When Tyler Young was only a few months old in 2015, Jennifer Young made the decision to expand her family by adopting a duckling. She had no idea how soon her child and the tiny duck would become friends.
Since then, Tyler’s very best friend has been Beaker the duck, commonly known as Bee.
In fact, Tyler’s first word was “duck,” Young told The Dodo back in 2016, about 9 months after bringing Bee home.
Young said, “They did everything together: play, eat, sleep, etc. Fortunately, Bee was simple to train using a harness. Young didn’t even bother that Duck was in diapers and a toddler (though Bee sometimes yanked his off).
From that point on, they became closer, and Bee made it a point to follow Tyler about the home whenever he toddled.
Young stated, “It’s craziness from the time these two wake up till the time they go to bed.”
While Tyler was eating, Bee would nag for food, and Tyler would of course slip him anything he wanted.
Young predicted that the two would demolish Tyler’s room in less than five minutes, then act equally remorseful when she caught them.
Bee is also “very protective of his boy. If I am holding Tyler and he’s crying, Bee is at my feet quacking, making sure he’s not hurt,” Young said.
Before having Tyler, Young maintained pet ducks for a long time. She had almost a dozen of them at once. However, until Bee, they had primarily been outdoor pets by choice.
She was shown by Bee how having a duck indoors “isn’t quite as odd as it appears.”
When I first discovered that people kept ducks inside wearing diapers, I laughed out loud at first, Young recalls. Bee is every bit as devoted, smart, and charming as any dog or cat.
Tyler, of course, didn’t find any of this odd at all. He hasn’t truly experienced life without his best friend’s feathered diaper.
Young explains, “As far as Tyler is concerned, having a pet duck is the thing to have.” He will tell you how much he loves his Beaker.
Nearly five years later, a new infant has been welcomed into Young’s home (and another duck in diapers). The first best friends, though, will always hold a particular place in each other’s hearts.
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