A German Shepherd has taken a clutch of abandoned ducklings under his wing and become their ‘very protective' surrogate dad.

The dog named Ben recently had a BFF relationship with an adult duck that flew away unexpectedly, so perhaps he sensed that the newly-hatched ducklings were related.

Ben and the fledgling brood bonded immediately and now he spends most of his days watching over them as they sleep, eat, play, or have a bath.

He even barks at the family tabby cat if it dares get too close to his fluffy little family.

Julie McGuire lives in Motueka, New Zealand where the ducklings were found abandoned in a stream by orchard workers who watched for eight hours but the mother duck never returned.

So the 35-year-old woman agreed to care for them in her home until they could survive outdoors on their own.

Julie says their dog Ben is "extremely curious" and immediately wanted to know what was going on in the room where the newborns were being fed and napping in a cage.

"He's very protective. He watches over them and makes sure the cat doesn't get too close."

"They deserve the best life and I am just happy we could help some of them survive, and Ben has had fun with them growing up."

Now that their bigger, Julie lets the ducklings roam free on her property.

"If they decide to fly away. I'm happy with that," she says.

We can't believe the same about Ben.

Watch the SWNS-licensed video below… (The music gives way to natural sound mid-way through.)

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