Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Are they twins?

Whenever we go out, we are frequently asked if the boys are twins. I always respond, "No, they are not even from the same litter". To my surprise the other person will frequently ask, "So, how do you tell them apart?"

That question always makes me smile. The physical differences are pretty noticeable between Benjamin and Henry. Henry is about 5lbs heavier than Benjamin and is just a much bigger pug than Benny. Henry has a thick coat, a very dark mask and a dark stripe down his back. Benny's mask is on the lighter side and the stripe down his back is extremely light. Plus, and I wouldn't expect a stranger to notice this, but their tails curl in opposite directions

Benjamin's Tail	Henry's Tail

Besides their physical differences, their personalities are like night and day. Benjamin is very active, hyperactive may even be the proper term. He wakes up early in the morning and is ready to romp and stomp for the entire day.

Henry, on the other hand, is much more laid back. He would sleep all day if you let him. He can get very excited, but this is generally only for short periods of time. Then it is back to his naps.

Benjamin is outgoing, but he is pretty shy around strangers. Henry, however, will walk up to just about anyone. If they happen to pet him, he will park himself at their feet and will remain there long after they are finished petting him.

The cliche "opposites attract" must be true because these boys are inseparable. They are a week apart in age and have been "brothers" ever since Benjamin was 13 weeks and Henry was 12 weeks. While their personalities are extremely different they compliment each other perfectly. Benjamin encourages Henry to be a little more active and Henry has shown Ben that sometimes it is fun to relax and lounge around the house.