Thursday, March 27, 2014

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

Today Benjamin turns 12 years old! Over the last few years, Benjamin has really embraced the senior pug lifestyle. He is the happiest old man you will ever meet. He loves nothing more than being with his peeps, eating, sleeping and giving kisses.

To celebrate his happy day here are some of my favorite Benny pics. One from each of the 12 magnificent years I have spent with him. If you can't get enough of this bag of wrinkles check out some Benny pictures on Flickr.

June 2002: This picture was taken on the 3rd day of owning Benjamin and commemorates his first trip to G-Ma's house. 3 days into this adventure with Benjamin we found out a lot of things quickly. Potty training him was going to be a nightmare. I never met a puppy that peed and pooped as much as he did. He had an unending appetite for sticks and mulch (look closely and you will see a stick in the photo) and he was full of boundless energy. Even Henry, who was also a rambunctious puppy, would look at Benny and wonder if Benny had an off switch. One other thing we learned about Benny during that short time was he was a total lover boy giving kisses to anyone that crossed his path.

May 2003: I'm pretty sure he is pouting for a treat here. Benny has always been a master of using his dashing good looks to get him snackies or to get himself out of trouble. Another thing that strikes me in this photo is how dirty his face is. As a puppy it was impossible to keep his wrinkles clean. Benny has such a strong smeller that he was always jamming his face in something. At one point in his younger years, he started to wear the color off his nose!

November 2004: I've always said that Benny operates only at two speeds - all out go and full on stop. When he plays he plays hard, but when it is time to rest he completely passes out.

Benny's favorite game has always been chase and he always loved to be the one being chased. And Henry was by far his favorite to play chase with. Every game started the same. Henry chasing Benny and Benny being in his glory. But somewhere along the line, Henry would always end up tricking Benny into chasing him.

July 2005: Silly has always been a good word to describe Benjamin. He has never taken himself or life in general too seriously. I've learned a lot about not stressing over things and making the most out of things from Benjamin over the years.

September 2006: I don't think I have ever met a gentler soul than Benjamin. He views everything in the world as a friend and never a foe. From welcoming Luna into the pack, living with Lou C the rabbit to all the frogs that he sidesteps on our summer walks, Benny is definitely a lover and not a fighter.

May 2007: Benny has always loved cats, but he has yet to meet a cat that likes him. I kinda feel bad for him because he means well, but I think his high energy disposition is too overwhelming for most cats. Luckily, Cupid has decided that she will tolerate Benny. They won't be the best of friends that Benny wants to be, but she will stop bapping at him constantly.

June 2008: Chewing has always been Benny's favorite past time. He's never really met a bone he hasn't liked. When he was a pup he was crazy over pig ears, then he went through a knuckle bone phase and for a while he has been stuck on bully sticks.

May 2009: Benny has always been very passionate about the things he loves. The list can get a little long at times, but his long time faves have always been his puffy, that he has had since he was 13 weeks old, pillows, pumpkin bread and pizza crust.

March 2010: Benjamin is always up for an adventure, whether it be on foot or by car. He loves taking walks around the neighborhood at local parks or on the beach. We always laugh, because while he loves to get out and about he is not that daring of an adventurer. The picture above pretty much shows how far he is willing to stick his head out of the window. And he will only do this when the car is stopped. When out for a walk he prefers to stick to the beaten path.

May 2011: Wrinkles, wrinkles and more wrinkles. Benny was wrinkly as a puppy, at least compared to Henry, but he really came into his luscious wrinkles as he grew older. When the boys would wrestle when they were puppies, Henry used to grab hold of wrinkles on the side of Benny's face and drag him around with them. Benny never seemed to mind. I, on the other hand, am always kissing those fabulous wrinkles of his. Benny never seems to mind that either.

March 2012: Benny is the eldest pug of the pack, but he will forever be Baby Benny. Not just because he is silly, but because he has been known to pitch a trantum or two over the years if he doesn't get what he wants.

February 2013: Charming would be a good word to describe Baby Benny. He always seems to find a way to be adorable and to make you feel completely loved.