I don’t mean to alarm you but there’s a calf in Sydney who thinks he’s a dog.
“Ferdinand” a a four-month old bull, who has been adopted by Sydney dog trainer Jaclyn Tarrant.
She’s been training the adorable calf to do all of the same tricks as her dogs, but feeds him strawberries instead of meat when he’s being a good boy.
Ferdinand can have a little strawberry, as a treat.
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Just like a dog, Ferdinand enjoys drives to the beach with his owner and puppy pals.
“I first took him to Dee Why Beach and he wasn’t a natural in the water! He’d put a hoof in and be like ‘nah’,” Jaclyn told 10 Daily.
“We recently went down to Bayview Dog Park and because three dogs were going in the water, he gradually ventured in and got a little deeper and deeper – now he likes it!”
According to 10 Daily, there’s a chance you might see this adorable calf taking a dip at Bondi Beach soon enough, but they “might start with Manly Beach first.”
Ferdinand loves people and dogs, but unfortunately other dogs get a little freaked out by him when they first meet.
“The dogs at the park were all freaked out by him at first, wondering what this strange looking ‘dog’ was.”
Brace yourself for some sad news, because Ferdinand (Ferdi, for short) has an extra chromosome 22, which can result in heart defects and has an impact on his mental capacity.
“Among other things, there’s potential heart defects, he’s stunted in his growth, he has an enormous underbite and an oddly-shaped pot belly which I think is so cute,” Jaclyn told 10 Daily.
“So he looks a bit different and he’s a little bit unique in his behavior but we just love him.”
Despite the hurdles he’s had to overcome, Ferdi lives a happy and fulfilling life on Jaclyn’s Oxford Falls property with his puppy bestie Primrose.
“My dogs love him to pieces, particularly Primrose who is my 11-month-old rescue puppy,” Jaclyn said.
“They are ridiculous together, they snuggle, kiss and headbutt each other in play all the time.”
If your lifestyle and living situation permits it, you can adopt your own calf to love and nurture through til The Cows Come Home, a cow re-homing organisation.
“Anyone with a few acres of grassland and a dream to hand raise calves is welcome to apply to adopt,” Til The Cows Come Home founder Donna Wild told 10 Daily.
“Their new owners will have a loving cow waiting for them to come back for a daily cuddle and scratch, even when they’re old and grey and weigh a tonne!”
