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We are keeping warm on this snow day! Max and Bentley are doing great!!
Max's behavior has improved significantly. He still gets too excited when he's on a walk and sees another dog, but that is pretty much it on behavior issues. Back in April, Bentley was diagnoised, by a cardiologist, as having three different heart issues, mostly unseen in coonhounds. They told us he'd have maybe two months to live, and surely wouldn't make it to Christmas. Apparently no one told him any of this, because he is doing just fine!! When he and Max are romping around, chasing, and playing we joke about how wrong the doctor was!
We've moved, and people in our new neighborhood are certainly noting the dogs' unique sound. People who are not used to a coonhound's bay are always suprised!
Jennifer
18 January 2010
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Bentley and Max are settling into life with having each other around. Max loves his crate, and has stopped worrying and madly barking when I have to leave. He continues to find trouble all the time, but at least now they are minor things that are easy to deal with, unlike a few months back when he escaped his crate, opened the door, and the deadbolt (didn't get past the twisty knob on the glass door), opened all the cabinets and emptied them, opened the refrigerator, and emptied it, and dumped out the garbage. Max is so smart, and when he puts his brains to good use, it is amazing watching him discover things! He has learned some new tricks, and will try all of the tricks he can think of when he wants something. He loves to run, and has fun outdoors. Max certainly keeps us on our toes. My husband likes to say Max is my dog, because he will follow my every move all day, and could care less about anything Jaret does.
Bentley is still the lovely, wonderful, laid back hound he always has been. And we appreciate his behavior and demeanor even more now with Max in the house. We are moving to a new house soon, and we look forward to seeing what new adventures they will have in a new house and a new state!
Jennifer and Jaret
8 February 2009
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Max was quite a handful when I got him. He was definitely used to an independent stray dog life. He wouldn't listen to anything and was extremely stubborn. I was worried, since my other dog came here as a grown dog too, and was so eager to please when we got him that he did everything I asked and listened wonderfully. Max broke my screen door, a window screen, blind, and the wall by my closet. He knocked over my flowers, mirror, pictures on the wall, and everything on my dining room table, twice. Upon visiting my mother-in-law, he took a 2 lb bag of powdered sugar and 2 dozen eggs, and redecorated her dining room. We went to classes. He didn't care what we were learning.
Then, all of a sudden, it clicked. After 3 weeks of chaos and madness, he's turned into a well-behaved, relaxed, responsive dog! At first, he didn't even acknowledge my existence, and now he has separation anxiety when I leave. We're working on how crazy he goes when I leave. But I can't believe how good he turned out! For those 3 weeks, I was wondering what the heck I got myself into, and now he's wonderful. Bentley and he get along great too, which was an original concern.
Thank you to those people who helped get him from Georgia to Ohio.
Jennifer
15 August 2008
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Bentley enjoyed his second Christmas at home. Actually, he spent his holiday with his great grandma, who, if it's possible, spoils him more then I do! He is still doing great! I've attached some recent pictures.
Jennifer
6 January 2008
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Bentley is enjoying his summer! This morning, he had fun chasing the geese that live around the area ponds, and baying at the neighbor's cat who likes to sit on the fence and look down at Bentley. (I think she smugly knows what she is doing. Once she even came up the back door and put her nose on the screen, looking in and driving Bentley insane.) He's taken trips to the dog park and enjoyed all the company who have been spoiling him when they visit.
I've included four pictures: my dad and Bentley sitting on the front porch, Bentley in the flower bed, and him at the dog park.
Jennifer
23 July 2007
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Bentley is getting used to a bigger house. In addition to the walking trails and ponds near the house that he is enjoying exploring, he's taken up the new game of geese watching. While I planned on putting a table in front of the front window, Bentley has nixed that idea, as he likes to "monitor" the geese in the pond across the street. The first time I left him alone there was for 3 hours while I went to get paint. When I left he was standing guard at the front window and when I was coming home, I saw him still in the window keeping a watchful eye on the geese. Here are some pictures of him exploring the house for the first time.
Jennifer
12 March 2007
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Bentley enjoyed his first Christmas at home! Santa was good to him, and
his grandma gave him tons of presents, too.
Jennifer
12 January 2007
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When my parents came to visit Bentley recently, having meet him once
before
when he first came home, they commented that you can tell Bentley looks
truly
happy and at home now. You really can see the difference over time as he's
grown to realize that this is his forever home. He enjoys the dog park,
walks
wonderfully in the neighborhood and is so good when kids want to pet him.
Everyone always says what a handsome dog and asks what breed he is.
We will be moving and so Bentley will be getting a bigger house to run
around. We're thinking about getting him a friend, since he loves to be
around
other dogs and is such a cuddler. Band season will be starting, and
Bentley is
looking forward to going out to the practice field to be with the kids.
Jennifer and Matt
15 June 2006
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He is enjoying the good life. He and Matt are inseparable best buds. When Matt gets home from work, he
and
Bentley will wrestle, and we swear Bentley smiles. The first picture is
Bentley super happy while they were playing. After a while, Bentley will throw
himself down and beg for Matt to rub his belly. Bentley has discovered a
new
love for having his belly scratched - that picture is the funniest
picture
and makes us laugh every time we look at it! After all that wrestling and
playing, Bentley still favors cuddling up.
Tomorrow
he is going to the Spring Fling, the official reopening of one of the dog
parks
in the area and will get to play with all his pals.
Jennifer and Matt
1 April 2006
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Bentley has brought so much joy to our lives in the month we've had him.
He
has figured out that a puppy dog face is really all you need to be allowed
on
the couch, his new favorite place. We've taken him to some dog parks, and
he
loves to frolic with the other puppies, particularly a cocker spaniel
named
Patches who goes there on Saturdays, too. He is completely house trained
now
and has the run of the house when we are at work. Bentley constantly wants
to
cuddle and is the most affectionate dog. We couldn't have asked for a better
dog!
Jennifer and Matt
28 January 2006
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Thank you for Bentley (formerly Lex Luther). He has finally tuckered
himself
out enough to take a nap, allowing me to check my email. You are an angel
of
mercy and compassion to these lovely animals who, without you and your
group,
would not have the chance to grow, play and be happy. Having had him here
for
a day and a half, here is what I can tell you. He is great! He has only
barked
once when we were waiting at the vet's office too long. He doesn't like
baths
or the vaccum cleaner. He loves to cuddle. He has followed us everywhere
and
will sit on us the second he has the opportunity. We took the pillow out
of the car and put it in the corner of my room and he immediately knew where
to
sleep, and slept all night. He hasn't touched a single thing in my place
or
jumped on the furniture. He plays with his toys and doens't destroy them.
Bentley loves bones/rawhide. We got him a dingo bone and he was in heaven!
He
loved tracking the smell of human food. We made tortellini last night and
he
was thrilled to run around sniffing finding out where the smell was coming
from. He has learned sit already, really quickly and easily. He is working
on
giving paw and tomorrow is learning lay down.
He made his own trick last night. Bentley discovered that when he
goes to
the door, we take him out. So every 10 min he would stare intently at the
door, refusing to do anything until we took him out, and we couldn't not
take
him out and he knew it. Everytime we take him out, he either marks his
territory or if he's out of ammo, pretends to go. He thought it was fun to
go
twice in the same spot in my kitchen, dispite using vinegar, pet cleaner
and
baking soda. But the vet recommended putting his food dish there and he
hasn't
gone there again. In fact, I penned him in the kitchen while I ran to the
store, and he was good. Once he is completely housebroken, which he seems
to
nearly be, we'll have no troubles at all. It is wonderful to have him for
a
week before school resumes. It is great for us all to adjust in week one
and
learn the schedule in week two. We are a happy little family. I can't
imagine
that his beautiful creature was on death row at one point in his life. He
has
so much love to give, and wants nothing but love (and the occasional
exploring
expedition and dingo bone) in return.
Thank you, Jayne!
Jennifer and Matt
30 December 2005
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