Ducktown
Songster
- May 8, 2017
- 354
- 297
- 161
Many of you know about my ducks, my lost drakes, about my dogs and how I trained the puppy to have friendly intentions with the drake I've incubated at the time he was like 1 month old. If not, quick recap.
I have incubated an egg around the time my dog had a puppy. We decided to keep him, since it was just one, and he was just too adorable to give him away. A month or so later, the indian runner egg I was incubating finally hatched, it was a nice mallard colored (well that came later with the feathers
) drake.
I made sure that dog, which was in the biting phase didn't approach to the duckling too much, and if he did any playful gesture that would possibly lead to anything that could harm the duckling, i pushed the puppy away. He learned that he can't harm the duck, and it almost felt like he is afraid of the ducks - yet he wasn't, he was playing the can't touch me game with the drake that loved chasing him. Just after someone stole that drake, I have noticed that the dog misses the game, when he tried the same taunting moves on the remaining ducks, but none of them was interested in the same kind of 'attack', but they do chase him. When I mentioned the attack the drake did, it was that body-check thing they do, which I guess they think is very intimidating, but in reality often leads to early demise. Both, dog and drake were doing that playfully. If dogs were occupied with something, drake saw they won't bother to run away, so he and his duck fleet left and mind their own business. Interesting behavior, I never expected them to act that way, neither the dog, nor the ducks.
And let's fast forward timetable to the current time. I have 3 ducks that have lost 2 drakes, both of them were imprinted on both me, and the dogs. I got these three when they were almost adult, fully feathered up and already sounded like hens. They never imprinted (much) and were rather acting the way the leading drake did. When I called, they too answered and started running towards me. Now, that seems to be lost and I have a hard time controlling them. They do know me, and they come, but not nearly as readily as they used to. I have noticed, however, that they still come immediately if the young dog is around. Not only that, they started chasing him now, and doing the intimidating head thingie, also in a playful nature. Then, today, i have noticed something even stranger. I have to admit, it still makes me smile...
When they saw the dog, they ran towards him, and one of them flattened as if he was the drake. And it did not happen only once, later in the afternoon, the same duck did the exactly same thing.
Sadly, I only have shitty photo, I'll make a video tomorrow, I am sure, they will do the same thing again!
No luck with this guy ladies...
PS: I really need to get them a drake. In the morning, when I open their house, they run to the pond, wash and all three lay flat on the water. It breaks my heart
I have incubated an egg around the time my dog had a puppy. We decided to keep him, since it was just one, and he was just too adorable to give him away. A month or so later, the indian runner egg I was incubating finally hatched, it was a nice mallard colored (well that came later with the feathers
) drake.I made sure that dog, which was in the biting phase didn't approach to the duckling too much, and if he did any playful gesture that would possibly lead to anything that could harm the duckling, i pushed the puppy away. He learned that he can't harm the duck, and it almost felt like he is afraid of the ducks - yet he wasn't, he was playing the can't touch me game with the drake that loved chasing him. Just after someone stole that drake, I have noticed that the dog misses the game, when he tried the same taunting moves on the remaining ducks, but none of them was interested in the same kind of 'attack', but they do chase him. When I mentioned the attack the drake did, it was that body-check thing they do, which I guess they think is very intimidating, but in reality often leads to early demise. Both, dog and drake were doing that playfully. If dogs were occupied with something, drake saw they won't bother to run away, so he and his duck fleet left and mind their own business. Interesting behavior, I never expected them to act that way, neither the dog, nor the ducks.
And let's fast forward timetable to the current time. I have 3 ducks that have lost 2 drakes, both of them were imprinted on both me, and the dogs. I got these three when they were almost adult, fully feathered up and already sounded like hens. They never imprinted (much) and were rather acting the way the leading drake did. When I called, they too answered and started running towards me. Now, that seems to be lost and I have a hard time controlling them. They do know me, and they come, but not nearly as readily as they used to. I have noticed, however, that they still come immediately if the young dog is around. Not only that, they started chasing him now, and doing the intimidating head thingie, also in a playful nature. Then, today, i have noticed something even stranger. I have to admit, it still makes me smile...
When they saw the dog, they ran towards him, and one of them flattened as if he was the drake. And it did not happen only once, later in the afternoon, the same duck did the exactly same thing.
Sadly, I only have shitty photo, I'll make a video tomorrow, I am sure, they will do the same thing again!
No luck with this guy ladies...
PS: I really need to get them a drake. In the morning, when I open their house, they run to the pond, wash and all three lay flat on the water. It breaks my heart
