Hello, I'm Bendy.

I'm Ben​,​ but enough about me.... Let me tell you about Diesel. He's a five-year-old Murray River Curly-Coated Retriever​,​ weighing about 30 kilos. He’s incredibly smart: he knows how to body surf​,​ open doors​,​ and knows what 'W-A-L-K' spells – I'm not kidding! The breed is very intelligent and high-energy; think of a chocolate Labrador​,​ but with a permanent curly coat and double the usual Lab dose of chaos. He’ll not only steal any food left lying around​,​ but he'll also try to open the fridge or cupboards if he suspects something tasty is inside. Diesel is highly trained​,​ with strong recall and some agility experience. He's eager to please​,​ motivated by both attention and food-based rewards. Unfortunately​,​ when he was a year old​,​ Diesel was attacked by an off-leash Staffy while he was on his lead. This event has left him highly reactive​,​ with strong leash aggression if he gets close to any dog that resembles a Staffy in size or shape. He's generally easy to redirect with commands and food​,​ but you need to be prepared for this reactivity. It's important to intervene early and understand what to look for – the signs of anxiety​,​ aggression​,​ or fear in his body language. Despite this​,​ Diesel loves nothing more than a warm patch of doona near your feet on a cold night​,​ or a spot on the couch where he can watch you watching TV. You'll often find him extending a paw or a leg​,​ or leaning his body against you​,​ just to feel safe and close.