The Education of Ben

[Beekissed]

The deer is all gone except a little piece of hide they keep carrying around and burying. Brought them home a bunny today, halved it and gave them each a half. That was gone in a matter of a few minutes.

Ben has been so ornery today. Little Aliza had all her "babies" in her little stroller, playing beside my construction zone, and every time she would walk away from the stroller Ben would sneak over and try to snag a bear or a baby and even her little frog. The funniest part is how he would lift these items with just his small incisors/front teeth, very delicately and just by a little piece of yarn or fur. Oh, so quietly he would pad up, gently and delicately he would grasp these babies and try to ease away without us noticing.

I had to get on to him several times but I didn't have the heart to say it firmly..it was just too sweet. I'm going to have to get him a dog toy of his own...I've never seen him so attracted to something like he was to those baby dolls and teddy bears. When I would tell him to drop it, he would always do so quickly and gently but he really wanted himself a toy today. Big ol' goof!

He turns 8 mo. old tomorrow...guess I'm going to have to shop for a good dog toy that he can't tear up so he can carry a toy around all he wants.

 

[Baymule]

Bee, I made dog toys from old blue jean legs for our DD's miniature wiener dog. They lasted him for years! Maybe you could take a blue jean leg, sew the ends (ravels) and tie knots in it. I bet Ben would like that!

 

[Beekissed]

That's an excellent idea and right down my alley!!! Thank you!!! I hate spending money on toys for dogs...they are all so very expensive. My boys are always splitting the crotch out of their jeans, so I have an endless supply of jeans if I need them.

I'll make him a jean "teddy" to carry around...

He has spent the day "helping" me do some construction on my breeding pen...carried off my yard stick, my 2x4, my screwdriver, a package of hardware, etc. I'd hear him getting into my tool tote and I'd say, "HEY!" and turn around to see him sheepishly dropping whatever item he was trying to steal.

He has a huge pork bone to chew on, several strips of tough plastic/rubber landscaping stuff, a deer hide and various and sundry pieces of wood all over the yard, but he just has to come snooping in my stuff and carting it away.

 

[Baymule]

Your stuff is better. Trip did that to me too, even pulling up onion sets because they had my smell on them.

 

[goatgurl]

to funny! Katie never did that but J.J. is the worst at quietly picking things up and walking off with them. and i'm like bee, its to cute to yell at. I do the aannnttt thing and she drops it but then I have to stop what i'm doing and go get it. and she has all kinds of toys in the house but does all her sneak thieving outside. gotta love 'em, they're the babies.

 

[Beekissed]

Another day of Ben stealing my stuff...he's quite the character. I've never had a dog that does that before, so this is all new to me. He's so slick that most of the time I didn't even see him nab my stuff, even though I'm working right next to the tool box and such. Countless items were lifted, some were chewed to bits...I'm thinking that dog has a few tiny bolts in his gut right now.

Everything I touch, he thinks he has to touch...that whole mimic thing that Anatolians do, maybe? And he was a velcro dog all day, had to be right up on me, head in the way, body in the way...couldn't get anything done, so finally had to shove him away and tell him to go lay down. That worked for a little while.

I sat down on a hay bale to rest and he jumps up behind me and starts nibbling at my shirt, licking my shoulder, etc. Big ol' baby wanting attention all the time.

He turned 8 mo. old today....couldn't get a proper pic as he was surgically sown to my hip all day.

Does this look like the face of a tool thief to you?

I fixed him up a few hay bales with an old sleeping bag strapped to them for his lounging needs, but he only wants to lie there if I'm already sitting there.

My big ol' baby dog is growing up, but you sure can't tell it...he's moochier now than he was when he was a little pup. I thank God for him~ he's not a boring dog, he's quirky, interesting, intelligent and sweet and that's all a huge blessing. I can rest well at night knowing he's on the job with Jake, helping him so that he can rest in his old age.

Happy 8 mo. old, Ben...may you dream of yummy wooden handled screwdrivers and work gloves tonight as you sleep.

 

[Beekissed]

This evening we took Ben and Jake on a leashed walk down the driveway/road to the neighbor's house. They have many dogs, most of them tied or kenneled, but it's a total and mass chaos of barking, moving dogs there. Ben's never seen any other dogs but Jake and my brother's house dog that visits every now and again, but she doesn't really socialize with my dogs at all.

Jake did poorly on the leash~it's been so long since he's had to walk on one, so he doesn't particularly care for it..but he certainly needs a refresher, so this was good for him.

Ben did VERY well, even when getting excited upon nearing that residence with so many dogs. He contained himself well, didn't pull on the leash after the first correction and was very polite, very socially normal when greeting the other dogs. The people we visited couldn't believe how calm and well behaved he was for a dog so young, but he did better than Jake throughout the whole visit. Jake had been there before a couple of times and he does far better off leash than on, so he was not liking this restraint during the visit.

Mom did very well leading Ben on the leash, even when Ben wanted to be in the follower position with me, after a couple of corrections by her he did very well.

On the way home we took off the leash and Jake ranged out ahead as is his norm, while Ben walked carefully and quietly next to my leg. I told him he could go ahead and he did for a little jaunt but he came right back and paced next to me, sometimes even touching my leg as we walked. He's a dream, that Ben.

We all came back and sat in the glider to watch the sunset and both dogs got up in the glider with us...it was so sweet. It was a really great evening!

For Ben's first walk that far from home and seeing other dogs for the first time, I was amazed at how well he did. Not a bit like a puppy, but more like a mature and well socialized dog. There was a female in heat there with a stud dog in the kennel with her and he greeted both dogs with a calm and friendly demeanor through the fence. The male dog started barking aggressively a few times and Ben answered once and moved in front of me, as if he was guarding me from that aggressive behavior, but he soon realized that dog couldn't advance towards me and, since I was not anxious over the dog, Ben grew calm and even lay down in the face of all of that.

All in all it was an educational evening for us all and I could tell Ben really liked this pack walk we took. When next we go out that road we will not be detouring to the neighbor's place but we'll be walking past all that sound of dogs barking, though they won't be visible from our road. We'll have both dogs off leash for that next walk, as I want to test Ben on his recall and ability to focus on us instead of all that noise and those smells.

I thought Jake was a very obedient and calm dog~and he is~ but Ben's got him beat hands down and twice on Sunday here lately, especially when on leash. I think the student is going to excel past the teacher when it's all said and done.

 

[Baymule]

Ben is an awesome dog!

 

[Beekissed]

I sure think so! I was just thanking God for him and Jake last night, for it's such a blessing to have good dogs on the land to watch over the chickens and over us as well. God sent me a very good help mate for Jake and I'm so grateful for it...he's been easy to train, easy to handle and easy to love. Such a humble and sweet animal to be blessed with and I'm very grateful for his temperament and intelligence. In my old age I don't need a dog that's a lot of trouble and stress.

When he got up in the glider yesterday evening, he tried to climb in my lap...I think he's turning out to be quite the moochy, big ol' baby.

 

[Latestarter]

When he got up in the glider yesterday evening, he tried to climb in my lap...

Wait till he's full grown and does that! It's still wonderful to have them that close for some loving