06.30.16 - Last night was Max's last night with Almost Like You, he is going to be very missed. He is the only thing we have found that can actually wear Benson out. He slept really well last night and this morning did not want to get up. He is now home with his Daddy again and was very happy to see him. Hopefully Max will visit Almost Like You often, he is such a great dog.
06.29.16 - I never thought I would find a dog that could wear Bensen out but boy has Max met that challenge with joy but has conquered it over and over again. Max is definitely a Boxer there is no doubt about that, he has the high energy level that they are all so famous for. He slapped Lexie in the head last night, he didn't mean to but man was it funny. It obviously didn't hurt her and Max was just jumping around but watching it, it truly looked like Max was smacking her, so cute. I was worried yesterday because I couldn't get Max to eat but after all other dogs went to their designated bedrooms with their hired humans, I put food down for Max and he ate like a champ. He slept with me last night, he is so soft and such a cuddle buddy. I use to get Benson but he is stuck to my moms hip now and has to be with her at night. Lexie being extremely jealous of Max didn't want to leave me but her and Ben sleep well together, maybe tonight we will let Max sleep with his new best friend Ben and Lexie will get her mommy back.
06.28.16 - Almost like you has a new arrival and his name is Max. Max is an old friend of mine and such a sweet little boy, hyper as can be but sweet. I picked him up last night at his house and brought him over to play with the other dogs. Max will be staying at his own home and I will be watching him but he will definitely make an appearance with the old ladies to play with the other dogs. Benson and Max became instant best friends, they stayed outside for hours together. Lexie not so fond of Max, I think she senses that I know Max and it makes her jealous, Chevy once again is being the big brother and taking control of the mischievous that the others start. Max is a rescue Boxer that myself and a roommate adopted together, when I moved out Max stayed with my friend because of the fenced in yard and at the time I did not have one. I have always stayed in touch with Max but this is the first time that I've pet sitting for him in his home. Stay tuned for more Max updates to come.
08.15.16 - For those of you who remember sweet old Boots, she has come to Almost like you to be adopted out to a loving family. She will stay in our care till we find her a new home. She is about 10 years old, spayed, house broken, and sweet as can be. If you know of an older couple or single person that would like to adopt boots have them call me. I say older or single because boots doesn't like loud noises and lots of chaos. He doesn't do anything when he is around it, he is just much happier in a quiet home.
07.19.16 - Boots went home today, she will be missed for sure. Hopefully she will stay with us again, she is always welcome.
We have a new arrival at Almost Like You, her name is Boots and she likes to be called Bootie Rootie and is so loving and wonderful but is an old little girl, she really fits in with the Old Lady employees of Almost like You. You have to remind her to go pee, remind her to eat and drink but has not said a word since she got here other than to put the other dogs in their place including Chevy. She is sleeping and laying on the couch enjoying her nap time. Here a few pictures of the new girl.
08.01.16 - It is a sad day today, Benson's last day with Almost Like you was on Saturday. I dropped him off at his new home with his family Saturday morning and cried when I left. We have had Benson for so long he was like part of the family, but I know he was so happy to see his family when he walked in the door, he was happy to be home. Lexie has been looking for Ben the last couple of days, she goes out every hour thinking that Ben is outside, she didn't sleep well last night either. She is whining more and you can tell she just misses her playmate. Hopefully we will get to keep Ben again and Lexie can have play dates with her friend. I just want to thank Ben's family for trusting Almost Like You to keep him and we really enjoyed having him around and we miss him very much.
07.27.16 - Benson was such a sweet boy last night, how could you not love this cute face.
07.26.16 - Good ole Benson is still with us and having a blast. This week will be hard core training week for him, time to get Benson ready for his family to come home, no more mud puddle play time for him. I'm a little worried of how Lexie will behave once Ben is gone, they have become really good buddies and they do everything together. Benson was introduce to his first kitten over the weekend, let's just say he couldn't figure out if he should lick, or if it was a toy for him to play with. He only got to sniff the foster kittens and I don't believe he will be doing that again after he got smacked in the nose by one. He is a very curious pup though, I can't believe he has been with us for 6 weeks now, I keep saying he is 7 months old but he is actually 8 and half now. Time sure does fly when you're doing something you love. Enjoy the latest pictures and video of the besties hanging out.
07.19.16 - Benson is here to stay! He will be staying with us a few more days, his family misses him but things came up and they had to stay longer. We are excited that he is still here and we don't want his family to worry about him, he is welcome here and can stay as long as they need him.
07.18.15 - Benson goes home in two days, it's going to be sad to see him go but I think the other dogs will get some much needed rest. He gets his special go time bath tomorrow, with a blow dry, brush, teeth cleaning and nail trimming. After he gets that it's leash time only for him, I will not let him get i the mud again, I think his family would like their yellow lab back not a red lab in it's place. I know they will be surprised when they see him, he has grown so much in the last 5 weeks. He is now 8.5 months, still hard headed, but the sweetest baby ever.
07.16.16 - Well then Benson has found a red mud puddle this morning and decided to roll in it and play around with no care in the world. So bot Lexie and Benson were treated to a outside water house bath today, thank goodness it was hot outside. They are clean and in the house now. Enjoy the video and pictures.
07.15.16 - Wow it's been 10 days since my last post, my apologizes to Benson family as this is unacceptable. Benson is doing great even though his hard head gets him in trouble. I'm currently trying to break Benson of his bad habit of getting on the counter, I figure it's easier to break Benson then the break the Old Ladies from leaving delicious items on the counter. We found out recently that Benson loves cake, it may be his favorite. Benson is such a sweet loving dog and for those of you thinking about getting a puppy, yes Benson is big, but he is still a puppy. Remember that they are puppies, they will chew on things, they are very curious and they want to be everywhere you are and require lots of exercise. I believe Benson has taught a lot of people that, I knew he would be like this and I was prepared but some people aren't. Make sure you have plenty of chew toys for your young puppies, if your dog is an only one household dog I suggest leaving food out all the time, this will slow down their eating habits. If they think they will always have food they don't rush to eat it when you first put it down. I do not recommend this if you have multiple dogs because one dog ends up not eating because of dominance. Don't be afraid your dog is going to gain weight and be unhealthy they may eat tons the first few times but once they learn it is always there they will slow down and start to only eat when they are hungry. I've done this will all of my animals and it works great, I have not done this with Benson as his family has him on a diet, so if you are house sitting for a friend don't change their eating habits as it will cause issues for their family. Well i'm off to another day of work, everyone enjoy your day and I'll talk to you this weekend.
07.05.16 - Ben has been very busy since the last time I talked to all of you. He has chewed the grill cover up, chewed the george forman grill cord in two, chewed Lexie's collar in half and I'm sure there are things that I am forgetting. This is something everyone should know when buying a Lab, they love to chew especially as puppies, most tend to grow out of it once they reach adulthood. The funny thing with Ben is, he will do something wrong or chew something and then come over to you and look at you with the big brown eyes and smile all happy and you can't help but love on him. It's been a very long weekend, I dog sat for an anonymous client this weekend, I have to respect their privacy. I was at their house so the old ladies got to watch Ben for me and when I would come by for a visit the first thing they would say was, "Guess what Ben Did" I've stopped guessing now.
06.30.16 - Ben was at it again last night, can't leave a drop of food alone he has to have them all. One strayed under the cabinet and he was determined to get it.
06.29.16 - I am so proud of Ben and how sweet he is, he has really taken to Max and plays with him all the time and if Max has to go out Ben goes with him, they are like best little buddies now, sorry Lydia he may want a friend when you get home, hopefully the kids will help. All three other dogs were being grumpy yesterday but as you can see in Ben's picture he was minding his own business chewing on his bone. At one point he got so tired of Lexie being mean to Max that he just went by himself in the kennel with the door open and just layed down, he said I am done with her attitude problem!!!! So sweet they are. I am really going to miss Ben when he goes home, hopefully I will get to keep him some more after this.
06.28.16 - Benson met a new friend last night and boy was he a happy boy. He met the Boxer Max and they became instant friends, they played outside together for hours. Poor Benson did not want to go to bed without Max but they couldn't stay together, all puppies are separated at night so they get maximum rest and are ready for the next day of play time. Ben still continues to play in his water dish, I guess he found it very fun the last time and doesn't want to give up the habit.
6.27.16 - Benson has decided that Lexie no longer needed a collar, so if she gets lost we won't be able to find her. We are not sure where the collar is, Benson has hid it somewhere in the yard or house, or he just plain ate it, we are not sure. Benson is being a sweet and quiet boy today, at least for now, things are going to get rowdy because Max a new client of Almost Like You will be joining us later tonight. I will keep you updated on the new addition, I'm sure I will have lots of pictures. I'm sorry that my blogs have been so short, I think Benson has just gotten use to being around here and isn't being as unpredictable as he was when he first came here.
6.26.26 - Benson has been doing well, he is constantly wanting food I think he could eat a whole bag of food a day if it was available. He loves going outside and playing with the other dogs. He is such a funny and loving dog and keeps us laughing all the time. He is like a child when they start walking and talking, you just never know what is going to happen and you want to keep a video camera on all the time just to catch what he does. I've found a training tool that really helps with some of the puppy traits Ben still has, check out my blog "Work or Waste" to see a review on the product and what I think of it. Also caught Ben on video trying to get a piece of dog food out of the water bowel, so very funny. Hope everyone enjoys.
06.21.16 - Benson has been reformed and is back on track after some counseling, We are proud of Benson for learning so quickly. So no more burger stealing but he has shown us a new fetish of his, box chewing. I have some boxing in the house so I can pack stuff up and Ben has such a great time just ripping the boxes apart, if I knew one box could keep him this occupied for hours I would have brought some home for him sooner. Other than that things are fairly quiet around the house and Benson is feeling right at home, but I'm sure he will be so excited when his family gets back.
Mug Shot
Jail Time
06.20.16 - STOP THE PRESSES!!! This just in the Hamburglar struck last night after almost 6 years of being in hiding. At 7:00 pm on Sunday June 19, 2016 the Hamburglar, alias Benson, struck a house in Mint Hill, NC. He entered the home using his charm and cute puppy dog face, the old ladies were none the wiser. They let him play with their dogs, let him go outside to play and just when they commented on what a great dog Benson was, he strikes. The Hamburglar used a sneaky approach going for what looked like a drink of water, then bam he grabbed three burgers and woofed them down before being caught red handed by the younger of the two old ladies. Hamburglar was caught and sentenced to 30 minutes in jail, only to return to the scene of the crime tricking the old ladies in believing he was reformed. Again with a sneak attack going for water he grabbed another burger before once again being caught by the younger of the old ladies. Hamburglar was arrested once again and sentenced to 1 hour in jail, with no chance of parole. The offender is now out of jail, if you see him please contact your local authorities. Below is his mug shot and jail photo, he is easily identifiable. Don't let his cute sad face fool you, this is a dangerous food criminal.
06.06.16 - Benson had a very good first night last night. He was excited to meet Lexie and Chevy and they all got along great. Benson is still a puppy so he was all for playing and boy can 3 dogs make a ruckus in a house, so they moved outside to the back yard where they could play all they wanted to. When it came bedtime everyone was separated to different beds so that the grown ups could get some sleep, apparently you can't tire out a 7 month old puppy and Lexie, even though they tried very hard. Benson is so funny he is like a boy who hasn't reached puberty yet and still has the squeak in his voice when he barks, Lexie could not figure out what he was doing when she would bark because Lexie and Chevy have such deep hound sounding barks and Benson was like a squeaky toy!!! Don't worry Benson you'll get your bark in due time, just enjoy being a puppy. This morning Benson is home laying in bed with Momma Dolly, they were sound asleep when I left them this morning. Momma Dolly said that Benson is like having a kid again because wherever you go, if you stop suddenly Benson will end up in your butt!!! She went to the bathroom, a very small bathroom, and Benson came in and laid right at her feet and she couldn't get up. Such a sweet boy. Stay tuned for further updates.
06.06.16 - Check on Benson at lunch and he is a happy little boy. He has played all day and when I got off the phone with the other sitter (my mom) for when I'm working, she said that he was finally lying down taking a break from all the play time. They have gone outside a dozen times today to play and have probably drank about 5 gallons of water. Here are some picture of the little boy.
06.17.16 - Benson is finally getting used to everything and feeling more at home. I think he has finally got the hint that Lexie does not want a boyfriend and is now just being friends with her. Chevy is still playing big brother and I'm not sure that will ever stop. Ben (Benson) is a very nosey boy and will follow you everywhere you go, no exceptions. He also has an extremely good nose, better than most dogs actually. We have a dog treat bowl that is sealed and Ben has never seen us get treats out or anything yet he seems to know exactly where that treat bowl is and tried to help himself to it yesterday, so he was not a good boy and had to be told that counters are not for the dogs but for the people and just because you're tall enough to reach everything on them does not mean you're allowed to. He is a very loving and compassionate dog, I could really see Ben as a seeing eye dog or a care taker, he is that aware and loving. I assume the fact that he has a kids at home with him helps that, I'm sure he misses them running around and misses his mom and dad. I found out last night Ben is also a very good guard dog, he can hear some one several minutes before I do and will actually go stand at the door to let you know someone is coming and even barks a warning bark, yes a squeaky warning back but still a bark. :) Ben has learned to send by hand command, he had already known how to seat by voice command but now I have taught him to sit by hand command which is a very good thing when you are talking to someone or don't want to yell at him. He is a very smart dog and really learns fast. He slept really good last night, never woke up once I guess he was finally wore out from playing all day. He slept right next me and snuggled all night, I had to put a fan on him because he is a very hot natured dog but he eventually got comfortable and fell asleep. Stay tuned for more Benson updates.
06.18.16 - Boy last night was a busy night, I think someone slipped red bull in the dog water. Lexie and Benson have become best friends and they have a look they give each other that says okay it's time to play. Benson has learned that one bark gets him what he wants, he has a bark for food, a bark for water and another bark for outside. He has learned very fast to talk to me, Lexie and Chevy don't even do that, they just look at me and I have to figure out what they want. I'm sorry Lydia Daniel but I think I have started a bad habit for Benson, Lexie loves eating ice and has taught Ben how wonderful it is; so now they both sit at the freezer for their ice cube. It has really helped with cooling Ben down, he seems to get really hot after playing hard with Lexie. Ben has also developed some cat habits as well, he came out of the kitchen with the Pepsi box on his head, he wanted to chew on it but got his head stuck. All dogs eventually laid down at 11 for the night and didn't wake up till 10:30 this morning, that's what happens when they play hard all day. They went outside this morning and laid in the sun for a while so I thought it was going to be a calm Saturday because they were all tired; not the case at all they are at it now playing, tugging on ropes, and trying to determine who is boss, but of course Chevy won that battle. Stay tuned for an update later today.
06.18.16 - Its 1:57 and can't sleep and no puppies to play with because they are passed out. I clipped nails today and again Ben proves what a good boy he is. Lexus and Chevy had to have Benedryl so they would stay calm enough to do it, and if with that they still tried to bite and pull away. Once they get lose you won't catch them again but I did get them done. So I'm done and had no intentions if cutting Ben's because they didn't look bad and I wasn't sure how he was, well he walks up to me, puts his legs on the recliner, like here you go. So I clipped be nails and he sat perfectly still till I was done then gave me a kiss.💋 Hopefully Lexie and Chevy will learn from Ben.
06.16.16Well either Ben is getting use to us and is feeling more comfortable or he is bored and wants to come home, not sure wish. He no longer stands up to eat or drink, he just lays down like a lazy dog, now that could be because they do nothing but play all day long, or he is just bored out of his mind!!!! I'm going to go with it's because he plays all day long. He is starting to assert his dominance over Lexie now that he has been there for a while, he puts his mouth over her throat, doesn't bite or even clamp down, just showing her what he could do if he wanted to. Now Lexie is having no part of that, she immediately strikes back at him, yep she is my dog, no man will dominate her. It is so funny Ben chasing after her like a highschool boy chasing after his first love.
Ben has done very well with staying off the counter and away from people food, except for the popcorn he snagged yesterday but it was only a little, other than that he has stayed on his dog food diet. He is eating well but always acts like he is starving to death, he literally licked all three dog food bowls so clean yesterday they looked like that had been in the dishwasher. He had to make sure he got every single crumb that was in there, and still wanted more. He is a growing puppy for sure, but let's try and keep him at a healthy weight, at least till his parents get back, don't want them to come back to a whale instead of a dog.
It is going to be bath time soon for him, not sure how he is going to react to that, but stay tuned I'm sure hilarity will follow. He and Lexie decided to find a mud puddle last night while outside. Lexie is black so we had no idea what she had been up to, but then Benson walked in and was orange instead of yellow, there was no hiding it then. I bet Lexie was thinking, damn can you not change your hair color so we don't get caught!!!! They were both wiped down but Lexie knows a bath is coming but poor Ben is not expecting it. I will make sure to have a bath time picture for all to see, I'm sure I'll be as wet as Ben, if he is anything like Lexie and Chevy.
06.15.16 - Today is the day that I pick Benson up from his sweet owners, Benson gets to stay with me for 5 weeks straight. I pick him up at 5:30, why you ask, we at Almost Like You believe that when we pick your pets up directly from your home, as opposed to you dropping them off, they tend to have less anxiety. It also helps for when you take your dog to the vet and to the park he will not be afraid to get in your car for fear you are leaving him. This way I'm the bad guy and you get to be the best owner in the world.
