MEET BEN
Meat Loaf once sang:
“There ain't no Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.”
Ben respectfully disagrees.
Ben absolutely believes there could be.
And if there isn't one in this box, that's okay, because the next box might contain something even better.
That pretty much sums up Mr. Brightside.
Ben approaches life with the unshakable conviction that something wonderful is probably about to happen. A person walked into the room? Wonderful. We're going outside? Excellent. Somebody looked at him? BEST NEWS ALL DAY.
He is our eternal puppy, but we mean that as an outlook on life, not as a warning that he's an untrained lunatic.
Ben is happy. Enthusiastic. Optimistic. Wiggly.
And incredibly sweet.
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME...AND THEN BEN SETTLES DOWN
When Ben gets excited to see you, he may rise up very lightly, almost delicately, put his paws on you and gaze directly into your eyes.
The conversation appears to go something like:
Do you love me?
Yes?
YOU LOVE ME! I KNEW IT!
He's approximately 45 pounds, but there is something almost dainty about the way he gives these little standing hugs.
Ben can get excited because, from his perspective, everything is awesome. But he also can settle down. He is not a frantic, nonstop, bouncing-off-the-walls dog. Give him a minute to process the astonishing good fortune of whatever just happened, and the wiggles subside.
He is crate trained and does very well in his crate, including for overnight sleeping and scheduled rest periods.
CHILDREN & FAMILY LIFE
Ben has not lived with young children in his foster home, so we won't claim direct experience we don't have.
Based on the dog we know, however, we see no reason he couldn't potentially be an excellent family dog. He is affectionate, cheerful and genuinely enjoys people.
With very small children, we'd simply want adults to remember that Ben is still a wiggly 45-pound youngster. He could accidentally knock over a little person while enthusiastically celebrating the fact that everyone exists.
As always, thoughtful introductions and appropriate adult supervision matter.
HOUSE TRAINING
Because Ben is fostered with many rescue dogs, he does not have unrestricted daily access to the house or the same one-on-one household routine he'll have in his future home. For that reason, we don't represent him as fully house-trained simply because he does well with the routine he knows here.
He understands his current potty schedule and does very well in his crate.
His adopter should expect a normal adjustment period while Ben learns a new home's doors, schedule, signals and potty routine. Consistency, frequent opportunities to go outside and positive reinforcement will help him understand what is expected of him.
ABOUT BEN'S WONKY LITTLE LEG
Ben has an old injury to one of his rear legs, and we're going to tell you exactly what we know about it.
The leg was X-rayed by our veterinarian. Based on the X-rays, it appears Ben broke the leg when he was very young, possibly only weeks old, long before he came into our care. It healed the way it healed, leaving him with a slightly unusual rear leg and an absolutely adorable little wiggle when he runs.
At present, Ben gets around just fine and has no activity limitations because of it.
Our veterinarian recommends that Ben remain on a daily joint supplement such as Dasuquin for life to provide additional joint support and help reduce the likelihood or severity of arthritic problems as he gets older.
His veterinary records and X-rays are available to his adopter, and our veterinarian is also happy to speak with an adopter if they or their own veterinarian have questions.
We don't believe in hiding medical history simply because a dog is currently doing well. Ben's leg is part of his history, so his future family deserves to know about it.
Mostly, Ben seems blissfully unaware that there's anything unusual about him.
Of course he is.
Mr. Brightside.
THE “EMBARK CLAUSE”: Our Best Guess and Why
Our best guess is that Ben is a Border Collie / Pointer mix.
Without a DNA test, known pedigree or reliable breed history, we can't know for certain. We're a rescue, not Embark, so we make our best educated guess based on the dog standing in front of us, and we tell you why.
Ben's black-and-white markings, white facial blaze, head and ear shape and wonderfully expressive face suggest Border Collie influence to us. His short smooth coat, lean athletic build, longer legs and finer overall structure make Pointer another reasonable possibility.
Could DNA surprise us? Absolutely.
Until somebody swabs that optimistic little face, Border Collie / Pointer mix is our best educated guess.
THE HOME WE WANT FOR BEN
Ben doesn't need a complicated job description.
He needs people who will enjoy him.
We think he'd thrive with an individual, couple or family who appreciates a young, affectionate dog with a cheerful outlook and enough enthusiasm to make ordinary days considerably less ordinary.
His adopter should be willing to continue basic training, give him appropriate exercise and structure, maintain his joint supplement, and understand that a young dog entering a new household needs time to learn its routine.
Mostly, Ben needs someone who won't mind living with a dog who wakes up every morning fairly certain that today might be the day somebody finally finds that Coupe de Ville.
ONE MORE THING: BEN & JERRY
Ben has a littermate named Gentleman Jerry, who is also available for adoption. And yes, if you've seen both boys, they really are brothers.
Mixed-breed littermates can inherit very different combinations of genes and wind up looking remarkably different. There's another interesting possibility many people don't realize: if a female mates with more than one male during her fertile period, puppies within the same litter can actually have different fathers.
We have no way of knowing whether that's the case with Ben and Jerry. Interestingly, there are a few tiny family clues hiding in their coats. Jerry has noticeable brindling among the ticking and markings on his legs, while Ben has just a few subtle traces of brindle along the edges of some of his black markings.
Ben and Jerry do not need to be adopted together. They enjoy one another, but we've seen nothing to suggest either boy will suffer or struggle emotionally if they're separated. We believe each can thrive in the right home of his own.
If someone happens to fall in love with both, however, adopting Ben and Jerry together is absolutely an option. If adopted as a pair, we believe they would do best as the only resident dogs in the home.
That doesn't mean they can't have appropriately introduced canine friends or enjoy supervised socialization with other dogs. It's simply the household arrangement we believe would best suit their particular dynamic as a pair.
HEALTH
Ben is neutered, fully vaccinated, including DHPPL, rabies, and bordetella (kennel cough). He is heartworm-negative and on monthly Simparica Trio and Panacur. He is also microchipped.
NEXT STEPS
If you think Ben may be the right dog for you, the first step is to submit an adoption application. Applications are reviewed carefully because our goal is not simply to find Ben a home, but to find the right home for both Ben and his future family.
For questions about adoption or to begin the application process, please contact:
Marty Reese
281-723-6142
marty.reese@sbcglobal.net
Ben is currently fostered in Livingston, Texas.
Once an application is approved, Ben's foster is happy to arrange a live FaceTime or Messenger video call so you can meet him, see him interact in real time and ask questions before making your decision.
For adopters who need transportation, Byrdie Express is our preferred transport provider because their routes and pickup arrangements work best with our foster location and help us avoid additional drop-off arrangements.
If you choose Byrdie Express, we coordinate the reservation and transportation details, while the adopter pays Byrdie Express directly.
Byrdie Express
Kelly Byrdie
(940) 923-6089
byrdieexpress@gmail.com
Adopters may also use another reputable transport provider. In that case, the adopter is responsible for making the reservation, coordinating with and paying the transporter directly. Depending on the provider's pickup location and schedule, an additional fee may apply if we must arrange transportation from Ben's foster home to the designated pickup point.
Whichever option you choose, we'll work with you on our end to help get Ben safely home.
Sometimes the dog who's been waiting for you... is waiting in Texas.
Your new best friend could be just one ride away!
GENTLEMAN JERRY
German Shorthaired Pointer
🇺🇸
Livingston, Texas
male, medium, young
German Shorthaired Pointer
Livingston, Texas
