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Post by Lynn on Dec 10, 2016 22:10:59 GMT
He is so lovely
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Post by antoniaalfie55 on Dec 10, 2016 23:20:06 GMT
Ben you are gorgeous
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Post by dogmum&catgran on Dec 11, 2016 12:09:29 GMT
Ben is so handsome and has such a gentle look about him xx
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Post by Carmel on Dec 11, 2016 20:16:41 GMT
Ben is so handsome and has such a gentle look about him xx He is very gentle - except when taking treats!!! I tell him "gently" and say it very slowly and hold the treat in my closed fist, and repeat "gently" very slowly. It works with all the others - but Ben just can't help himself!! My fingers must be very tasty
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Post by Carmel on Feb 10, 2017 23:35:35 GMT
I've been waiting for over 3 minutes for Photobucket to bring up the Login screen!! I'm giving up and will try and add photos using the button on the top of the thread. Ben is doing very well indeed. He loves 3 things in life, and he gets all of them here! Food, walks and cuddles. I'm not saying this is Ben's order of preference - if asked, he would insist that all 3 be provided at the same time He is such a cuddle monster. I'm expecting him to come and nudge my elbow any minute now as once he decides he wants a cuddle, he gets a cuddle!! He doesn't interact with any of the other dogs EXCEPT when we're out on a walk!! Then he runs and makes an occasional attempt at play-biting-on-the-move. It's a joy to watch him - he looks like he's smiling! I'm rather limited technology-wise (I have an old crabby phone that takes awful pictures and then won't let me upload to the PC) and I also never have a hand free as I have two greyhounds that are on-lead dogs. when I get some help from someone with a decent phone I'll post another video of him. Ben eats very well. When we went to visit Jenny she thought he'd got fat! Well, maybe he has put on a couple of pounds. I'm reducing his food little by little - he was very thin when he came into SLR, probably because his mouth was so sore and he was also in constant pain from his hips, so I don't want him to feel hard done by. His kibble is softened with warm water and he has a spoonful of wet food mixed in. Tablets are given rolled up in a slice of very thin ham (often accompanied by a slice of very thin finger )and his bedtime treats don't even touch the sides as they go down. A couple of weeks before Christmas I took Ben to visit my lovely friends in Twickenham, Suzy and Jim, who have adopted 3 of my previous fosters and who have become firm friends and supporters. Suzy's Mum, Sonia, is over 90 and housebound - she has her own set of rooms on the first floor of the house. I popped upstairs with Suzy to see Sonia and after a couple of minutes Ben appeared! Nothing unusual there, you might think, except than Ben has never even considered going upstairs at home!! I think it must be because my stairs go straight up and must appear quite narrow, while Suzy's staircase is lovely and wide with a little landing 2/3 of the way up. And Ben doesn't shred beds - honestly!!!! He told me this one just exploded gently while he was lying on it......
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Post by antoniaalfie55 on Feb 10, 2017 23:50:14 GMT
Glad to hear that there is plenty of life in the old dog bless him
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2017 1:38:23 GMT
Lovely update!
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Post by Romi on Feb 11, 2017 7:07:22 GMT
Brilliant update Carmel. Thank you for taking such good care of this lovely old lad. He sounds like quite a character. As for those pesky exploding beds.....
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Post by sighthounds on Feb 11, 2017 7:12:54 GMT
Lovely update thank you.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2017 8:42:52 GMT
How lucky Ben found you - sounds like he is loving every minute of his life now.
I was told a way of giving a 'grabby' dog a treat and found that it does help. Hold the treat beneath the chin/lower down towards the chest rather than in line or above the mouth/nose so that the dog has to look down to take the treat - I think it makes it physically more difficult for them to snatch. Whether it will work for Ben, I don't know.
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Post by rowlfsmum on Feb 11, 2017 8:48:01 GMT
Ah lovely Ben. He has really found a perfect retirement home with you Carmel. I admit I did laugh at the exploding bed! There's life in the old dog yet!!!! Sending him a virtual cuddle.
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Post by Mimsmum on Feb 11, 2017 17:02:22 GMT
When we think of the state he came in in. And I can see the lift in your writing too Carmel. Smitten eh! It was the right decision to give him a chance, and is it 3 months on? he's taken everything and is running with it. How lovely xx
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Post by Carmel on Feb 11, 2017 20:36:28 GMT
How lucky Ben found you - sounds like he is loving every minute of his life now. I was told a way of giving a 'grabby' dog a treat and found that it does help. Hold the treat beneath the chin/lower down towards the chest rather than in line or above the mouth/nose so that the dog has to look down to take the treat - I think it makes it physically more difficult for them to snatch. Whether it will work for Ben, I don't know. Thank you! I'll try that, though with 10 dogs in the house there's usually another mouth under the one I'm feeding Jenny, it's nearly 5 months!!! I think neither of us thought in terms of months when he arrived. Ben needs a "birthday", so I'd like to suggest 22nd March - 6 months after he arrived into SLR's care. On that day I shall officially declare him 14 years old, and there will be cake - doggy cake, of course. and maybe a little drinkie-poo for the human....
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Post by silverlocks on Feb 12, 2017 8:50:27 GMT
How lovely that he's settled so well, he sounds a real gentleman ( except for the treat grabbing lol!). Erm... You have 10 dogs? how do you do it?!!!
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Post by rowlfsmum on Feb 12, 2017 9:05:40 GMT
Cripes I didn't know you had ten dogs!!!!
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Post by Mimsmum on Feb 12, 2017 12:16:05 GMT
I'm up for a party! xxx
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Post by elmersmum on Feb 12, 2017 13:02:26 GMT
Loved reading Ben's update, Carmel, thank you! I have always loved the Oldies as they are such great characters, and Ben is no exception. Keep happy, lovely Ben!
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Post by Carmel on Feb 12, 2017 22:12:53 GMT
How lovely that he's settled so well, he sounds a real gentleman ( except for the treat grabbing lol!). Erm... You have 10 dogs? how do you do it?!!! Well, 10 dogs in the house. One is actually a foster. I don't foster any more as a general rule - with a house full of oldies there are few fosters that would do well here. I have one of the exceptions (here comes the shameless plug....) - Whizz is a greyhound that turned 9 years old last Sunday. He was in a home for the previous 2 years and the family love him but as their canine family grew with the addition of younger dogs he became quite stressed. The decision was made to find him a new home - I offered to foster him and try and get him back to a calmer and healthier condition. The number of dogs here is the same as the home he came from but they are all old and fairly sedate so he doesn't have young lively lurchers and other breeds playing and jumping all over him. I have to say that after 2 weeks he is definitely putting on some weight and his lost fur is coming back. He'll be looking for a home when he has put on enough weight to be able to have a much-needed dental. My "job" looking after the oldies is a tough one, and it's 24/7 - but I love it. I hope the dogs do too.
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Post by silverlocks on Feb 13, 2017 15:49:00 GMT
I'm sure they do, you do sound very dedicated. I have a soft spot for the oldies too.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2017 19:56:16 GMT
How lucky Ben found you - sounds like he is loving every minute of his life now. I was told a way of giving a 'grabby' dog a treat and found that it does help. Hold the treat beneath the chin/lower down towards the chest rather than in line or above the mouth/nose so that the dog has to look down to take the treat - I think it makes it physically more difficult for them to snatch. Whether it will work for Ben, I don't know. Must try that with Alfie! We're in danger of losing our fingers every time we give him a biscuit.
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