ve! 
LoveUbecause … you’ve been dog gone away!
Anyone who knows me, knows that animals play a big role in my life - cats, dogs, horses in particular. If you have been following the blog, you may have had a chance to read LoveUbecause … you’re from a picture in a magazine! and “met” Harley, my only once dreamt about Irish Wolfhound - BTW Happy Belated Birthday, Harl! (he turned 2, just yesterday).
So not to feel left out and over shadowed by his giant friend, I thought I would post a piece I wrote a couple of years ago about Bentley, our Australian Shepherd (with a mention of “the Spin”, their other “beaglish” friend).
“Hello – You’ve Been Dog-Gone Away! ” was first published in “Dogs In Canada” in 2006 and subsequently in the United States by the “Aussie Times” 2007. I hope you enjoy my musings!
Hello – You’ve Been Dog-Gone Away!
It strikes me just about every time I drive up my laneway. There are just some things that I probably never would have had the privilege to enjoy, had I remained living within the confines of the city. In these troubled times when one of the few constants seems to be bad news in the newspaper, it is truly comforting to know that come rain, or shine, sleet or snow, when I arrive home I will be greeted with unwavering, unbridled joy - and no, I don’t mean by my wife and kids – though bless them, I know they love me – they are only human.
Given that I have never owned say, a pet llama, I guess I can’t undeniably say there is no other creature that
"The Bent" - © 2008 Andrew Neil Olscher
exhibits quite the same enthusiasm. But I do have eight cats and three horses and even knowing they all have a great affinity for me, there are times when their egos definitely get in the way. On a bad day, with a quick turn and a flick of a tail, my arrival can definitely be dismissed by one and all as purely coincidental to their presence. But to see so much energy bottled up so tight, trying its best to escape with undulating glee from such a small being, just can’t be taken for granted. Imagine a furry, calico body bouncing with delight, a wet tongue flicking across your face and a rubbery, black, snorting nose bopping you on the chin and I think you get the picture – my dog, Bentley, gets very excited when I get home!
Found as a squirming ball of fur at a horse auction, we wondered for some time if his squished little visage would amount to anything but a rounded fluff ball adorned with a wet, black nose. Genetics soon kicked in and we have discussed on several occasions whether Bentley is perhaps, in a round about way, actually related to Pinocchio! He definitely sports a snout not to be scoffed at.
An Australian Shepherd - a breed which strangely enough doesn’t even originate in Australia - “the Bent”, as he is known, has never even seen a sheep. But that doesn’t stop him trying to herd just about anything in sight either - just ask those eight cats who have been systematically encouraged into one corner of our outdoor deck on a summer’s day. Curling his body towards me, with a nubby excuse for a tail furiously wagging, he tries to instinctively push me this way, or that. I have never quite figured out why he picks one direction or the other, sometimes changing his mind in “mid-herd” and I am not sure that he has either – it is just something he feels compelled to do!
"The Bent" - © 2008 Andrew Neil Olscher
We have all heard the clichés – “a dog is a man’s best friend – but this goes way beyond. Unconditional love just doesn’t readily describe it. Perhaps a little over the top, this perpetual happiness at seeing me should not be confused with not knowing any better. Though other reoccurring visitors sometimes get similar treatment, even if they haven’t crossed our threshold for several months, others, the fellow from the courier company in particular, are definitely “persona non grata”. A canine of discerning taste – that’s the Bent.
Always shadowed at “hello time” by his stalwart, elderly, pal Spinner, who’s own display of affection has been somewhat tempered by age and the fact that wedging his pudgy “Beaglish” frame between me and bouncing Bentley, is all but impossible, the Bent just wouldn’t do well anywhere else. This boisterous enthusiasm would just be a little too much for a dog bottled up in the confines of a city home.
Barring that on a rare occasion, he is busy sitting at the base of a tree barking at a raccoon that has sought temporary refuge from this self-appointed shepherd, as they certainly don’t like to be herded, I can pretty much guarantee that whether I have been gone an hour, a day or a month, the Bent will be ready to rush, vibrating from the forest, porch or front door and let me know that in these troubled times it is just plain good to be home. What more can a fellow ask for?
Sharing the love from a well licked dog owner …
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Tags: Country Living, Dogs, life, lifestyles, love, Pets
February 10th, 2009 at 1:01 am
I must say I have my own fond memories of Bentley (…mostly involving over-excitement and puppy bladder control, and what a fur ball with legs *really* looks like), but it still strikes me, every time I come to visit, how he is always so convincingly happy to see me. After my own history with Spinner(s) (it’s true that the Spinner of whom we speak is technically Spinner the II… a noble title, if ever I’ve seen one… maybe he could be king?? lol..) - anyway, from the many k9s I have known and loved in my day, I’ve come to realise that Bentley (and Spinner) is (are) now perhaps the closest I have to having a dog(s) I could call my own.
Being so far away it is becoming increasingly easy to forget these things, but it brings me a lot of comfort to be able to sit back and recognize how lucky I am to have wiggly friends like them who will always be happy to see me when I stop in to visit.
You couldn’t have chosen a better greeting crew if you’d tried.
Cheers to SBH.
February 10th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Some of the most rewarding “friendship moments” are those of getting together with friends, (canine, equine, human or otherwise) whom you have not seen in a long time - sometimes years later - and being able to “pick up” like it was just yesterday that you saw each other. A true test of bonding, I think.
I recall a few years back - after returning a horse, “P”, that we had leased and that both “R” and I had showed and evented with for a year, to its owner and arriving at a show eight or nine months later, we were all amazed that after only a few minutes after we parked we heard a familiar call coming from several trailers away. The horse, “CM”, that we had brought that day called back and I was more than pleased to discover that it was indeed “P” calling us. Whether she smelled “CM” in the air, or possibly me, if I was wearing my “barn coat”
, I am not sure, but she sure knew very quickly we were there and made sure we knew too. But most of all, seeing “P” again was most enjoyable and knowing that she remembered us - for whatever reason - unforgettable!