Benji aka BJ

As promised my concerns about Benji.  Benji, as you may know, is a rescue dog.  The sudden death of my  girl, Chienne, really floored me. I loved her so much and  I wandered around not really bothering about things. Annabell decided that I needed another dog. She said that she could not bear to see me so unhappy –  so I started looking. I did look locally but they all seemed to be big dogs and I didn’t want a big dog. I looked on line, confining my search to South Australia. I finally found one that I liked the look of so I asked for more information from the rescue group. I was given information regarding  the current location of the dog and a little bit about him,  temperament, size and age, desexed and micro chipped. Also clearance from the local Vet. The thing was his location was some 950 klm away. If I wanted this dog it would mean a thousand miles round trip. Well, I liked the look of the dog, his size and temperament, so a road trip it was. He was currently in foster care so I had to wait with the rescue people until the dog arrived. On October 10th 2015 I took the dog into the car and started the drive home. On that return journey I did something I promised myself I would never do – drive the steep descent  from Crafers at the top of the Adelaide hills, down to Adelaide — In The Dark!  This is the scene of so many accidents that I find it uneasy during the day even – but at night! Well here I am writing this so I  guess you can take it I survived the journey. We got home and Benji soon became part of the family. We even had to look after another dog – Yogi – and he and Benji got on famously together – a little bit of early settling out  borders – but they get on really well. It was fun taking both dogs out walking. We had a lot of trouble getting his microchip registration changed but we worked through that and this was finalised  in late April this year. Of course he was registered with the Council and introduced to the Vet, who gave him a clean bill of health. Since then he has put on a little weight and filled out.

Benji settled in well with all the members of the family – everyone loves him and he is a quiet lovable, Staffy-Jack Russell Cross, quite settled and I believe, quite happy.  That was until recently. Yogi – as I said – was no problem, the problem is the WaWa. She is causing Benji untold strife, grief and stress. Yes I have shown photographs of them together and seeming friends, however, photographs can be deceiving  and the only reason I was able to take that photograph was simply that I had food they both wanted so they  were  “close” rather than “together”.  The WaWa attacks Benji and nips his back legs. He will not defend himself and at times he has leaped from the floor up into my arms to escape from her. He is more than twice her height. weight and probably three times her strength but he is scared of her.   It worried me and last night it scared me. I went outside and as usual Benji followed me. He was slow so I turned round and bent down to pick him up – he cringed and wet himself. To say that I was stunned is an understatement. I feel that all the work I have done with him since I brought him home is being undone.  I am at a loss and don’t know what to do. People have said that the solution is simple – get rid of the WaWa. I cannot do that! I made a promise and I have to keep it. I am also told that he will not defend himself nor will he attack the WaWa unless put under extreme pressure because  domestic male dogs wont attack a female. We did not go out for our walk this morning. I got up, got dressed and ready to go, but he would not come – he refused to move and after last night I had no intentions of trying to make him go out, so I just left him where he feels safe – on my bed.  I have no idea what his life was like before me – well before the foster care – but he was five when I adopted him last year and that’s a long time if he had a hard life. It’s a worry, a real worry.