The full story that was too long to print in QCME.

Anyone that gets QCME will have seem me and Ben on page 67 of the July Issue, This was the full story behind that feature as the magazine had to condense it for print. lol It's a bit long but then again my blog is called Creative Ramblings lol.

In September 2007 my little collie cross got ill and after fighting for 3



months to try and save her life we had to get her put to sleep on the 29th


of December 2007. I had left my job in the June of 2007 due to ill health so


as a result of not having Kira around the house felt very empty and I missed


my furry friend so much it ached. During this time we visited friends who


has a tri coloured border collie pup and both my husband I adored him at


first sight and I set my sights on getting a Border Collie. However when we


came home and looked at the prices of the breed we knew we would never be


able to justify the cost so we decided it would not happen.


5 weeks passed and my ache was still as strong as it was the day I lost


Kira. For a whole week hubby and I kept seeing dogs, dogs doing funny things


dogs in places we should not see them for example a well trained guide dog


jumped up at me when I walked into a shop and gave me a cuddle and a slobber


on the face the blind owner could not believe the dog had done it as it was


so out of character. I remember saying to Kevin my husband that if we a dog


once more react or in a strange place then we are going to actively seek


another dog .


I could never replace Kira but I had a lot of love to give and I love dogs.


That very night while watching the antiques road show a man handed pocket


watch with the last supper engraved on it so a very religious theme on the


front with nothing to do with dogs but when the antique dealer opened the


back up a dogs head was engraved in the inside, I took this to be a strong


message and decided I was going to start looking with Kevin's agreement.


The next day our vets Practise called us to finalise the final bill for Kira


which I did and while on the phone the lady asked if I would be getting


another dog and I said I would love a pup and was going to go to the local


rescue centre. The lady informed me about a local rescue I didn't know about


and said but you need to register as puppies are harder to come by.


Later that day I called the group and was told that they hardly have puppies


but my details could be taken when I was asked who told me about the group I


explained about my vets and Kira and the lady said well I don't have a


female pup here but I have a male pup 5 weeks old who's being fostered he is


spoken for but I'd rather you'd have him if you want . I hesitated as I


really wanted a female but then the lady said his name is Tyson and he is a


border collie I could hardly contain my excitement so I called my husband


and he said ask his sister what she thinks lol she is dog daft so thought I


should get him. I called the lady back and was told how he is an only pup as


his brother was killed by him and that he had to be taken away from his mum


at 3 weeks old because she was 15 and Tyson who we have named Ben was


hurting her.


It was like a whirlwind how quick it all happened I had expected weeks of


home visiting etc to know if we would be the right owners but none of that


happened She just asked us to come and pay the £129 that night and if I


wanted I could have him the next day. I rushed to pets at home to buy some


puppy bedding , food and toys we had donated most of Kira's stuff to the


local kennels and the next day I went to pick Ben up when I arrived this


rather cute fluff ball was in a cage and when the lady picked him out and


gave him to me I could kind of tell he wasn't happy for cuddles but I didn't


realise what was in store for us then.

Over the next few weeks it was plain to see that Ben was not socialised in


the slightest and that I had in fact taken on a wild animal I still have


scars to prove it it took months and months of patience , guidance and love


to get Ben to trust us and to enjoy being with us. I read books on dog


physiology and joined forums to get an understand about the collie breed. I


can now hand on heart understand why the saying collie folk came about they


really are a specialised breed and the instinct in working dogs which both


Ben's mother and father are is very strong and very dangerous if not handled


correctly Ben would chase anything that moved in the early days and would


flatten his shoulders and slip his harness will out walking. To cut a very


long story short , I became Ben's litter mate and had to show him what it


would be like being chastised by his siblings and mum if he bite me I


nipped him hard etc but always was careful to encourage and show him love.


Ben is now 4 years old he will be 5 on New Years day we still have fear of


noise issues , thunder, fireworks etc and he still is a constant challenge


but he is also a joy to have around and constantly makes me smile.

He is my crafting friend and my inspiration because he is black and white


and I love monotones as I think they are classy and also because when I am


crafting Ben is normally sprawled out beside me he has had pinflair glue and


foam pads and glitter stuck to him on many occasion's either because he has


brushed passed my work or I have dropped them on him. He constantly will


flip my hand up in the air with his nose for a tummy tickle and if I am


ignoring him he will sit and make the cute funny little noises till I turn


round and give him some love. Ben loves nothing better then to herd the bins


in and out the garden and I am pleased to say other then the odd lawnmower


or Hoover incident his herding is now very much under control.

Ben is our Clown Our Friend and my Crafty Inspirational wee monkey that


never fails to melt my heart with the look.. or make me giggle when he is


dancing around the room. I'd advice anyone taking on any breed of dog to


research them as not all dogs are the same.


Thank you for taking the time to read my rambling.