Marley became ill, Jess would lie next to him and the two became inseperable
Due to limited mobility, Ali bought Marley his own dog bed and placed it in front of the warm Aga in the kitchen
So when Ali, who runs her company Mucky Ducky from home, spotted an ad on Facebook from a local farmer appealing for a five star home for an orphaned sheep, she knew had to have him.
Ali, who originally hails from Portrush, Northern Ireland, said: ‘We had a massive garden that was really overgrown so I thought a sheep would be ideal for keeping it sufficiently mowed.
‘Little did I know it’d be a while before he chomped his first bit of grass…’
Tucking in: Marley does not eat grass, and prefers to eat his dog food from a feed bowl
As the family nursed Marley back to full health he would accompany them on their dog walks up the lane and would even look forward to their trips out
Marley’s breed is wild and shaggy so when he arrived at the family home in the beautiful village of Rickerby, Cumbria, he resembled a poodle and was also quite small.
The family, father Adam, 37, who is the director of an insurance company, and children Ella, 10, and Max, four, were taught how to feed Marley with a bottle.
But within two weeks of having the little lamb, Marley contracted an illness called joint-ill, a common cause of lameness in young lambs where one or more joints can be infected and swollen.
The family have got another sheep, a brown Ryeland called Bear – because he looks like a bear
Ali said: ‘I knew we needed to get Marley a sheep companion, we want him to know he’s a sheep and to be outdoors like a sheep – after all he’s not very well house-trained’
He needed constant care and was so stiff it would take him 15 minutes to get up on his feet.
Due to limited mobility, Ali bought Marley his own dog bed and placed it in front of the warm Aga in the kitchen.
Ali said: ‘Our dog, Jess, immediately took to her and would lie at the side of her at night. It soon became clear that Marley was picking up traits from Jess.’
After Marley was nursed back to health, he developed a loathing of the outdoors
The pair became close and would do everything together.
As the family nursed Marley back to full health he would accompany them on their dog walks up the lane and would even look forward to their trips out.
Just when they thought they might have to put Marley out of his misery, they put him on a course on antibiotics and Ali would drive him back and forth to the vet each day to complete the course.
Owner Ali said: ‘Whenever we try to get Marley outside he puts up a fight. And he’s so much bigger now, it’s not an easy feat’
Luckily the effect was immediate and he was soon back to his bright and fluffy self, though he had developed a loathing of the outdoors.
Ali said: ‘Whenever we try to get Marley outside he puts up a fight. And he’s so much bigger now, it’s not an easy feat.
‘When we do finally get him outside you have to be careful opening the door, if he notices it’s open he will make a mad dash to get back in.’
‘Mad dash’: Ali says that when the sheep does go out, the door needs to be closed or he’ll try and get back inside
So now the family have got another sheep, a brown Ryeland called Bear – because he looks like a bear.
Ali said: ‘I knew we needed to get Marley a sheep companion, we want him to know he’s a sheep and to be outdoors like a sheep – after all he’s not very well house-trained.
‘We do have a barn where he should be staying where it is nice and cosy.’