My boy Benson is a BIG dog. However, he is one of the most gentle dogs and a giant CHICKEN most of the time! The rest of the time he is busy making us laugh with his goofy personality and huge heart.
He currently weighs in at a HEFTY 120 pounds! And he is still growing…He has a HUGE head…but inside that head is the mentality of a scaredy cat!
Benson was always a lot more timid than Grace when he came home. Grace was outgoing and CRAZY as anyone who has read some of my other posts is well aware.
But my big boy? He came in very shy and timid, about the most laid back little (big) guy I have ever seen. He did not act like a young puppy at all and was so calm and quiet, never even trying to chew anything or bite at your hands. Again, unlike Grace…With Grace you had to have a small bottle of bitter apple spray on hand at ALL times!
I am not entirely sure when I noticed that Benson was a LOT more fearful than Grace was. She LOVED to chase the broom around, loved the vacuum cleaner and blow dryer. I made sure to introduce the same things to the big guy, but with VERY different results!
Brooms? Not so scary right? Tell that to Benson…As soon as he SEES me with that big bad scary broom the head goes down, tail down and ears lowered…and he retreats either into the yard or upstairs!! Same with the mop…Grace will just lie there and make me sweep or mop AROUND her, not caring if I am bumping into her with it!
Fireplace poker set…Not scary?? Right? One little CLANG from that thing has him peeling from the room faster than you would think that big guy could EVER move!
My daughter has a tripod for her social media fanbase…he sees her pick it up and guess what? GONE.
Bumps something unexpectedly with that big bottom of his??? He spins around TERRIFIED to see what it was and will usually come and sit his entire body right on TOP of mine on the couch!
Garden hoses? NOPE. Hard pass!
YOGA MATS OMG!!!! He knocked one over yesterday and we were out in the yard and heard continuous barking coming from the house! But I couldn’t see him at the front door! He must have knocked one over, and it TERRIFIED him! He was standing there barking at it nonstop! And when I went to pick it up he RAN to the couch and burrowed his head until the fearful object was once again put away!
Sometimes he will even scare himself awake! Benson will be fast asleep snoring away, jump up, spin around to see what scared him, come for some reassurance then go back to sleep!
Small dogs are also the preferential play partners at the dog park. He has a few larger buddies that he knows really well that he will tumble with, but for the most part he prefers to knock around with smaller dogs and puppies as I believe that is how big he feels he is.
Although he is scared of many things, he can be a brave protector when he needs to be.
Around Christmas as I was about to fall asleep, I heard him downstairs going absolutely CRAZY barking. I yelled down to get him to cool it, but after a few minutes he still was not settling.
Coming down to see what all the fuss was about, I was surprised to see him in an attack stance and growling and barking at the door with a ferocity I have NEVER seen in him before, nor again since.
Glancing over at the door, I saw a woman trying to force herself into the front door.
All of a sudden I knew what the fuss was about. I went to the door which has a big window in it, and she saw me. She started to laugh and yell at me to let her in. I believe that she was under the influence (I’m not sure of what) but she started laughing and telling me she was my daughter (she was about the same age or a little younger than me).
After telling her to get off my property and her STILL trying to force her way in she finally left when I told her I was phoning the police. Not before taking half her clothes off on my porch first though…in the middle of winter…
That whole time, Benson stood firmly by my side, and I stood with my hand on his back while he protected his family and his home.
So while the big guy can be scared of really silly things, I have no doubt that he will stand up and be a brave protector if the need arises again.
Where was Grace you ask?? Upstairs asleep. She came down when the whole ordeal was over…to get some treats of course!
38 comments
Aw he is so adorable! I love that he is like a big teddy bear…big but gentle.
He really is! Nothing like a dog bigger than you crawling onto your lap for cuddles haha. Just the sweetest personality.
One of my dogs (a 65+lb dog!) was put in the little dog area at doggy daycare. They said she’d rather play with the 4lb chihuahuas than the big dogs! Haha
Aww that is so cute!
Gosh, he is so cute!!! I love his smile. I have a scaredy cat dog too. 🙂 He definitely makes us laugh.
Thanks! Yes, we are always laughing at the dogs. The wrestling can be nonstop too!
I love your pictures. I can’t believe that woman took clothes off in the winter.
It was a pretty scary experience, I was very grateful for Benson that night. He was very spoiled the next day!
Oh my goodness he’s so beautiful and sweet. Reading his personality he reminds me so much of my late Rottie, Eddie Spaghetti. He was 120 lbs too and he had an obsession with mom’s glove and used to carry it around with him. I just love big sucky boys like Benson 🥰
Me too! He really is my big baby and so cuddly and sweet. So different from my girl haha, she’s super independent but somehow needy…Eddie Spaghetti is a great name!
I don’t do pets anymore, since I travel so much – but, I’ve been feeding and watering some neighborhood kitties. It’s very unsatisfying at the moment, because the main cat won’t let me get close to her – I named her, “Fraidy.”
Cats are a whole different ball game! I find it can take a lot of time and patience but one day she may just surprise you!
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! That’s all. I just melted.
I am glad he stands by your side when things really matter!
So adorable! I love his face. He looks like such a good boy.
He really is! He’s my big baby, a Mommy’s boy through and through.
Oh hear you! I had a big dog and he was scared of little puppies. His own puppies:)). It’s just so funny (I know I shouldn’t laugh) but it just doesn’t make sense how such a big dog could be scared of a small harmless puppy 🥰
That is so cute!! And it really does make me laugh too!
He is so handsome and sweet! What I love about dogs, they are our best friends and protectors!!
They really are great. I just moved into my house two years ago and KNEW I needed to add some dogs to the crew! The cats…well…they don’t really care who comes in the house haha.
He is so cute! I love his gigantic face!
Thanks! He’s such a true gentle giant!
What a great big, sweet teddy bear! I’m glad that Benson has an owner who is patient with all his fears! This is why he is so loyal.
He really is, and I will always give him the support he needs! He just bumped the screen door with his bottom and got scared haha, such a big goofy dog.
It’s amazing how brave dogs can be when they think you need protection 🙂
That was one of my main reasons behind getting a big dog! Especially living alone in Toronto with my daughter. So I was happy that he was here for us when we needed him!
Adorable! Those eyes say it all 🙂
[…] it for a VERY short period of time. Benson, being a big scaredy cat as any of you who read that post know, was of course scared of the toothbrush and would high tail it to the door as soon as he saw […]
He is such a sweet looking boy! And he reminds me of our big male cat. His sisters aren’t afraid of anything. Shy Boy…whom we should have named Fraidy Boy…is afraid of everything. We love him though!
Aw, how adorable! So glad he was there to protect you when that lady showed up. What a crazy story!
A true friend! He’s adorable! Amazing that dogs can sense the danger and protect as needed. My dogs would probably let strangers in and show them where the treats are
Haha I was worried about that too since my dogs love people and attention so much! They really can surprise you.
Big Benson is not a scaredy-cat at all! He is a brave, fluffy ball of love!
He is when it matters! The other day at the beach he bumped a water bowl with his back leg…scared himself and ran away tail tucked…then he was rolling in the sand and rolled right into the water and scared himself haha. He gave everyone a good laugh that day.
Such a cute friend!
[…] What a better way to spend a day to celebrate out on the water! Make sure to have plenty of hydration on hand and give your dog frequent bathroom breaks! I have life preservers with handles for my dogs as well in case they end up in the water! Grace loves to swim but she’s not a very good swimmer and tires very easily so this is a must if we are out on the water! I’m going to get her out on a paddle board with me yet…although I anticipate many dumps into the lake before she gets the hang of it. And Benson is already a lost cause I think because he is SCARED of the boards! Read more of the other every day (and completely harmless) things he is scared of here! […]
[…] her bottom) and Benson will more than likely be scared of it! (Read more on Benson the Scaredy Cat here!). I’m imagining some pretty funny video clips…And then the cats, not even sure what […]
[…] Grace and Benson are protective of their house though. They make a lot of noise when anyone unfamiliar approaches but generally it is just that. Noise. The only time Benson really was a threat was when it mattered and someone was trying to break into our house. You can read more on that HERE. […]