Experienced Dog Owner.

The most important thing is that we find the right person for Benny. 

He needs a calm and experienced dog owner who is willing to put the time in. 

His ideal owner is someone who:

• has time to bond with Benny one-on-one, and understands that Benny will become very attached to you.

• understands and accepts that Benny will never be the dog you take to parties or parades.

• understands that when visitors come over, Benny should be put away in a safe space where he doesn’t have to interact (i.e. dog run, kennel, etc.)

• is a confident, calm and experienced dog owner. 

• is aware that Benny is 91.5 lbs, and may try to back you down if he’s uncomfortable, or if he is being forced to do something he doesn’t want to do.

• is aware that Benny may bite, on rare occasion, when feeling overly dominated or being forced/restricted.

• is patient and willing to gradually introduce privileges as Benny earns them, and take them away as needed.

• sets rules and routines for Benny and his environment, and consistently reinforces them.

• lives in a calm environment with no children, no other male dogs.

• learns when to push and when not to push Benny. 

• is committed to giving Benny time to adapt and feel safe. 

• is willing to accept set-backs without abandoning the dog or the process.

Behavioural Considerations.

Benson loves to be around his family.

For the past two and a half years, we have loved hanging around with Benson at home giving him belly rubs and cuddles.  He is sweet and affectionate with his family. As a family, we spent time outside every day, often on the trails around our cabin up north or near our home in the city.   He is intelligent, obedient, and loves to run and play with his toys.

Benson has been a wonderful and loyal companion and we are very fond of him.  If we didn’t have a new baby in the house, Benson would be staying on with us.

That said, Benson does have the potential to trigger or challenge you on rare occasion. Both of us have had to back Benson down in a handful of instances, and both of us have received a few painful bites. The bites have never been serious enough to send us to the hospital.

Our dog trainer who has had extensive hands-on experience with Benson recently said, “On the scale of 1-10, his outbursts are in and around a “5.”  What that means is that for the most part he’s predictable and his reactions are meant to back you out of his space or comfort bubble. An experienced owner will be able to predict when he will have the potential to react and will be able to handle the situation accordingly.”  

Some of these scenarios where Benny might trigger or challenge you include:

• Forcing him to do something he doesn’t feel comfortable with, or rushing him into something (i.e. not reading his body language properly);

• Insecurity around unneutered male dogs, or dominant male dogs;

• Strangers coming into his sanctuary (i.e. home) that he does not want to; he has protective instincts for his home.

• Canine jealously: he wants his human’s attention for himself. 

• Food/resource guarding - rare, but occasionally does happen.

• Something that makes him feel vulnerable or uncertain (i.e. prolonged eye contract/stare down);

It is important to note, that in spite of everything we’ve listed above Benny has had a daily dog walker, trainer and dog sitter who he worked well with for the past 2.5 years.

Many of the above situations can be managed by an experienced dog owner who will know how to put Benson in an environment that sets him up for success. 

As we said above, Benny is wonderful companion and in the right environment, with the right owner, he will thrive! He has a gigantic heart and loves to play, interact and get his happy butt scratches.

During the enquiry/adoption process, we can arrange for you to speak with Benson’s trainer to hear his perspective on Benson’s Behavioural Considerations.