BOURNEMOUTH, England, March 17 (UPI) -- A British couple said their pet duck has become the talk of the town with its dog-emulating behavior, including tail wagging and attempts at barking.

Steph and Tony Tufft from the Charminster area of Bournemouth, England, said they adopted Essy the duck when she was only 8 weeks old and the waterfowl chose the couple's two dogs as role models, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.


"We are known throughout Charminster. People come out of bars to see her. They love it," Tony Tufft said. "She doesn't know she's a duck. She must think she's a dog. She goes up to other dogs. People can't understand it and the dogs are really confused as well."

"We even had to buy Essy her own lead, after getting strange looks from people who thought we were duck-napping," he said.

His wife said taking the duck for walks has become a spectator event for locals.

"It's as if Brad Pitt was walking on the lead, the amount of people that come out," she said.

The couple said their dogs are very protective of Essy and flank her when they go out for walks. They said the duck has her own sleeping space, but she prefers to spend the night with the canines.