Ben goes home...?

Well, as promised, here I am again with Episode 2 of the saga of Gentle Ben. You know he came into my place and practically took it over. O.K., so he was gentle, and sweet, and went for walks like a perfect gentleman. But. let's face it, what a fuss to make over a pretty face. Just because he was able to chase sheep around the ring as if he had been born to it....well, I ask you! All breeds of dogs have their specialties. As a Black Labrador Retriever, (well, O.K., so they didn't know who or what my genetic father was, what does that prove?), we're supposed to chase and retrieve dead stuff. So Border Collies like to chase live stuff, what's the difference? Anyway, I hate water, cold, wet, scary stuff, but I do like to bark like crazy when anyone comes to the door. That must be worth something surely? Where was I? Yes, Ben had shown he liked to herd and was good at it. Faye, seeing his talent, even went so far as to wonder if maybe he had already had some training, and had been stolen before being dumped at the shelter? Anyway, a week or so later, Mum and Dad had taken Ben back to the farm for another work-out. He did even better than before. He practically drooled when he saw sheep, and I heard someone say, "He's really got the Eye"...whatever that means. Dad was getting way too fond of Ben for my liking, he was even telling Mum that he would go so far as to take up "hobby herding" with Ben if she would let us keep him. Bless her heart, she said "NO" very firmly. We don't need two permanent dogs in this house. Though, on second thoughts, it might be nice to have another dog to share the responsibilty of running this place and looking after my people. Anyway, the decision was taken out of my paws when Sally 'phoned and asked Mum and Dad to take Ben to the farm and leave him with Faye. She had said that either Faye would adopt him or she would find another family with sheep who also needed a family companion. I know that Dad was disappointed, but he knew that this was best for Ben anyway. So, the next Sunday we all piled into my van again and drove around to the farm. As soon as Ben got inside he knew......"Those are my sheep", he said to me....and he lay down on the sand with his nose through the gates, just watching the sheep in the arena. "What a retard", I thought. "he'd rather have a bunch of woolly idiots to chase around than lie in front of the sofa at home". I met lots of other dogs there, all waiting to chase sheep.....all retards I reckon. Quite nice people though, all of them; but all Border Collies and all they talked of was chasing sheep, so we had little in common and not a lot to talk about. When it was Ben's turn to go into the arena he dashed off and started to run in circles.....(see picture above).... he had forgotten all about us. After a while Mum turned to Dad and very quietly said, "Time to go". They had arranged beforehand that it was no use "hanging out the agony", and the best thing to do was to leave while Ben was busy in the ring. Not that he cared, he was having a ball....but they did. So we all quietlyturned and left while Ben was herding his sheep. Now we hope that Faye will keep Ben because, to Dad's untrained eye, he has all the makings of a champion sheep herding dog. As he jokingly said to Faye, "When he starts to win big purses, don't forget I want my share". I wonder who will be the next unlucky/lucky dog to be rescued by Sally and her army of angels, fostered by Mum and Dad, and find a good loving home here in Canada? I'll be keping you in touch as things happen.

Y'all be good now.....ya hear?

Cleo

Comments

Tags