Ingo is a Belgian shepherd. Poldi, also called Napoleon, is a small owl. Together they became one of the internet’s best-loved animal friendships thanks to the German photographer Tanja Brandt, who has spent years photographing animals and wildlife and who captured the pair resting, cuddling and posing side by side.
The story behind the pictures is simple and touching. According to the reports that accompanied the photos in 2016, Poldi hatched two days after his six siblings and was always the smallest and most vulnerable of the brood. He was about a year old when the series became famous and was reportedly not able to live in the wild. Ingo, by contrast, came from a line of tough working police dogs. Yet the big dog appointed himself the owl’s guardian, and the two developed what was described as a protector-and-protected bond.
Brandt summed it up in one line:
“They respect each other and they can read each other.” (Tanja Brandt)
Below, every photo comes with a short note on what it shows and what makes this unlikely friendship work. All photographs are by Tanja Brandt.
Meet the pair
Belgian shepherds are a herding breed from Belgium, developed in the late 1800s, and come in four coat varieties. Ingo’s short fawn coat and black mask match the Malinois type, the variety most often used by police and armed forces around the world. Males typically weigh 25 to 30 kilograms and are known for being intelligent, alert and highly trainable, with a strong instinct to guard.
Poldi has the look of a little owl, a species found across much of Europe, North Africa and Asia. Little owls are only about 22 centimetres long and weigh roughly 180 grams, so Poldi is more than a hundred times lighter than his friend. Unusually for owls, they are partly active in daylight and often perch in plain view, which helps explain how comfortable Poldi looks outdoors during the day.
Quiet moments together
Poldi has found the best seat available: right on top of Ingo’s head, between his upright ears. The dog lies completely still on the wooden boards, eyes on the camera, as if he knows exactly who is up there. For a guarding breed, allowing a small animal to sit on his head shows remarkable trust.
Here Ingo rests his chin on an old tree stump and Poldi tucks himself underneath, almost hidden by the dog’s jaw. Both have their eyes closed. It is one of the clearest examples of the calm the two seem to share.
Lying low on the ground, Ingo lets Poldi nestle into his cheek. The owl’s half-closed eyes give him a sleepy, contented expression. Photos like this need patience: Brandt has to wait for both animals to settle at the same moment.
Poldi leans into Ingo’s neck while the dog props a paw on a weathered log. The warm, low light and the soft background are typical of Brandt’s style, which keeps the focus entirely on the animals’ expressions.
Sheltering together under a broad green leaf, Poldi stares straight at the lens with wide yellow eyes while Ingo’s dark nose pokes in beside him. Little owls have large, forward-facing eyes, which is why they so often seem to be looking right at you.
Through the seasons
A golden stubble field at sunset makes a perfect stage. Ingo looks relaxed and happy, mouth open and tongue out, while Poldi sits upright between his front paws. The size difference has rarely looked so striking.
Shot in profile against a blurred yellow background, Ingo gazes into the distance while Poldi perches on top of his head and looks the other way. It reads like a lookout team, each one watching a different direction.
Bright red blossoms, probably a flowering quince, frame this playful scene. Poldi sits on a branch beside Ingo’s face as the dog gently holds a twig in his mouth. It is one of the most colourful pictures in the series.
In this tight close-up, Poldi presses his face against Ingo’s with his eyes shut, while the dog’s amber eye looks straight at the viewer. The textures of feather and fur fill the frame and show just how close the two are comfortable being.
Ingo lies in tall green grass with his head down, and Poldi stands snugly beside his face, just under one ear. The dog’s relaxed posture suggests that this is a familiar routine rather than a staged pose.
Portraits of a friendship
Ingo rests his head on a mound of earth as Poldi snuggles into his cheek. The bare branches and warm, hazy light give the picture an autumn feel. Moments like this are why the series spread so quickly online.
Poldi stands on a mossy log while Ingo lays his paws and chin beside him, and the two look directly at each other. It is a rare frame that captures them interacting rather than posing for the camera.
Winter arrives. Ingo lies in fresh snow with snow-covered branches and brown leaves above him, and Poldi shelters close to his chest. Small birds lose heat quickly, and a large warm dog makes a handy windbreak.
Ingo leans over a snowy wooden rail with Poldi tucked in front of his chest, framed by an autumn forest. The dog’s steady gaze and the owl’s calm stance show the settled trust between them.
The final portrait shows the pair side by side at a wooden table, Ingo’s head resting on the surface and Poldi standing upright beside him. Both look straight into the lens, like an old couple posing for a family photo.
Can a dog and an owl really be friends?
Bonds like this are unusual but not unheard of, especially between animals raised in the same household. A dog that is calm, well trained and used to other animals can learn to treat a small companion gently, and a hand-reared bird may be far less fearful of a large mammal than a wild one would be. Close supervision still matters: dogs have natural prey instincts, and a well-run home never leaves a tiny bird alone with a large dog without a trusted history between them.
What the photos show, above all, is patience and care from the person behind the camera. Brandt’s work reminds us how much personality animals have when given time and space to show it. The owl has long been a symbol of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, and there is something wise in a friendship that ignores size, species and every expectation.
Sources: Photographs by Tanja Brandt; story first reported by WhiteWolfPack and True Activist (Amanda Froelich); Wikipedia: Belgian Shepherd; Wikipedia: Little owl.
Related:
COMMENTS