Name: Benny Age: 3 years
Breed: Pomeranian x maltese
5 words to describe Benny: Sweet, sensitive, polite, smart, adorable!
Earlier this year we put a call out to our beautiful community of dog lovers. A ‘Behind the Scenes of Dogfolk’ video was in the works, and we needed one special dog and their family to be our stars.
Our hunt led us to Benny, a pomeranian x maltese and real-life teddy bear with a lucky left ear. Could anything in the world possibly be cuter? Needless to say, he completely stole our hearts.
But he wasn’t the only one!
Benny’s adoring mum and dad, Antonette and Jerome, describe themselves as ‘just two homebody goof balls raising the apple of our eye.’ A down-to-earth couple of 11 years who love the simple things in life (like hanging out on their giant Air Sack!), they are the kind of loving, dedicated dog parents that make us absolutely love what we do, and inspire our passion for pet family photography.
Trust us, there really is no greater job in the world than hanging out with cute dogs and the amazing humans that love them!
Read more about Antonette, Jerome and Benny’s love story below, along with a few of our favourite photos from their shoot.
How did Benny join your family?
Sadly, Jerome lost his family dog in 2015. It was a heartbreaking experience for him, and I knew it would take time until he would be ready to consider opening his heart to a dog once again.
It was in 2017 when we slowly began to discuss the idea, and I happened to see a post on a Melbourne dog community Facebook page. It was by a lady whose female purebred pomeranian had given birth to pups after an accidental encounter with a neighbouring maltese.
As she was elderly, she did not have the means to keep the puppies. That very day I sent her a message and organised to meet them. When I arrived they were all huddled together in a warm bed of pillows and towels. I kept my distance so as not to frighten them, got down to my knees slowly, and made my presence known with a soft calm voice. It was then that amongst the cloud of white fur, a little brown fluff ball appeared and made his way over to me.
“He came right up to me and allowed me to hold him for the entirety of my stay. None of the other sleepy puppies approached me, and it was then that I knew it was he who had chosen me! I took him home that night and surprised Jerome upon his arrival home.”
What does Benny love to do most?
Netflix and chill – literally! He has his own Netflix account made up of cartoons, Animal Planet or shows that feature interesting noises like trucks or trains.
We have even caught him a few times on the pet-cam watching TV on the couch, but he loves it more if my husband and I are on the couch with him.
Does Benny know any tricks?
Benny knows all of your basic tricks such as sit, lay down, roll over and shake. If you ask, ‘Benny where are you?’ from the other side of the house, he will start howling! He knows ‘bedtime’ means drop what you’re doing, lights go off and we all walk to the bedroom and he goes to his bed.
“Benny knows the name of his favorite toy Ryan, and can even pick him out of a whole line up of his other toys. He also gives a good hi-five or fist bump on command!”
If Benny was a person, who would he be?
Benny would be the Martin Luther King of the dog world. When in a group setting he is a natural leader, yet can stand strong when alone and independent. He is extremely smart, sensitive and caring for those around him.
“Benny has made what was once a partnership between my husband and I, truly, a family. He is the light and joy of our life to a point where we actually question what the heck we were doing with our lives beforehand!”
What have been your most memorable moments with Benny so far?
There was a point in my life where I was at an extreme low. I found it hard to do anything most days, and had so much anxiety that I would suffer severe panic attacks.
One day, as I was crying at the edge of the bed, Benny came over to me and sat at my feet. Usually he would jump up on my lap for a cuddle, but this day he just sat there and looked up at me as I cried. I could tell by the look on his face that he was worried about me.
And it was in that moment I knew he knew I was sad. Instead of jumping up at me, he gave me the space I needed. It was like it was his simple way of telling me he would be there for me whenever I was ready to receive his love.
“A moment I’ll always remember was when out of nowhere, Jerome said, ‘Honey, I think I love Benny. No…I DO, I do love Benny. I feel it.’ I was so relieved that I had made the right decision for us, and that Jerome’s pain from the loss of his family dog was finally healing.”
At Dogfolk Pet Photography, we photograph dogs and the people who love them.
If you’d love a shoot with your furry family, we’d love to hear from you! Make a pet photography booking enquiry here.
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