Dog With Epilepsy Was 'Mopey' From Medication Before Duck BFF Louie Came Into His Life

Health ailments can get anybody down, even golden retrievers, who are known to be some of the happiest and goofiest animals around. A golden named Barley who lives on Long Island in New York experienced several seizures and, in early 2024, received the diagnosis of epilepsy. Medicine used to treat the disorder made the formerly fun-loving dog seem "mopey" and tired — a common side effect of the treatment — according to Barley's owner, Tori Cannarelli, in an interview with the Washington Post.

A few months later, the Cannarelli household took in a pair of ducklings, just four days old. Sadly, one didn't survive the night. The other little quacker, though, thrived and instantly became besties with Barley. The golden perked right up thanks to the attention of the little American Pekin duck, now named Louie. "You don't expect that friendship, and it's nice to see," Cannarelli said, calling Louie the dog's "emotional support duck."

A scroll through duckandadog's Instagram shows the unlikely animal duo walking together, following each other, wrestling, trying to share a food dish, and just generally being cute and cuddly. Clearly, Barley's playful nature has been restored.

Although it may seem unusual for a golden retriever to become friends with a prey animal, it's not unheard of. Dogs and ducks that live together on farms are often taught to tolerate each other through a slow process of getting the animals accustomed to one another. Barley, though, didn't need to be taught how to be gentle with his duck buddy, even while wrestling with the much smaller animal.

One specific video of the BFFs wrestling has racked up more than 2.1 million likes and over 15,000 comments, including "Omg I love this relationship 😍," and "I can watch this all day." One person noted, "They're so in love," and another joked, "I'm telling my dog this is AI he's already obsessed with ducks 😭."

Want to see more videos of the cutest pet friendships? Check out this cow giving kisses to her golden retriever best friend, and this baby goat and corgi whose sweet friendship is "maximum adorableness."