Dayle 11-219

back to Adopted Dogs

Profile

Meet the gentle giant Ben!  Think gentle bear:)  Ben is sweet, easy going and weighs a whopping 128 lbs!  Yep, you read that right: 128.  Ben is a PB golden reddish in color, neutered and approximately 6 years old.

Ben came to us yesterday from Superior, Wisconsin with the name Dayle, which he does not know, and a tennis ball.  He lived most of his life outside on the end of a chain and despite his less than desireable living conditions, he has a wonderful, calm disposition.

He has been here just shy of 24 hours and so far no accidents (appears to be potty trained), he slept through the night last night with free roam in the bedrooms/hallway and we had no issues.

Ben loves other dogs (tail was wagging vigorously at the vet this morning when he came across other dogs) and is a champ in the car but needs to lose about 40 lbs.  It is going to be a long road but high quality food in appropriate quantities along with exercise will be our plan.  Everyone in this house needs to lose weight so we will all work together.  Unfortunately it has been way too hot for me to walk Ben yesterday or today.  With his extra weight, this heat puts a lot of stress on him.  We will likely do most of our walking at night when the sun is down.

Day one of his weight loss journey begins:
July 10, 2011 = 128 lbs.

At a Glance #11-219

Golden Retriever Born: June 2005
Male 100 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

Meet the gentle giant Ben!  Think gentle bear:)  Ben is sweet, easy going and weighs a whopping 128 lbs!  Yep, you read that right: 128.  Ben is a PB golden reddish in color, neutered and approximately 6 years old.

Ben came to us yesterday from Superior, Wisconsin with the name Dayle, which he does not know, and a tennis ball.  He lived most of his life outside on the end of a chain and despite his less than desireable living conditions, he has a wonderful, calm disposition.

He has been here just shy of 24 hours and so far no accidents (appears to be potty trained), he slept through the night last night with free roam in the bedrooms/hallway and we had no issues.

Ben loves other dogs (tail was wagging vigorously at the vet this morning when he came across other dogs) and is a champ in the car but needs to lose about 40 lbs.  It is going to be a long road but high quality food in appropriate quantities along with exercise will be our plan.  Everyone in this house needs to lose weight so we will all work together.  Unfortunately it has been way too hot for me to walk Ben yesterday or today.  With his extra weight, this heat puts a lot of stress on him.  We will likely do most of our walking at night when the sun is down.

Day one of his weight loss journey begins:
July 10, 2011 = 128 lbs.

Updates

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Ben is wonderful! He has been going for a daily walk (most days) and we found a great dog park here in Cottage Grove that we visit every weekend. Last time we took him to the vet he was down to 114 lbs and that was over a month ago, so he's probably lost a little more since then. It's great to see him romp and run and play at the dog park. Each time we go he seems to have a little more energy and is a little more at ease with the other dogs there. What a change from the first time I took him for a walk and he tried to hide between my legs when we came upon a dog, even the small ones.

Mike has taken him to work a few times and he's been an absolute charmer! The ladies Mike works with all love him and wish Mike would bring him every day.

This summer Ben went swimming for the first time, quite unexpectedly. We were out at Mike's sister's place on White Bear Lake and Ben walked out to the end of the dock with Mike and then just casually walked off the end of the dock. He immediately sank to the bottom and came up frantic. He swam over to a boat lift and hung on for dear life until I swam out to guide him in to shore. After that, he wouldn't go out further than where he could touch. Maybe next summer we'll have better luck.

He's also been fishing with us on Mike's boat. He was curious about the fish but what really excited him was the ski buoys! He thought they were balls to play with and wanted to jump out of the boat to get them.

Ben enjoys his weekly brushing in front the TV. One week I bought some good smelling conditioner for dogs and he didn't like that one bit! He trotted off after the first spritz and refused to come back into the room. A dog's gotta lay down the line somewhere, I guess!

I was thinking of enrolling Ben and me in a certification program so we could visit nursing homes and hospitals.

Thanks so much for allowing Ben to become a part of our family! I can't imagine life without him now!

Enjoy the pictures!

Deb and Mike

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

It's been a few days since my last update and let me tell you this weather is just the pits!  Ben is still his happy well-adjusted self.  He for sure does not have any thunderstorm anxiety, firework anxiety or separation anxiety.  He has never had an accident in my house and he has free roam during the day and at night.   I am happy to report that Nala has accepted the olive branch that Big Ben has extended to him and things are going better and Nala is less snarky with him.  She still has her moments but they are able to be in the same room without her going after him and at night, we all sleep in the bedroom together.

Ben has been renamed 'Big Ben' or 'BB'.   BB spent some time with another fosterhome this weekend (where he aquired his new nickname) while I had another doggy houseguest and he got along great with the resident dog.   BB loves other dogs but it is pretty apparent he doesn't know how to play or engage with other dogs. He is happy to just be around them.  So I think for his forever home, another dog that just wants company would be good or he could be an only dog as well. 

Here are some pictures taken on his visit...

BB walks great on a leash, knows sit and despite his size, he doesn't appear to be food crazy.   He has started to understand the morning routine and when I let him out for his final potty break in the morning, he has decided that he would rather stay outside than come in.  Well, that will never happen: I would never leave a dog outside while I am not home...so I try to lead him in with treats.  He doesn't take the bait (which is the reason why I don't think he is food crazy) so I end up leashing him up and leading him in the house.  It's funny but frustrating when I have to get to work for a meeting:)

Ben is a super easy houseguest.  He is a love and great to have around!   I will be taking him to one of the adoption events this weekend so everyone can meet this wonderful guy!  I will also try to do a better job of getting some good photos of BB.  Believe me, it's the photographer and not the subject.

If you are interested in Ben, please contact your placement advisor.