This alpaca thinks she's a dog – and her owner treats her like one!
Stirling, UK - As an alpaca breeder, Dannie Burns has seen every kind of behavior imaginable from his fuzzy animal friends. But one member of his herd stands apart.
Dannie recently talked to Newsweek about his very special alpaca, Annie, who acts just like a dog!
One reason for her confusion might be that she was raised alongside three Labradoodles after she was rejected by her mother.
The four-foot tall alpaca ended up really bonding with the curly mixed pooches. Dannie said she's learned a lot from her canine friends: "She roams with the dogs and has learned to open doorknobs with her mouth."
When she was first taken in, Annie went everywhere with her owner, as if she was a puppy.
"She was in our house for six months and bottle-fed every two hours," Dannie explained.
Annie the alpaca is always with her owners
Because she spent so much time with her human and canine companions, Annie isn't interested in the rest of the alpaca herd. She wants nothing to do with her kind and even hides when she sees them.
"She feels superior to the other alpacas," Dannie joked.
Since it was clear that she had to be included in everything, the breeder brought a station wagon to take Annie on road trips.
"We got the car because she went everywhere with us. We leave the back door open, and she jumps in the back," he said.
One of her favorite activities is going on a drive and sticking her head out the window – just like a dog.
Annie is a therapy alpaca
Life with Annie is not without its challenges, Dannie insisted. She likes to chew on everything, including cables.
"Toy soldiers, ribbons, plastic parts. She swallows them – she's a nightmare," he complained, which is why these days the alpaca is no longer allowed inside the house.
Annie's life is also about to change drastically, since she's now pregnant. Dannie hopes that once her calf is born, she will find her way back to the herd.
Cover photo: Montage: Facebook/The Alpaca Trekking Centre