The Front Porch Swing

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

to the front porch to the newbies!! I don't come in for a few hours and have pages ...and pages...to catch up on..

 

[BCMaraniac]

to the front porch to the newbies!! I don't come in for a few hours and have pages ...and pages...to catch up on..

Just wait till all of the baby pictures really start coming in.

 

[TexasLisa]

Sorry! I was trying to reply to the actual picture. Lol

Check this site out for the Bluebonnets:

http://www.bluebonnetlove.com/

Lisa

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Quote:
England ... all over ... nearish London, etc., I'm sorry, but I'm drawing a blank on what their version of the perfect little blue flower is. Grows well under the trees. So pretty.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Sorry! I was trying to reply to the actual picture. Lol

Argh. So my post above is nonsense!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

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[lovingmyhens]

Argh. So my post above is nonsense!

no no no!! I will quick get on a plane and hike over to where you are talking about! Nearish London, around everywhere-anyone want to go with me??? I'll be back in about ummm 7ish months...

 

[heartsizedfarm]

England ... all over ... nearish London, etc., I'm sorry, but I'm drawing a blank on what their version of the perfect little blue flower is. Grows well under the trees. So pretty.

Bluebells?

 

[Ms Jellybean]

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[sarahsunshine]

Gotta tell you girls....we really thank God for sending us this new dog, Ben. He is completely the opposite of what he seemed like at his old home and has done none of the things they said he was prone to do~it's like he's a completely different dog! He gets along with Jake perfectly, he no longer jumps up on people and he hasn't offered to take one step off this property.

He acts like this has always been his home and he is learning very quickly the things I'm teaching him. In just two brief sessions he has learned to sit and to lie down and also to sit and wait for his food. We've decided not to neuter him and have canceled his appointment for that. He is not showing any indication that his hormones are affecting his behaviors and he's not riding Jake or trying to hump us either.

He's doing his specific job perfectly! He keeps all intruders off the land~be they deer, buzzard, stray cats(Yay! Our cat isn't getting beat up anymore!), etc. He doesn't bark loud nor does he bark incessantly. He doesn't get up on the porches(dogs are not allowed there), doesn't dig, doesn't chase the chickens but will help me round up the meaty chicks to get them into the coop at feeding time. He's not food aggressive...I can put my hand down into his food bowl, remove his food, play with his food, touch his mouth while he is eating, etc. He doesn't bark at strangers when we are out there to greet them~that's a personal pet peeve of mine when a dog continues to bark when the owner is present~and he doesn't jump up on strangers but greets them politely. He's alert and seems to have very little prey drive and I think that's why he doesn't wander off...he's very content to be here, it seems. I can lead him on the leash very well now and he doesn't pull any longer..acts like he has always walked on a leash.

On top of all that he is very sweet and friendly~noses you if you stop petting him~ but will cease and desist if I tell him to go lay down.

In short, he's fitting into this family and on this place like he was tailor-made for it. I wish his former owner could see what kind of good dog he gave away for free and had tied to a logging chain like he was some kind of hooligan.

I think God has a hand in shaping this dog for living with us in this way..it's the only explanation we have for the difference between the wild and woolly, undisciplined dog we picked up and had to drag onto the back of the truck~ and this benevolent Ben we have lying out in the yard. We really love him already and he seems to like living here with us as well.

I wormed him and have been giving him buttermilk in his food for the last three mornings and it has already changed his stool from the diarrhea he was having and seems to have increased his energy levels already. He also seems to be filling out a bit...when we got him his spine was bony and I would feel his hip bones but he seems to be putting on some padding already.

Sorry...didn't mean to ramble on, but we don't get dogs very often in our life. It's been years upon years since we introduced a new dog into our family, so it's a big deal to take a leap of faith and commit to another dog, especially at this late date in our lives. We were just thanking God for Ben this morning and it probably won't be the first time. He's going to be a valuable part of our setup here in the woods.

That is WONDERFUL news.

I think that there is something about being given up on and not being taken care of properly, or given sufficient attention, that can really change a dog (or even a person). Our dog had a change like that too - he loved to run, but if given attention, a job, and enough exercise, he completely changed his attitude. Let him know very quickly where it was OK to put his energy, what he was supposed to do, and where he was NOT to put his energy. But, it takes the right person and the right time to be able to see that and take the chance. Good on you, Bee!

I also noticed that he was PERFECT for the first couple weeks, and then as a teenager, in a month or so he started to push the boundaries a little... That's when your reactions are key. Basically, from what I can tell, the dog has learned the rules, knows the drill, has now completely accepted his new place and home, and is just testing out the boundaries a bit. A sense of humour and a consistent approach is what's best, and Bee, we both know you have those, and your Ben is in GREAT hands!

I can't help but wonder if maybe part of his food aggressiveness was simply that he was hungry. Now that he got dewormed and some good food in him, he's not starving and fine! Our dog was like that. I could never get him enough food, and finally when I just fed him all out for 3-4 months he gained weight and is much more calm. I was already feeding him 2.5 times what the food said for his age and weight, but it too 6 for 3-4 months for his metabolism to catch up and then slow down.

By the way, how much does it cost to feed a GP per month?

Welcome home Ben!!!