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“How Our Senior Golden Retriever Reacted To All The New Animals On Our Little Farm”

Left image shows a golden retriever watching ducklings swim in a small pool. Right image shows the dog walking along a trail with the full-grown ducks.

Santi is a senior golden retriever. His family moved from an urban area to a little cabin in the woods. Although uncertain how he would adapt, they wanted their old good boi to have space to roam in his waning years. They also introduced Santi to several new critters on their growing homestead. His reaction to the new little “friends” is heartwarming.

@the.littlecabinthatcould

We moved out to a small house on some land to give Santi space to roam. We had no idea how he would react to any new additions, but he has been the absolute sweetest boy to all the new friends around the farm. #hobbyfarm #homesteading #cabininthewoods #runnerducks #raisingchickens #goldenretriever

♬ Evergreen – music <3

Like most golden retrievers, Santi is great at “retrieving.” This is especially true when it comes to sticks.

Golden retriever fetching a large stick.
Image from TikTok.

When it came to introducing Santi to tiny farm critters, his reaction was amazing. He stared in wonder at the baby chicks in their tiny nest box. Then he stared at them raptly when they gained some free roaming time.

Golden retriever watching baby chicks.

Image from TikTok.

Santi loved the baby chicks so much that he became their instant babysitter and guardian.

Golden retriever playing with his farm friends, a flock of small chickens.
Image from TikTok.

Full-grown chickens may not be as fun, but Santi still enjoys chilling with them.

Santi the dog chilling with a chicken.
Image from TikTok.

Taking the time to introduce pets to new friends is essential. When the family first moved to their smaller home, they intended to downsize. The house got smaller, and they had less stuff. But they neglected to consider how massive the outdoors was. Santi loved the space, but they had rodents. First came the adoption of a couple of feral cats. Those were followed by an adorable kitten from the local shelter they couldn’t resist.

Adopted cats living their best life.
Image from TikTok.

The Homestead Grows, And Santi, The Golden Retriever, Adopts More Friends

If you’re wondering what came first, it was the chicken, not the eggs. After the successful introduction of the baby chicks, the couple thought some ducks would be cute. And they were. Santi shared their pool and went on walks with them. What next? A couple of little puppies were dumped on their property, so who better for Santi to play with?

Abandoned puppies adopted by homesteaders settle in with their senior golden retriever.
Images from TikTok here and here.

Although Santi tolerates the puppies, he isn’t as enamored with them as the chickens and ducks. They are occasionally fun to play with but also tend to be annoying. Santi’s owners realized that downsizing wasn’t what they needed in their lives. They attribute their current happiness to more nature and more animal friends. They seem to be living a dream with their senior golden retriever and all his friends.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.

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