Bentley calmly walks beside his owner. On command he sits, stays and lies down. The 1-year-old chocolate-colored European Doberman is as precise and upscale as the car he is named after.
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Andrea Melendez
FNP_1104_am_GrandPetBentley
Bentley is the December Grand Pet. The large dog enjoys walking around 5th Avenue in Naples and around Mangrove Bay, His owner is a big donor to Naples Humane Society.
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Andrea Melendez
FNP_1104_am_GrandPetBentley
Bentley is the December Grand Pet. The large dog enjoys walking around 5th Avenue in Naples and around Mangrove Bay, His owner is a big donor to Naples Humane Society.
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Andrea Melendez
FNP_1104_am_GrandPetBentley
Bentley is the December Grand Pet. The large dog enjoys walking around 5th Avenue in Naples and around Mangrove Bay, His owner is a big donor to Naples Humane Society.
Top training and a healthy lifestyle contribute to the dog’s success. He’s had a personal trainer, and now continues his education with his owners. Bentley’s day starts like clockwork at 6 a.m.
“He can read the clock,” says his owner, Marilynn Katatsky. “He gets up early.”
“As soon as it is light out, he is at the dog park for a full hour,” says Marilynn’s husband and dog co-owner Rick Kaufmann.
Rick and Bentley walk to Baker Park and enjoy the spacious dog run there.
“We probably do 30 to 45 repetitions of sit and down, and then I walk all the way halfway across the dog park and he stays there. Then I call him and that is his training,” Rick says.
After that training Rick uses a ball thrower to toss a ball to his beloved pet.
Andrea Melendez
FNP_1104_am_GrandPetBentley
Bentley is the December Grand Pet. The large dog enjoys walking around 5th Avenue in Naples and around Mangrove Bay, His owner is a big donor to Naples Humane Society.
“This morning he jumped up 4 feet and caught it in mid-air,” Rick says.
After exercise and training, Bentley and Rick head home where the dog devours a large breakfast of kibble and boiled chicken.
“He goes to sleep and then he watches me work,” says Marilynn, who works from home as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley. “He comes in and checks out the market and watches CNBC. He likes the pet trades.”
Then it’s more kibble and boiled chicken for dinner, followed by bed.
“As soon as the sun goes down, he heads to the kennel in the bedroom,” Marilynn says.
“He just walks in the kennel at night and goes to sleep,” Rick adds. “We don’t lock it.”
Routine and repetition resound remarkably for the 80-pound canine, and he’s quite calm for a young dog. Bentley was born September 11, 2019. He comes from a local breeder in Naples. Marilynn says she found him on the internet and was pleased by his demeanor and his training.
“What impressed us is that this dog grew up with a baby crawling on the floor, a 1 year old and a 4-year-old,” she says. “We could see how sweet he was with babies and children.”
Bentley stayed with the trainer for another month after Marilynn and Rick selected him.
“The trainer would take him down to Fifth Avenue,” Marilynn says. “He took him to the bank. He got a lot of socialization.”
In February Bentley was ready for his new home. Marilynn says everything from the dog’s manners to his name were perfect.
“My husband came up with all these warrior-type things because he is a retired army colonel,” Marilynn says. “He comes up with names like Zeus. I had just one word in my head and it was Bentley.”
Andrea Melendez
FNP_1104_am_GrandPetBentley
Bentley is the December Grand Pet. The large dog enjoys walking around 5th Avenue in Naples and around Mangrove Bay, His owner is a big donor to Naples Humane Society.
Soon after selecting the name, they went to meet the dog.
“We show up at the guy’s house, which is on the outskirts of North Naples, and what is in the driveway? A blue Bentley convertible, brand new,” Marilynn says. “I don’t know how I thought about the name Bentley, but somehow in my head all I could think about was the name Bentley. I thought it was funny when we showed up there was a Bentley in the driveway.”
Bentley is not Marilynn’s first Doberman. It’s actually her fourth. She was living in Annapolis, Maryland, when she first got that breed.
“There was a murder of an ex-marine who was carjacked in his driveway in September of 2000,” Marilynn says. “Anyway I had two little silky terriers. I loved the little dogs. Then I kept thinking about that horrible murder and I started thinking I need a Doberman. I had never seen a Doberman, but I had this idea that I needed a Doberman pinscher.”
She researched on the internet and found one in a shelter. Chief soon became her first Doberman.
“Then I just fell in love with the breed,” she says. “There is nothing like a Doberman. They are smart. They are loyal. People are afraid of them, but every single one we have had is gentle and sweet.”
Chief was followed by Jazzy and Maximus and finally Bentley.
Bentley wasn’t originally what Marilynn wanted.
“He was everything I didn’t want,” Marilynn recalls. “I wanted a black and tan one. I wanted a female. He is obviously neither black and tan nor female, but we are so lucky to have him.”
Marilynn and Rick say Bentley is the perfect dog for them, but he isn’t perfect.
Andrea Melendez
FNP_1104_am_GrandPetBentley
Bentley is the December Grand Pet. The large dog enjoys walking around 5th Avenue in Naples and around Mangrove Bay, His owner is a big donor to Naples Humane Society.
“He is the only dog we have had that chases geckos. He chases geckos and birds,” Rick says. “When you are a 1-year-old Doberman, everything is an adventure.”
He is also a chewing machine.
“He puts everything in his mouth,” Marilynn says. “He has tested every indestructible toy on Chewy. They give you your money back if he chews it up. We have gotten so much money back from Chewy. When Amazon shows up at the door he goes straight to the door and straight to the package. He knows it is for him and 8 out of 10 times it is for him. He’s tested a lot of toys. The only toy that has lasted is the Jolly Ball. The Jolly Ball has not been punctured or destroyed. Every other toy has been destroyed.”
It’s not just toys that meet Bentley’s razor-sharp teeth. Rick pulled out his wallet to show rows of teeth marks.
“His favorite toys are expensive shoes,” Marilynn adds. “He only does the left shoe. He never does the right shoe.”
Even though Bentley came from a breeder, Marilynn and Rick are big supporters of Humane Society Naples. They love going to the yearly gala and smaller fundraising events.
“We feel they do such a great job,” Marilynn says. “We are big donors.”