My 'big brother' Ben!

I thought I'd tell you a bit about Ben now that I'm getting to know more about him. He's 13 which seems so old to a teen like me but he's still full of beans most of the time although needs to rest after our long walks. He's mum's very special friend and, although I get jealous when she gives attention to other dogs, I never really get jealous of him. He's like a big brother I suppose. He tells me off a lot when I'm messing around but he jumps in and sticks up for me if he thinks I'm being bullied by someone else. And the best bit is - we get up to mischief together!! Mum thinks he's such an angel but he isn't when he's with me! I like having my 'big brother' Ben around.

Ben came to mum when he was about one or two - around the same age as me! But at least I had come from a proper home where my people loved me whereas Ben came from the Dog and Cat Home in Edinburgh ( http://www.edch.org.uk/ ). He can't remember much from before then except that he was very unhappy and lost when he was picked up by a dog warden and taken there. He was terrified of hair brushes and men waving their arms around - in fact he was pretty scared of all men, mum said. Poor Ben. He told me mum didn't see him at first when she looked round to choose a dog, and he was bouncing as high as he could and barking really loudly to get her attention too. It was the kennel lady who pointed him out in the end and so mum said she'd take him into the paddock to meet Tara, her other dog she had then (in the first picture with Ben). Mum says it was really funny because when they let the two of them off the lead in the paddock Tara ran around like she'd never seen an open space before and Ben just came and sat at mum's feet and waited beside her! And that was it really - they fell in love, mum and Ben. And Tara too once she got to know him. It was like they kind of got married and were always together, Tara and Ben, and yukky stuff like that. The other thing mum told me was that Ben 'talked' all the time. He still does a bit but not so much now. But when he first arrived he talked so much that mum and Kirsty couldn't get a word in. I think that's really funny!!!

Mum still thinks about Tara a lot and she said she'll tell me stories about her another time. I wish I had known her because she sounds lovely. I think Ben still misses her too.

Anyway about a week or two after I came to live here mum and Ben had to go away for a week and I had to stay behind with Kirsty and the other two doodles. Grandma, who I've not met yet, lives down in Gloucestershire and mum and Ben went to stay with her. She has a special friend called Toby, a collie. Ben told me that they all went to a pub with grandma's friend Margo and her dog (who is chocolate like me!), so there were 3 mums and 3 dogs. The other picture (above) is of them all in the pub!! The barmaid gave them all a big bowl of water to share and Ben told me she sneaked them all a few biscuits too! Ben said they go down to see grandma in a big noisy thing called a train. Well I've not been in a train yet and I'm not sure I'd like it but mum says when I've calmed down a bit she'll take me on some nice short trips in the train to go to some fun places. Then, when I've got used to travelling, she'll think about taking me down to meet grandma, but it's a very long journey. Mum can't drive but that doesn't stop us getting around!

Well, I've got lots more things to say but I'll stop there for now. I haven't been able to get on the computer much lately because Kirsty and the doodles have been on it all the time so I have had to save up all my wee stories! I'll be back soon to tell you all about this week.....