Meet the Yorkshire dog who has become unlikely friends with his owner's owls

Blue, an 11-year old German Shepherd-Husky, has always got along with the birds he lives with. Owner Amy Jo Lawrance, 40, didn't expect her pup to strike up such a bond with three of her six pet owls - Juneau, Xena and Frankie. But Blue loves his feathered friends and they often go on walks together and playfully chase each other.

When the owls were babies, they used to cuddle and take naps with Blue - but now the "teenage" birds now a bit "bossy" with him.

Amy, a falconer, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, said: "Xena used to always get on his back when Blue was laid on the sofa. They used to be a lot more cuddly. Frankie and him used to play together. Frankie would grab hold of his tail and mess about with it. When he [Blue] sees me with Frankie he gets excited because he knows he can come for a walk on the common with us while I fly him."

Amy has been working with owls and other birds of prey for 20 years and hosts regular displays where people can get close up with the birds. She has three other owls - Twigs, a tawny owl, Toki, a great hawned owl and Bjorn - who have never been very fond of Blue.

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Despite her knowledge of animals, Amy was a little cautious when Blue and Juneau first got cuddly.

She said: "I was a bit cautious at first. It's nice to see them together and for Blue to be so tolerant."

Amy hand rears her owls for the first six months - even taking them to the pub with her for Sunday lunch. As adults, the owls live in their own aviary but come into the house if they are unwell.

She said: "They go everywhere with me when they are young. Frankie went to the local pub with me for dinner. He'd be asleep on my knee. It was like having a toddler."

Blue used to be pals with snowy owl Juneau but now as an adult the bird is asserting "dominance". She started to steal Blue's toys as she got older and chased him around the house.

Amy said: "Juneau has become a little bossy with Blue recently. She's like a young teenager and is trying to assert dominance over him. Xena the barn owl is fine with Blue being around but doesn't really take a great deal of notice of him.

"His best relationship is with Frankie the Bengal Eagle owl. Frankie is not bothered by Blue's presence but with owls being naturally solitary they are not particularly affectionate or playful as they become adults.

"He lived in the house with us for the first six months he was more accepting of him being a part of the family. Blue himself is comfortable around all of the owls but not all the owls are comfortable with him."