This is Ben

This is Ben, one of our two golden retrievers. Ben is kind of a clown. He has issues. We don't use the retrievers for hunting but, as you can see here Ben is ready for anything.

Ben loves to bring you stuff in his mouth but does not in any way want to give you the item, whatever that might be. As he holds it in his mouth he gets terribly excited and wiggles and squirms whining the whole time.



He's nuts about empty paper towel tubes. He can be anywhere in the house and hear when one is being taken off of the paper towel holder. If he's upstairs he comes tearing down the steps to get his tube.



Ben also likes bringing his food to you. Like anything else he doesn't want to give it up he just wants to show you. He really likes eating it in front of someone. He'll bring one piece of dog food at a time, show it to you and then munch it noisily in front of you. This seems to give him an extreme amount of joy.



Like I said, Ben has issues. Just about everyday he makes little piles of dog food on the floor. If he can't get anyone to watch him eat he'll set one piece at a time on the floor in a little cluster, with perhaps as many as ten pieces laying there. Then we have to get after him and tell him to eat his food, at which time he happily obliges us. Otherwise you don't know where you might find the dog food. You find it at the most inopportune moments, almost falling over as a pile of food crunches under foot. This can be a little annoying but, who can really get mad at Ben, since he is quite sensitive and is keen to pick up our displeasure.



In the house Ben's brother, Tucker is the boss. Tucker is bigger and more assertive. But, outside that's another story as Ben is faster and more agile than Tucker. Outdoors Ben shows Tucker who's in charge. It's like they have this little agreement. Tucker rules the house and outside Ben commands respect by running circles around him.

Here Tucker is on the left and Ben on the right. They're brothers. Most people can't tell them apart but, Tucker is heavier and has a bigger head. They've been good dogs. Though they are family pets they belong to our kids, Ryann and Brianna.

We've always had dogs and have had a number of them over the years. We currently have four. Three in the house and one outside. We'd really like to get a sheep dog to guard our growing flock of sheep. Between stray dogs and a growing wolf population it is time we give it serious consideration. Perhaps next spring we will work on getting one.

Well, speaking of dogs they're begging to go out right now so I'd better sign off and let them out.

Until Next Time