Today started out like any other day. After getting up and pouring a coffee, my two dogs and I headed downstairs to go outside. They are out for their morning ritual and I am out to let the ducks out for the day. It’s a cold November day. We had some baby ducks late in the season and they are growing rather slow. Lately they have gotten in the habit of going under the fence and into the backyard. Yes you guessed it into doggie territory.

The ducks really motor in the morning. One minute they are in

the pond the next minute they are in the field – they are just going and picking, picking and picking.

After giving them fresh water and topping up their food I start to head back to the fenced yard and into the house. The dogs are doing their normal thing. As the three of us head back to the house I noticed there is only two of us. I then hear a very loud quacking. I know instantly one of my female ducks is extremely agitated at something.

Seeing that my male doberman – Wylie is no where in sight I call him and run towards the shed. This is the only place he can be and the ducks are over that way also but outside of the fence.

As I round the corner of the shed I see three of the little ducks inside the yard and Wylie nosing them. The ducks are frantic and Mama duck is going nuts on the other side of the fence. I tell Wylie to “Leave it” which he happily does and he just lopes off to where our female dobe is.

That’s the second time this year that he has had contact with the ducks and both times had responded immediately when told to leave them.  Without training would he have responded the same way?

Two of the little ones get out under the fence but the third one is very confused and stressed at this point. I manage to corral it, pick it up and take it back out to the rest of them. Mama duck was quite happy when I brought her baby back to her. They all headed off to the pond to safety.

If our dobe had not had any training would this have had the same ending?

Until next time

Maureen Brownell

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