|
Post by Jules on Dec 20, 2007 14:09:37 GMT
;D Awww! All snug and contented.
|
|
lurcherluvva
Guest
|
Post by lurcherluvva on Dec 20, 2007 15:10:30 GMT
what a fab picture and also a gorgeous sheppy face. ;D Good luck Ben be happy. Ax
|
|
|
Post by Mimsmum on Dec 20, 2007 16:25:30 GMT
Yep Anne. Almost a ditto of your lottie and ty ;D
|
|
dilbert
Lurcher Puppy
Posts: 71
I am offline
|
Post by dilbert on Feb 24, 2008 0:40:57 GMT
It was interesting to hear what Ben does with his food bowl as Dill (his brother) does just the same but also picks his bowl up and carries it around for a while in the hope that somebody will refill it for him - then he drops it with a great big clatter on the kitchen floor until you take it away from him before the cat has a nervous breakdown! I don't know if Ben's new family check the site but I wondered if you ever saw pics of Ben when he was first rescued - you will be amazed at how he has come on. Rx
|
|
|
Post by Mimsmum on Feb 24, 2008 20:34:47 GMT
I think Barney has the piccies somewhere, perhaps he will post them. ;D
|
|
|
Post by BW on Feb 24, 2008 23:23:27 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Mimsmum on Apr 10, 2008 15:19:14 GMT
Just had this lovely update and piccies from Lis on Ben. My god, he's grown into a gorgeous hound. As you can see, he's much taller than Sam now - Sam can walk underneath him standing up. That tomato stayed there just long enough for the picture and was down his throat a second later. Sam had his second op yesterday with a specialist orthopaedic vet attached to an agricultural college near Maidenhead. Luckily, he just had to have a damaged cartilege removed. This sometimes happens after the ligament op apparently - we were unlucky. But if things go well, he should make a full recovery though he'll have to learn he can't run like a lurcher! Even now, just a day after the op, Sam tries to charge off so it's constant attention. I've managed to get him to lie down behind me as I write. When things settle down I'd like to write a 'Day in the Life' of Ben. It would be quite amusing and might give a little picture of life with a lurcher for new owners. xxLis
|
|
dilbert
Lurcher Puppy
Posts: 71
I am offline
|
Post by dilbert on Apr 15, 2008 19:17:17 GMT
He looks so well now - seeing the picture of him peeping through the gate is like looking at Dill! It's so good to see that the scarring on his face from all the cat scratches has cleared up as when I saw him in Poole he looked a real mess. What is he like with cats? The only reason we didn't choose him over Dill was because of the scratches as I thought he obviously did not listen to the cat telling him to 'go away' - he has such lovely markings. What do you feed him on? and what is his stomach like? I am still having trouble with Dill but think that it's mainly down to scavenging in the fields when out walking as no matter how careful we are nor how hard we yell will he leave whatever he has found and therefore of course eating - he thinks it's all a big game. Yesterday I came home to an explosion in the kitchen... runny poo all over the floor and even the wall!!!!!!! (the cat would not even walk through the front door as that's where the smell met you) I didn't know where to start but half a bottle of bleach later and all was well with my kitchen. (I had friends coming for lunch so it was a bit late! can you imagine it? thankfully they saw the funny side.) Dill on the other hand was knocked out by whatever it was for a good 30 hours and just slept but is slowly coming round again - lots of TLC. I envy you your two dogs, I would love a companion for Dill to cuddle up and play with as would he but don't think we humans here could cope (yet) I am hoping that the cat will become his soul mate as the cat is an absolute nutter like Dill. Hope all stays well with you and that Sam makes a good recovery, and I look forward to reading 'A Day in the Life of Ben'!
|
|
|
Post by Mimsmum on Apr 15, 2008 21:39:39 GMT
Oh dear, poor Dill. I hope he is all well now. I will email Lis a copy of your post.
|
|
|
Post by Mimsmum on May 7, 2008 15:07:48 GMT
Just received this from Lis - lovely ;D
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BEN
Me: 10 months old, male, fun-loving and affectionate. Velvety black coat with smart white markings, bright eyes, cold shiny nose and long long legs. I live in the country with my friend Sam, a German Shepherd who’s stronger and more powerful than me but not so tall, and Mis(stress) and Mas(ter)who are humans.
MORNING Get up at a reasonable time, around dawn. Us boys sleep in the big living room which suits me fine because the kitchen is at one end so there’s always a chance of food being left out by accident.( It must have been specially designed for me.) Glance at Sam who’s curled up asleep in his cage, which he likes. I’ve got the most comfy bed, though, and I like stretching out on my back with my legs in the air. It’s time to walk slowly and quietly down the corridor and go into Mis and Mas’s bedroom as their door is always open to keep an eye on us.
Jump very carefully on to the end of the bed so I don’t wake them up. (If I do, Mas swears at me.) Then – this is quite clever – I gradually creep up the bed flat out on my tummy until I’m sandwiched between their two bodies. They can’t move, which is good. But Mas sometimes wakes up and tosses his legs around till I go back to the end of the bed. I stay there for a bit to show willing. When Mas gets up, Mis is usually asleep so as soon as he’s gone, I creep up and shove my nose in her face. With luck, she’ll open her eyes and I’ll get a secret cuddle. If she stays asleep, I’ve got an ace way of making her get out of bed. I spring up in the air and come down landing on her legs, giving a special squeaky bark which drives her mad but does the trick.
BREAKFAST After we’ve been out in the garden for the necessary, it’s time for breakfast. Sam taught me what to do while Mis and Mas are eating it. He sits down close to the table staring out Mas. I lie down next to Sam and stare him out too. Sometimes we both drool if this is taking a long time. Sam knows the routine. They have tea, toast and fruit. He also knows that one piece of toast is left in the toast-rack for us. I give little whiny barks to remind Mas I’m crouching down being good but Sam doesn’t approve. The moment we hear Mas open the Marmite pot, we’re on our feet. I ADORE Marmite. He spreads it on our bit of toast, goes over to the work surface and cuts it into four equal portions. Sam first, then me, then Sam, then me. Bliss. This is followed by a piece of orange because I love oranges almost as much as Marmite. Sam never ate orange before but when he saw me golloping it down, he wanted some too.
Breakfast over, Mis has her bath and Mas cuts up wood for the fire. There’s always lots of wood around the place that I bring into the house and chew up into little bits all over the floor. I often eat and swallow barky sticks which makes me smell a bit so Mis tries to stop me doing this by putting one of my bones in my mouth. I’ll take it if I feel like it, otherwise I’ll rush into the garden and find another bit of wood to chew. I REALLY DON’T LIKE people telling me what to do. And I ESPECIALLY DON’T LIKE people shouting at me. There’s nothing wrong in asking politely. Mind you, I don’t always listen.
WALK TIME For the past few weeks, I’ve had to walk down to the woods and fields without Sam, who’s not been allowed to go out as he’s had two operations on his leg. Very boring. I’m put on the lead and Mis takes me out of the front door. I show how cross I am at being without Sam by jumping up at her back with my paws on her shoulders and biting her sleeve. This is the crossest thing I do. She often shouts so I do it more, until Mas comes over and roars at me. That does it. He sounds like a lion (I heard one on the TV) and although I’m not frightened, I realise he means business. So I trot out of the gate on the lead, go a tiny way down the road and through another gate where I’m let off.
When I’m in the field, I give a good sniff on the ground to see who’s around. It’s a great day when I see my favourites, Ky and Freya who are two blonde retrievers living in a nearby cottage. They’re not quite as handsome as me but pretty fab all the same. I’m the only dog that Freya doesn’t go for as she’s often bad-tempered. I go running with Ky who’s amazingly fast, almost as fast as me. We go into the woods and chase pheasants and rabbits. Ky sticks his head down a hole willing the rabbits to come out and I watch. The rabbits don’t come up, though so it’s a silly game. Best is when one runs out in front of us. Then we’re off like the wind. Still haven’t caught one yet but we will one day I know. Ky took me chasing a hare the other day. I have to say that day he ran faster than I could. I’ll have to practise.
I’ve got very good at running full speed up to Mis when she calls me because I might get a treat. Some dogs haven’t learned this. Ky is pretty bad because he always does his own thing. I do but only up to a point.
If I don’t run flat out at least a few times on a walk, I get very grouchy and naughty when I get home. When you’re young and have legs like mine, you need to go as fast as you can to keep in practice. I don’t need to run a long way, just fast. What I often to, is to wait while Mis walks ahead for few minutes, then I tear off to meet her. She’s got used to this now.
There’s another lurcher I really fancy called Willow. He’s faster than me and shows off by running like a lunatic. I don’t think he feels the same about me as I do about him which is sad. Then there’s Keira, a big hairy lurcher who visits us sometimes and I can just keep up with. She’s really mad and I’m not sure about her. Her master has a horse and has taught her to clear all the horse jumps. That sounds great fun to me. But she’s another one who never comes when she’s called so she’s often in disgrace. Like me, really, when I nick things.
When I get back from my walk, Sam sniffs me all over and licks my mouth to see what I’ve been up to and who I’ve been seeing. He’s especially interested when he finds out I’ve seen Ky. It’s not fair, because he was Sam’s friend first. Sam will get better one day and we’ll go running together again like we used to. Sam is much more well behaved than I’d be with all that staying in. Still, he is nearly four.
The postman usually comes after breakfast and leaves paper in a metal box outside my fence. Sometimes he walks up the path with a big brown packet. I know he has things in his pocket for me and Sam so I’m nice to him and sit down without being asked. Mind you, I’m nice to everyone if I’ve been introduced.
FOOD AGAIN We get proper food when I get back. Sam first, then me. I have to sit down and wait a few seconds before my bowl with tasty bits of dried food and some leftovers from human food is put on the ground. Then it’s LUNGE SNAFFLE GOBBLE CRUNCH BURP GOBBLE CRUNCH BURP GOBBLE GOBBLE. I’m the fastest eater in town. Well, so would you be if you’d had almost nothing to live on when you were small. Whatever food I got, another dog always took it from me. Not now, though. When I’ve finished I lick out Sam’s bowl. He doesn’t mind and licks out mine too. Then I go hunting for anything like a butter dish (my favourite) that might be lying around. I can carry that dish to the ground without breaking it and eat all the butter inside in about two seconds. Sam can’t do that and he doesn’t like it when I’m told off. Usually he sits down right in front of me if I’ve been very bad so I’m safe behind him.
Recently, Mis has been putting some nasty red stuff over the plates and the table I like to lick. It smells horrid. If there’s too much on, I won’t touch anything. But a little splodge doesn’t make any difference. She put some on a piece of cheese, but not enough so I ate the cheese anyway. I know it’s to put me off but it only half works. I heard her say to Mas she hopes I’ll grow out of my bad habit. I doubt it myself.
My best trick is to open their little food drawers and gulp down whatever I find. You put your paw through a little ring, pull that till there’s a gap, then push your nose in the gap to open it. It’s easy to get your other paw and knock the whole drawer on the floor. I’ve managed to eat three boxes of cheese biscuits and a packet of peanuts that shot right through me. Sometimes my tummy plays up with the rubbish I eat but it bothers Mas more than it bothers me because it’s him who has to clear it up. I do eat disgusting things (favourite is rabbit poo or even my own so nobody knows I’ve been where I’ve been) but I’ve left off eating snails like I did when I first came here. I’ve done so much growing that I need all I can find. The other day I found a dead baby rabbit and swallowed it whole before Mis could get it off me. She was mad at me but I couldn’t understand why. At least I don’t kill rabbits myself. Though I might one day I suppose.
I heard Mas say he’s going to get a chain so the food drawers don’t open but I’ll find another source of grub, never fear. I always keep an eye out to see if he’s left the larder door open. If he has, I can whiz in, lift off the breadbin lid and down half a loaf in three seconds. People just don’t realise that it’s in my nature to do these things, even though I know I’m not meant to. It’s like an irresistible urge I get. Even when I’m told off, give me a couple of minutes on my own and I’ll do exactly the same thing again.
When I’m feeling extra good, specially after a nice meal, I get up to all sorts of things that for some reason aren’t allowed in this house. Like taking Mas’s most comfortable shoes into the hall, putting my nose inside and shredding the lining stuff. If they get taken away, I have to content myself with finding a nice little log and chewing the bark off it all over the carpet. When I’m told off again, I retire to my bed, stretch out my front legs and put my head down, eyes looking upwards. Mis and Mas think this means I feel guilty and ashamed of what I’ve done. Some hope! I’m good at this, though. A minute later, I’ve found something else to do. Raiding a waste-paper basket is fun because you can lay a trail of torn up stuff all through the house.
There are some times in the day when I lie quietly on my bed though not for long. My second bed is in Mis’s office and I lie down there while she taps on a kind of square toy with a screen that makes funny noises sometimes. Can’t think what she does. But she stops for a coffee after a bit so I rush into the living room. Sam can hear the biscuit tin being opened even if he’s way down the garden. I’m now getting quite good at working out what’s happening in the house. After coffee, Sam and I get half a biscuit each. Yum. Then it’s back to my bed. I like things to happen every minute of the day. Sometimes people come and that’s fantastic. My greeting is to jump up and put my paws on their shoulders and if poss lick their face. Lots of humans don’t like this I’ve noticed. Mis tells me off so I get down. Sam just wags his tail. Maybe I should copy him.
CATS Are they the things like fluffy rabbits but bigger with a long tail?.....No comment!
GOING TO THE VET Sam’s had to go to the vet a lot and I walk in with him. I go into the little room where the vet lives to check that nothing bad happens. I lie flat in the corner while he prods Sam but Sam doesn’t mind. He’s perfectly behaved, unlike me. The other day, when Sam had his stitches out, I wasn’t allowed in so I howled in the place where you wait. I do a good howl, rather like a wolf, and it really upsets people. When Sam came out, he let me sniff him so I could see he hadn’t been hurt.
I had to go the vet not long ago and he said I was very brave when he stapled up a deep cut I had in my leg. Sam came in with me and watched so I felt safe. I often have little nicks in my fur because I rush past prickly things and catch myself sometimes. But this cut was because I went hunting with Ky and barged into some barbed wire. I’ve learned to deal with barbed wire fencing, put there to keep animals in their territory. You crouch right down and wriggle underneath. Though the other day I saw five little deer who were able to jump right over it. With practise, I could do that. Mas put some different wire with no spikes on it to divide off the vegetable garden. When he’s not looking, I easily jump over it but otherwise I pretend I can’t.
TOYS I’ve had lots of toys but I like balls and shoes best. I did have a stuffed monkey that I used to toss around but he came apart too quickly. Other things I’ve been given, I can tear apart in a couple of minutes. When Sam didn’t have a bad leg, we used to play tug of war with a thick rope and another game with a squeaky ball. I’d prance around him and then he’d take it off me. At the right moment, I’d rush in and get it back and make it squeak like mad. I’m better at this than Sam. Then he’d grab it. And so on. It usually ended with Sam rolling on his back with the ball in his mouth.
We both get those bones with a nice smelly bit in the middle. Sometimes Sam gets nasty and confiscates anything of mine that I particularly like and puts it on his bed, growling if I come near. I then do my puppy bark to say ’don’t be so mean I’m only a little boy’ but Sam isn’t impressed. I think he’s trying to show me that he’s Number One dog. Which he is of course.
TRAINING Mis has decided I’ve got to do some training. I can’t see the point. Usually I’m considerate and well behaved without being told. I can walk to heel (usually), sit when asked, lie down when Mis meets a friend and wants to stand still for a chat. I’m often given treats by strangers when on a walk and I’ll sit down at once and put on my eager grateful face. Anyway, Mis is trying to get me to stay and wait, stuff like that. When I get a treat, I’ll go along with it but not for long. I hear words like OFF and DOWN and NO and LEAVE which all sound the same to me. I think they mean DON’T DO THAT. So why not say it? The one I do understand is GOOD BOY because when I’ve done really well I get something nice to eat.
Must confess I can’t resist those humans dressed up in funny clothes who do a weird run up and down the hill with their arms waving around their chests. I run up to meet them all friendly, say hello, then I go round behind them and jump up at their backs, putting my paws on their shoulders. When they shriek, it’s wonderful! Score! Mis sometimes puts me on the lead when I’ve done that. She thinks it’s bad behaviour and calls me BAD BOY in a stern voice so I trot along nicely for a while.
AFTERNOON When I can’t think of anything else to do, Sam and I have a snooze. If the weather’s nice, I lie in the garden with him. If Mis isn’t too busy I’ll get another walk before supper. When Sam’s better, Mas will take us both out at the end of the day. Sometimes I help Sam with guard duty if someone comes too near to our territory. When we both bark together it sounds quite serious.
EVENING Mis does a lot of cooking so I help her. If she drops food onto the floor, I eat it so she doesn’t have to sweep up. I also help by licking the work surface clean but Mis doesn’t like me doing that.. I don’t quite dare snaffle the meat or fish she’s preparing but give me half a chance….I stay round her feet so she doesn’t forget that I’m waiting for anything that might drop down my way. Sam and I get fed while nice things are steaming away on the stove. The moment it’s time for our dinner (6.45 p.m.) Sam appears on the dot and circles round Mis till she gets the message. After I’ve eaten, I get on with things like chewing one of my bones. If Mis and Mas have the TV on, I make singing noises every now and then to remind them that there’s a hungry dog around and I want what they’ve had. With luck, Sam and me will get a taste.
When it’s time to go out in the garden before lights out, I’m always comfortable and curled up on my bed and refuse to move. Sam goes out but I stay put. So Mas has to lift me up and deposit me in the garden. (I’m quite heavy now so I hear him grunting.) I decide I’d better trot off and do my business. This happens every night. Then it’s goodnight. Sam and I like swopping beds so I go into his cage and then I sleep until dawn though sometimes I hear him woofing round the house if there are owls hooting outside.
|
|
missysmum
Guest
|
Post by missysmum on May 7, 2008 16:12:06 GMT
This is bloomin wonderful!!! Made me laugh out loud, would make a great book I think!
|
|
|
Post by keith1 on May 9, 2008 5:39:31 GMT
KEITHX
|
|
|
Post by Mimsmum on Jun 15, 2008 17:34:37 GMT
|
|
|
Post by doggedhashadit on Jun 18, 2008 18:11:48 GMT
My, how he's grown up. Is this really that little pup we looked after for a while?
|
|
|
Post by Mimsmum on Jan 23, 2010 17:05:47 GMT
And a new piccie of the wonderful two.
|
|
|
Post by doggedhashadit on Jan 23, 2010 17:41:42 GMT
Lovely, we like to know how our former fosters are doing.
|
|
|
Post by Karla on Jan 23, 2010 18:01:59 GMT
He's such a good looking hound
|
|
|
Post by Jeanette on Jan 23, 2010 20:34:38 GMT
Just read all this thread..what a wonderful story and Sam & Ben obviously love eachother..Lovley photo x
|
|