The playful parrots who play catch with the family dog

Game on: One of the two-year-old Macaws chases after Flitzer the dog Teasing the family dog and raiding apple trees, these playful parrots love nothing more than to cause mischief. 

Pictured in the German countryside, female Macaws Ava and Mio cruise the skies looking for fun and food. 

The yellow and blue pair of birds, aged two, have proved themselves to be quite a handful for their owner Julian Knott. 

Steer clear! The bright blue and yellow bird charges directly for the hapless dog

The birds often charge at Julian's dog Flitzer and have even riled a neighbour's horse.

'Its an interactive game between the birds and Flitzer our dog,' says 25-year-old Julian from Hamburg.

'The games are sometimes initiated by the parrots and sometimes by Flitzer.

'But in the blink of an eye the hunter becomes the hunted and Flitzer follows the Macaws.

Carry on racing: The other bird joins in as the trio zoom around the field

'We let them out each morning and it only takes a few minutes before they have emptied the apple tree,' adds Julian, a helicopter pilot.

'After they have eaten they both rest in a tree, just to become active towards the evening.  

'This is playtime for the parrots and they even manage to play with Lasso, a 15-year-old horse from the stable behind us.'  

Out of breath: Flitzer has a rest while the parrots refuel for more fun

Julian says that even the locals have become acquainted to the exotic birds, who have a wingspan of 130 centimetres.

'Sometimes they call me, that they have seen them on the river, bathing or visiting a shop,' he says.

'We don't care - they come home every evening. They feel totally at home with us and we don't have to be scared - until the next morning.'

On horseback: The mischievous pair make friends with a neighbour's horse Winged menace: The notorious pair fly free during the day before returning home to rest at night