Dog Squad Blog – All About Benji

The Dog Squad Blog returns with a post from my good friend and netball buddy Sarah.

Benji joined our family in 2012. He was six months old rescued from a family that didn’t want him. That’s all we were told about his background, except that apparently he’s a Patterdale Terrier. That explains his wiry coat and the way he chases anything that moves, and he is so fast. His favourite pastime is chasing squirrels, cats or pheasants but Benji doesn’t appear to like cows. On his walks past the fields he barks if they come too close to the fence.

It took a little while for all of us to get used to having a dog. More planning was involved when arranging family outings or days out but it is lovely to come home and have someone running to the door who is happy to see you – especially now as we have three teenagers!

Like most dogs, Benji loves being with his human pack and enjoys going for walks come rain, shine or snow. He also loves snuggling up in any place where he feels secure and especially when this is close to his people parents. He still gets a little nervous when his pack leaves the house and stresses when he hears fireworks or during thunderstorms. He also hates Christmas Crackers! We have tried calming drops to help alleviate his stress but I’m not convinced they work. Saying that he is starting to calm down now and is slightly slower than he used to be but loves activity and always wants to play with anyone who comes into the house, whether they’re friends or random visitors.

Benji can be a naughty boy when the mood takes him.  Sometimes he’ll decide he doesn’t want to go to bed when he’s told to and goes to hide under the bed in our room. Either that, or he’ll scarper out to the garden and try to hide under the trampoline, or even in the washing machine! All of these are minor irritations, and part of our lovely dog’s colourfulpersonality.

Benji shares his love amongst us all and doesn’t appear to have an obvious favourite. Now that our daughter is at university, Benji is quite happy to snuggle up in the bedroom with our lodger, or with one of our sons. We did have a stair gate when we first brought Benji home but if he wanted to get into one of the bedrooms, he just tried to leap over it. We had a few near misses and our poor dog almost injured himself so having decided it was dangerous, we had to remove it.

I don’t know about training Benji but I think he’s trained all of us and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s our wonderful dog and I can’t imagine life without him.