My glorious boy 2

Sunny Side Up

Oct 13

It's three months today since our boy passed away. There is still a huge hole in our lives and an ache in our hearts. Last night we watched a programme on tv about a vet practice. There was a white golden retriever on it. The pair of us sat and cried as we watched, it was really difficult.

But anyway, instead of dwelling on how sad we are without him we are going to celebrate some of the joyous moments in his life.

Did you know that Bentley was a mud seeking missile? He could smell mud from a mile away and always made a bee line for it. I have seem my white dog turn black before my very eyes and when his fur parted he looked like a huge, smug, grinning Pepe le Pew!

You know, I could tell a hundred stories about him. About how an autistic child that would talk to anyone chatted away happily to me while she stroked Bentley.

I could talk about the time we were asked to do some heel work to music at a charity event and as we walked in a 12 foot dinosaur growled and spat out smoke and he didn't even flinch. Mind you, the actual performance was a proper mess because the music was so loud he couldn't hear my instructions. so he just got all over excited and we bounced around like a couple of idiots. I ended up on my backside when he jumped at me. Still makes me laugh.

Hubs and I used to have a ballroom dance lesson every Thursday. Bentley used to come with us and as a pup he's be swinging off our trouser legs trying to join in. John, our teacher adored him.

I could talk about the beach but notably, paddling not swimming and how he hated me swimming as I don't have enough legs and was sure to drown. he used to swim in front of me then guide me back to the beach.

I could talk about how empathetic he was and about how he loved everyone and every other dog, except for Greg. Get was friend of our daughter's and it's the only person that Bentley would have attacked. We had to physically restrain him if Greg was around. He was great judge of character. If he didn't trust someone he would position himself between us and them and keep that position until the person left.

I could talk about training together and how he wouldn't perform in a show ring if he didn't feel like it. I think they call it an 'on the day' dog.

I could talk about how I just used to show him his brush and he'd get up and flop down in front of me ready for a good hours brushing. He'd never get tired of it. I'd physically roll him backwards and forwards because he was too relaxed to be bothered moving. He loved to sit on my knee too. As he grew into a 40kg dog that got more difficult.

I could talk about he total trust in me. There was a Typhoon flying just above us at low level. He looked at me was if to say 'should I be scared?' I looked at him as if to say, it's fine, carry on having fun. So he did.

I could tell you about Murphy, next door's dog, now also in heaven, he used to break in. He used to crash through the gate and run round our B&B, including once in the dining room during breakfast. That caused uproar, I can tell you. I was like a Benny Hill chase trying to get him out. Bentley looked on bemused as Murph would steal his toys and keep skipping out of the way while we tried to catch him.

Or I could just share some of my thousands of photographs of this amazing dog that we were blessed to share our lives with. Every photo has a story and a precious memory.

Miss you, big fella.