It’s a Brand New Year!!!

Hi everyone! Luke here…. I’z hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years! I had a good one. I’z got some nice prezzies, had a turkey dinner ((Mom had to leave me ALONE for christmas dinner since it was at our Grampy’s house and there was too many people there to take me 😦 )) Here are some pictures of me on Christmas, and a video of me opening my gifts. Well, Mom opened dem actually, since I was too excited about the first toy I’z got.

 

A few of my gifts

My new collar with the new name/number tag.

Posing my handsome self 😛

 

I LOVEEEE treats!

Just me and Mom 🙂

 

So, we had a nice quiet Christmas. I hope you all got whatever you wanted.

Here’s some bad pictures of Mom and I out on a night time walk 😛

In the parking lot of Brother’s school

In front of our house..by my favorite pee tree 😛

My new coat kept me nice and warm that night!

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On New Years Eve…we had Kayla over. We didn’t do much. Mom wasn’t feeling the best, so we had a quiet night. Until the neighbors starting partying ((they do that a LOT here!)) Then the fireworks started, so Mom and I went downstairs to watch them from our living room window. I wouldn’t go outside in the yard because it was raining. I hate the rain! Mom says we have to make resolutions, but she hasn’t really thought of many, other than hoping this new year will be better for us than the last one was. One thing though…we want to start keeping my blog up better this year!

So yesterday we took  Kayla back to her house. On the way back home, we stopped to have a little run behind the mall. Mom wanted to get some “thug wannabe” pictures of us in front of the graffiti filled walls as a joke. It was COOOOLD! I was so glad I had my nice warm coat on, but Mom wasn’t so smart. She didn’t want to wear her old green winter jacket and look funny, so herz wore two hoodies instead. Well…she regretted it after ten minutes outside. It was freezing and then, so was she! Silly Mamma!

Here I am showing my distaste at pretending to be a “gangsta”.

Here we are together..before Mom ran home crying that her hands were gonna break off from the cold.

Thanks for stopping by! I’z will see you in the next blog 🙂 ~Luke~
I will try my best to post more often, and get around to everyone’s blogs to read and leave comments as I’m able. I hope everyone had a great holiday. I want to share some great articles on training and other canine related issues that I’ve come across and enjoyed, and will do so, when I have time. See you soon! ~Jenn~

Luke’s new Coat..A GREAT company for those looking for giant breed coats!

How could I have forgotten to post this earlier? Ahh, stress and the ever fading memory of a 30 year old 😛
Anyway…back to the topic. Back in November, I was searching for a good deal on a coat that would fit Luke. I came across the Tootlewear website and could hardly believe the price, the quality and add to that, FREE SHIPPING! So, I ordered Luke their winter coat, and it came a couple of weeks later. ((It was later for me because I had just set up a paypal account for the first time, and had to wait for my money to clear))

I am VERY pleased with the coat, and the “snood” that came with it. Not only does it fit perfectly, it’s warm, it looks great, and it has his name embroidered on the side for no extra charge! I highly recommend this company. Their website and facebook page is listed below the pictures of Luke in his coat.

 

Their website: http://tootlewear.webs.com/greatdanewintercoat.htm

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tootlewear/135488676492273

Luke and I say a big THANK YOU to Heather and Tootlewear!

The Liebster Blog Award!

I was surprised and flattered to receive this award from a fellow blogger, Donna, who can be found HERE. I first want to say, that in the new year, I’m hoping to have more time to really get this blog back up and running again, with lots of new info, pictures and daily stories of  Life with the Lukester when possible. I’ve been spending most of my time on Facebook, in my Great Dane groups, that I often forget about this site all together lol. So thank you to Donna for reminding me why I started the blog in the first place, in the hopes people might actually READ it!LOL

Part of the process of getting this award, is giving it to 5 people of my choice. Here are the RULES:

The rules are fairly simple.

(1) Thank the blogger that gave you the award and then add a link to their blog. Again, thank you to Donna for my very first award! 🙂

(2) Reveal your top five picks (with less than 200 readers) and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

(3) Copy and Paste the Award to Your Blog.

(4) Hope that the people you’ve sent the award to forward it to their five favorite up-and-coming bloggers, and keep it going!

So my top 5 pics are:

Evolution of Darwin @ http://evolutionofdarwin.blogspot.com/

They have some great pictures and stories about life with their Great Dane Darwin on their blog.

 

2nd Pick: Life with Big Dogs!http://lifewithbigdogs.blogspot.com/

Tons of informative posts and links to some great sites, lots of nice pictures and stories about living with two Great Danes.

3rd Pick: Danes World with Sasha, a beautiful fawn Great Dane who always has great pics, funny and touching stories to share, and who’s Mom I haven’t chatted with in a while but hope to again soon!http://danesview.blogspot.com/

4th pick: Milka [the Great{est} Dane] http://milkathedane.wordpress.com/

I’m loving Milka’s blog! I first came across Milka and her Mom on facebook, and just started reading her blog…it’s full of beautiful pictures and stories.

Last pick: A new blog I have just browsed..found on Milka’s site. A Wonderful Dog’s Life  found here: http://www.awonderfuldogslife.blogspot.com/

I hope I did this right Donna!:)

 

Wow….I never expected…(response to all the wonderful comments)

I woke this morning, to find so many wonderful comments on Facebook and my inbox in response to this blog post! I never expected something I wrote on here to be viewed by so many people, or to have the kind of response that it has received. Rather than try and reply to each individual comment, I thought it would be best to just write a new blog post all together, to thank everyone for their thoughtful and touching stories. Thank you so much for taking the time to not only share this with your groups and pages, but for taking time out of your busy days to write and share your experiences with me here and on Facebook.

How nice it is to know that we are not alone in our feelings for our dogs. It still amazes me to this day, how simply having a dog/s in your life, can bring people from all over the world, from all walks of life, together. People we would never meet, become a big part of our daily lives just by virtue of the fact we share a common bond…our love for our dogs. With all the negative that has come from technology, there’s no doubt that in this case, it has brought a lot of positive to our world as well!

I  often think of that…of how I really owe Luke, for most of the good friends I have now. I may never meet most of them in person, but I have had the opportunity to get to know so many wonderful people all over the globe, thanks to him and my joining dog forums and Facebook groups in the quest to share and learn with other dane/dog owners. Just one more way that Luke has brought blessings to my life.

The stories and memories that you all have shared with me, touch my heart. It’s nice to know we’re not alone in our passion for our dogs isn’t it? I’m sure many of you can relate to how many times people in our off line lives tell us we’re “crazy”, or “obsessed” lol. Family members who think we spend far too much time talking about our dogs, or spend too much money on them, etc. For many…the only way we get to meet like minded people IS to go online. When our beloved dogs pass on, it can be those people who we only know through a picture or a screen name, that can be of the most comfort to us. Thank God for that link between us, otherwise many of us would have to go it alone.

When I started this blog, it was more with the intent to have a place to jot down my thoughts at the time, experiences I shared with Luke, and the occasional bit of advice or education that I’ve come across over the years. I am no expert, by any stretch of the imagination, on anything really lol…but I have seen so much misinformation out there in regards to Great Danes, that I do try to help educate those that I can when I have the opportunity. I’ve been grateful for the chance to do that quite a few times, when new owners who haven’t had the time put into researching so many aspects of the breed as I have over the years, have come across a problem they needed some input on, and have later told me I helped them to figure it out or solve it. It makes the time I spend trying to learn even more, worth it, as it’s not just for me then, it’s for other people who may go looking for answers themselves someday too.

I wish sometimes that Luke could actually know the huge impact just being in my life has had. Maybe he does. I often say that we don’t give animals nearly enough credit as they deserve. After all, we humans think we have the intelligence market covered…but there are often times where we shown that we don’t know nearly as much as we like to think we do 😛 Animals do things everyday, all around the world, that blow our minds. That make us wonder….how did they do that? How did they know that? Maybe WE are the inferior species after all 😛 After all…how many times do we see evidence that animals possess a greater humanity and humility than we ever will as a species?

Thank you again, to everyone who shares their personal stories. If I don’t get to you all individually, I want you to know that if I see it, I am reading it, and it means a lot to me that you take time out of your lives to share it. Each of you are just another thing I must thank Luke for, as it is he, that bridges the gap between us, and allows us to get to know one another when our paths would otherwise never meet.

God Bless!

Why We Choose To Lose Our Hearts to A Breed With Such A Short Lifespan….

Why We Choose To Lose Our Hearts to A Breed With Such A Short Lifespan….

Great Danes are truly a beloved breed. Everywhere you go, people are drawn to them, even those who are afraid of dogs in general, or those who aren’t dog friendly. I once met an elderly woman at the strip mall a few minutes from here who had been afraid of dogs her entire life; she seen us standing outside of the pharmacy, approached me and asked if she could meet and pat Luke. She was almost in tears at the end of the meeting; it seemed to be such a momentous occasion for her. In situations such as that one, I have no problem whatsoever stopping and allowing them to meet my boy.

Another time we were just out for a nice afternoon stroll on the next street over, when we came across an older gentleman who crossed the street to talk to me and of course, meet Luke. It turned out that he had once had a blue female Great Dane, whom he’d adored, and throughout his telling of the story, the emotion this man displayed for a dog that had been gone a very long time, was incredibly touching. I stayed there for quite a while chatting with him and just letting him soak up the opportunity to be near a dane again.

One of the most common things I hear though, or read online when I’m in my dog forums, is people who say they would love to have a Great Dane one day, but feel they could not handle the short lifespan. The risk of pain so early in the dog’s life, the knowledge that they will grow incredibly close and bonded with the dog, only to lose them in a short amount of time, is too much for them to risk. I can understand and sympathize with that sentiment completely. It is after all, the bane of a Great Dane owner’s existence. That whisper in the back of our mind…what if we only have a year, five years, ten years?

Perhaps that is why for so many of us who live and breathe these dogs, we don’t “sweat the small stuff”. What owners of other breeds, breeds that are known to live a lot longer under the right circumstances, take for granted, we never do. We don’t fret as much about the little misbehaviours, or the mess they make when drool goes flying, when it’s shedding season or when the giant paws track muck through our house so that it ends up looking like a barnyard. Most of us, at least from what I’ve witnessed, tend to be the odd balls that stand by with a smile on our face and just pray that we will have many more opportunities to clean up after those paws. God knows, that whether we are blessed with two years or ten, there simply are not enough of those moments.

There is little doubt that living with and loving a Great Dane can bring us incredible pain, as well as the most intense joy. Ask anyone who has shared their life with more than one, who has rescued, bred, or grew up with the breed, and I’m sure you will be able to hear it in their voice or read it in their words. You know going into it, that unless you are very lucky, you will have to say goodbye too soon. It is that I think, that makes our relationship with our danes that much more intense, more powerful….more…memorable.

I remember all the teasing I received from Patty and my mother about the huge amount of pictures I took of Luke from the day I brought him home. It’s simple really. For one, I don’t have a very good graphical memory. I remember in emotions not pictures, so it is incredibly important to me that I document my life with Luke as much as I can while he is with me, so I have those pictures to help bring his physical memory alive to me later on, when God forbid, I must go on without him. I want to remember every single facial expression, every bit of body language, every new experience he had that I managed to catch on camera. I want to re-live those moments over and over again until the day we meet again, if that’s possible. Because I know me, and I know that it’s going to damn near kill me to lose him. It is a dread and a pain that I hold in my heart every single moment of every single day, and have since that first meeting with him. Yet, it is that very fear of losing him that makes our bond so strong makes each moment that much more special to me than any I’ve ever had with anyone or anything else before in my life. I don’t want to waste a second. I actually find myself getting angry if I am sick or tired and I think I may be wasting valuable time with him. Every minute with him is precious to me.

I pray more now, over him, than I’ve ever prayed in my life. Every night I thank a God I’m not sure I get along with most of the time, for giving me this wonderful gift, for making my dream come true. I pray he will be merciful and give me many more years to share with Luke. Lord knows I can’t even stand the thought of one day without him now, let alone the rest of my life. He is truly the other half of my soul. Not many people “get” that. To many, I am the crazy dog lady and he’s “just a dog”, albeit a handsome, special one, but a dog just the same. Not to me, never to me. He will never and has never, been “just a dog” to me.

I can’t really explain what it is about these dogs that make them so much more than other breeds, what makes them so special and unique. It just IS what it is and you have to have lived with one to understand it. There are some who do have a Great Dane who still don’t seem to “get it”. That much is obvious when I hear horror stories of so many being dumped, or worse, abused. But many of us out there around the globe, do indeed understand, and I think it’s why no matter how different we may be when it comes to all other aspects of our lives, that one thing brings us close together….our intense bond with and love for the breed that only we can really comprehend.

I have the utmost respect for those out there who have rescued and rehabilitated countless danes over the years. Who have loved and lost one after another, always getting back up after the great fall and doing it all over again with a new dane. I know I couldn’t do it; because as much as I know that the pain is worth it, there will never be another Luke. I’m just different that way. I can’t bring another into my life and live with them, knowing they can never be him. I wouldn’t be able to stand the guilt of that. But for those who can, and do, I commend them with all of my being because they truly do take selflessness and unconditional love to a whole new level.

It is human nature to take for granted things in our lives; people in our lives who we assume will be there forever, or at the very least, for a long time. It’s kind of like how, you hurt the ones you love the most because you know they will always stick around, always be there no matter what. When you know going into it however, that they won’t be there forever….it makes you act differently. Feel differently, do things differently. You are much more careful about what you take for granted and what you are careless about. It makes relationships more intense somehow, when you already have an estimated end date. It’s sad that as people, we know this, yet still instinctively do it. You’d think that we would learn from those that we do lose early, to never take anyone or anything for granted, to always treat every person in our lives, every pet, everything that matters, as if tomorrow they could be gone and every second is an important one. Maybe that is one lesson we learn from living with and loving our Great Danes. That each second is precious. Not to be taken lightly. That the muddy paw prints are blessings, not something to curse about. When you know that there will soon come a day when you will wish with all of your heart and soul that you had just one more day to sweep up the hair, one more day to clean the drool off the walls…you realize that even the hassles are blessings in disguise.

I never go to bed, no matter what mood I’m in, no matter how rotten my day has been, without making sure Luke gets his loving and attention. He wouldn’t let me now J I go above and beyond to make sure that I never take my frustrations about my life out on him. He is my sanity, my light in a world full of darkness. He is the smile on my face and the laughter in my heart when otherwise there would be none. He is the reason I give thanks when it seems I have little else to be thankful for. He is not just a dog, and I know without a shadow of a doubt, that when the day comes that we are forced to be separated, no matter how my heart will break, no matter how much I drown in pain, I will forever be grateful for every single moment I have had with him. Because no one, and nothing, has given me in my entire life, what this big black dane has given me in just one day of his time with me. Oh I will hurt, more than ever before or again, but I will never look back and say it wasn’t worth it, or wish I hadn’t have opened myself up to that hurt. Because nothing has or ever will be again, worth it like Luke has been worth it.

Luke’s 2nd Birthday and A New Sister!!!

I have news!!!

First off, my baby boy is now a “man” lol. Luke turned 2 on July.14th, and what an emotional trip that was for me. I created a video of our first two years together, with two songs that really get to the heart of our bond and how I feel for my boy. I also caught a few pics of our day before my camera died on me. He had a nice time. We went to visit Nanny at her house, then Grampy at his house. He had a birthday muffin with candles and recieved a box of plain timbits from Patty, which he of course, LOVED. He had a few little presents (Mamma didn’t have a whole lot of money to spend this month although he’s since gotten a few more toys and treats lol) It’s hard to believe he’s 2 already. Sometimes it seems like only yesterday I was picking him up at the airport…and other times, it feels like we’ve been together, attatched at the hip, forever.

Here are the pics and video. I hope you will enjoy them.

 

Some pics from a day or two after his birthday, down by the water…a place we walk often.

And now for some news!!
Lukey has a new sister/aunt 🙂 This is Sophie, a Valley Bulldog. She is my mother’s pup actually but since I will have her here with me a lot of the time, and will be doing most of her training with her, she’s sort of mine too lol. Luke will be meeting her tommorow and I will be getting some new pics and videos then. I’ll also be making videos of her training progress as we go along. I think he’s gonna love her! She’s a doll, that’s for sure.

 

 

Pics of Sophie from at the breeders, until now:

My Wordless Wednesday Post (a bit late lol)

 

“Mommmmmm! My ball is ruined!! I need a new one!!!”

“What do you MEAN I can’t have one now?!!! I want my ball!!!!!”

Lots of new pics to share!

Hi Everyone! I’m back..lol. With lots of new pics to share with you. I’ve been having a great summer so far. Mom and I get out everyday to the park, out for long walks, scouting new areas like uptown in …

Sometimes I wonder why I bother….

You would think with all the information out there, with ease in which you can learn just about anything these days, that people getting a pup or a dog, of ANY breed, would at the very least, take a few minutes to learn what kind of dog they’re getting, what the basic ideas of training are, and try to use them. Not in this area! And certainly not on some of the sites I am on. Yahoo answers for one. Why I go on that site when all it does is aggravate me is beyond me. Apparently I’m a sucker for punishment. And facebook groups. The ones for Great Danes really upset me. Of course being the breed of my heart, it always upsets me when I see them in the hands of owners who are not even willing to learn more in order to better the health and welfare of their dane. Some of the things I read make me so frustrated it’s a good thing I’m sitting behind a computer screen miles away from the person lol. Once in a while though, I will come across someone who genuinely cares about their dog, who genuinely wants to learn more about the breed itself or how to improve on training, behavior or perhaps nutrition. The food issue seems to be one of the most common questions. On the occasions when the asker actually appreciates my advice or suggestion, and can better the life of their dog because of it, it makes all the aggravation before that worthwhile. MOST of the time lol.

The “I want to stud out my merle dane”, or “breed my ten month old obviously poorly bred, unstable female dane” ones just burn my butt though. Those people don’t WANT to learn. They don’t want to hear the truth, and sometimes I just have to ignore them all together. A facebook friend of mine tells me not to go on these sites…I think he might just be right lol.

Anyway….back to topic. So I’m walking home yesterday with Luke and we come across this lady and her boyfriend holding a sharpei pup. I’ve seen the pup before but every time I’ve walked by she scoops him up into her arms and snuggles him close as if the big bad people and dog are going to eat him. Now…I could see it if it were the drug dogs walking past, the ones that lunge and growl and foam at the mouth to get at othe dogs, but everyne around here knows tht Luke is well behaved and is great with small dogs, and pups especially. Anywho she goes on to say that this pup is terrified of other dogs, and babies him, totally reinforcing a fear which to be honest I don’t think is really as bad as she makes it out to be.Infact…if she would just let the pup get on his own feet and meet a nice dog or two, she just might find that he’sn not afraid at all. So I told her…you have a breed that needs to be socialized ALOT…NOW. He needs to be exposed to as many people, situations and dogs as you can find and soon, before the fear period kicks in and he becomes antisocial and ends up with fear aggression towards everyone and everything. I didn’t want to come right out and tell her that by her acting teh way she was, she was the one who was infact teaching him that dogs were bad and something to worry about. I’m sure we all dont need a lot of prodding to conjure up the picture of the little purse puppy who’s held way up in his Mommy’s safe and loving embrace, all the while yapping like a maniak, biting and snarling at everything t hat moves past? Well this is what is happening, only soon…this won’t be your little shih tzu or yorkie..this will be a medium/large breed with tendencies to be aggressive to other dogs and sometimes people. JUST WHAT WE NEED…another nasty dog in the neighborhood. And the worst part, is that in a year or two, after they’ve totally taught this dog all the wrong behaviors, it will be either locked up like a criminal because it can’t be trusted…or it will be sent ot the shelter or pawned off to some unsuspecting innocent on Kijiji, when the owners have “no clue why he’s like this but he’s just not safe, we just dont have the time, we cnat have a vicious dog around our kids”,etc. Hmmm…I wonder WHY he’s like this? Just remember I tried to tell ya!

Which brings me to the online dog forums, yahoo answers and facebook groups again. It never fails. People will wait until the dog is exhibiting behaviors they don’t want….before going online asking for anyone they can find to somehow fix it. None of them seem to comprehend the concept that you train a dog by showing them what you WANT them to do first…not by waiting until they do the wrong thing and correcting them, expecting the poor dog to understand why he’s being corrected and what in the heck he’s supposed to be doing instead. I don’t know….this just never seemed to be difficult concept for me to understand. Even when I was a young kid and Mom was bringing home a new dog, different breeds every other month, and I was the one who had to train them all, I always enforced the behaviors I did want by praising and or treating, before ever correcting. To me, it’s like sticking a kid in college without ever having gone to school before, and expecting them to start writing exams, doing speeches, and then smacking them when they don’t have a clue what to do.

I suppose if Luke were a human, he’d have one hell of a big head lol. An ego the size of North America. Because since the minute I brought him home, and literally every day since….he has been told a million times a day how good he is…ho proud I am of him…for the simplest of things. Things I never set out to teach him, he learned through watching me, through being praised for doing the right thing when I really didn’t even realize it. Looking back, I can see how certain behaviors were ingrained in him naturaly just by always acknowleging them and praising him for it.

Example…when it was time to teach him “sit”…I didn’ set out to lure him into a sit. I didn’t push his bum down and then add the command. I didnt yank on the leash or pull up on it to force him into a sit. I simply praised him every single time he sat on his own, then taught the actual word/command sit by adding the word to my praise. He’s playing around the house with me, stops, and sit….I’d say “GOOD SIT!!!!!” big praise and a treat if I happened to have one on me.
lt took maybe two or three times before he had that command down flat. And all by me reinforcing a behavior that was totally natural to him and not trying to force it. Same thing with the “down” command. Every time he moved into a down on his own…big praise, add the command. Kiss…same thing. Heel, same thing.
But what I really got to thinking about the other night, was all the little things we dont set out to teach, things that aren’t tricks, or commands we want them to learn like stay or come or sit. Every time he waited for me to go down the stairs or walked beside me, I praised him and thanked him. I still praise him to this day, for things he has known how to do since day one. When we’re walking on leash and he’s doing it right…he gets praise. When we walk by lunging dogs and he is calm and behaved, he is told how good he is. When he chewed on his own toys and not my things, he was praised and rewarded. Little things that most people never notice their dogs doing RIGHT because they only focus on the dog when they are making mistakes, I have always reinforced and praised without thinking about it. It truly wasn’t a conscious thing on my part. Maybe that’s part of the reason some people see us together and think he’s spoiled. Because he is noticed and loved on for every good thing he does natural or otherwise. I don’t and never have, waited for him to make a mistake to correct him. And when he IS corrected, he knows why and what he SHOULD be doing, because he was shown the RIGHT way to behave. And all in a non training like way. That’s the best I can explain it really. I don’t stop praising him for doing things he knew how to do a year ago. He doesn’t get a treat everytime he sits, but he knows that I am still just as happy with him today as I was last year. He never has to go around with his head down, nervous and unsure what to expect from me. He never has to wonder…is this the right thing to do? Am I doing this wrong? Is she going to yell at me, smack me, yank on me? Once in a while he has his stubborn moments…and once in a while you have to convince him that he really wants to do the right thing lol….but he really is a good boy…and always was. I’m just glad that he KNOWS he’s a good boy.

My point in all of this I guess is….never take the good your dog does for granted. Let them know, every day, when they’ve done somthing right. Don’t wait until they mess up a bit to notice their behavior. Notice all the little things and make sure they know you’ve noticed. If you have a new pup, start out on the right foot by showing them from day one what IS expected of them, instead of always being there to correct to them for something they don’t understand. Try your best not to lose patience, because being frustrated with them teaches nothing and only upsets them further. Don’t expect too much too soon. Take the time….some dogs take longer than others to learn. Each dog will have a different motivator…things that make them want to work for you more than others. Find what works best with your individual dog and stick with it. Don’t give up when you don’t see results right away. And if you’re trying to rehabilitate, or change behaviors already ingrained in the dog, remember that in order for them to choose the RIGHT thing, they need to understand what the right thing IS first.
Not only will you get better results from it, but the bond and closeness you will share with your dog will be much stronger for it. Everyone wants to know they are valued….important, doing someting right. Just because you’re dealing with a dog doesn’t mean the same principal doesn’t apply 🙂

Recent Pics of Luke & Sleepy Ramblings lol

I’m a terrible blogger lol. I admit it. With everything that’s been going on here at home, having my home computer fried by a virus and borrowing this laptop from my sister, ((which has a horrid keyboard that  makes typing a nightmare! lol), I almost forgot about this blog.

Hmm..what’s to tell? Well, the weather has finally started warming up, although at the moment it is pouring rain outside. Luke and I have been getting out everyday to the football field/parks. He’s met a few new doggy friends, all females..what can I say, he loves girls lol.  Kayla has been over a few times for visits. Infact the pics I’m about to post are from their last playdate together at the park.

Really there’s not that’s new in Luke’s world. He’s still my joy, my world. Still always at my side, still very well behaved. He’s the only dog in the neighborhood who doesn’t lunge, bark and growl and want to attack every other dog out on the streets lol. Still the main attraction wherever we go. Poor boy, can’t get a moment’s peace wehn we go out. Everyone must meet the biggest dog they’ve ever seen. And I suppose, he IS huge lol…to most people.

We changed his food last week after he went through a picky stage and lost a few pounds. The Taste of the wild just wasn’t doing it for him anymore. Even adding tasty things to it stopped working so I said to hell with it, we’ll try something else. He’d lost a few pounds and me being me, I worried myself sick over it so we switched him to Innova Evo for now. I say for now because knowing Luke….he’ll want something new in a month or two. The good news is, right now he loves it…and as long as he’s happy and eating, the few extra dollars and hassle to go to the only place in the city that sells it, is worth it.  Then again, if I had to march barefoot through snow up to my eyeballs naked to make him happy I’d probably do it. No sense of me even trying to deny I am sucker for this guy lol.

Speaking of nasty dogs in the neighborhood…we had our first run in with a dog aggressive pitbull a week or so ago. It was dark, and Tyler, Luke and I were walking home from the store when all of the sudden, out of nowhere I see this blur of red/brown coming at us. I didn’t even think…didn’t have time..I just started kicking. Probably not the smartest move I’ve ever made but all I knew was this dog was going straight for Luke’s throat and he wasn’t “getting it”. Once I yelled to the owner who was across the street, “GET RID OF IT!!!” I think he realized this wasn’t play, and started growling. Thank the good lord the man got ahold of her and drug her away…all the while she’s still frothing at the mouth. He was very apologetic, and drunk…telling me that this dog HATES all other dogs and he never noticed us when she all of the sudden lunged away from him.  It never hit me until we were almost home, just what a close call that was. How shaken up I was about it…Luke was fine though..infact after the owner got ahold of her collar Luke wanted to PLAY with her! He’s slow at times, my boy lol. I’m walking away saying “Luke honey, somehow I don’t think she wants to play with you..”

Anyway, since then, the dog has broken off her chain atleast once that we know of and attacked another dog. We are now much more alert on our walks, and I won’t be walking by there at all, especially at night. But it’s getting harder to avoid all the nasty dogs now that the weather is nicer, everyone is out walking them, very few have any sort of control at all, and it’s worrisome. Druggies with their status dogs. Untrained dogs with the power to do a lot of damage. Then you have your little dogs that just want to attack everyone and everything. Atleast the pitbulls are PEOPLE friendly…they just hate dogs. I can’t help but be proud of Luke when we’re walking along the sidewalk…other dogs going nuts, owners struggling to control them, and he is prancing along with his head up like the king, looking from them to me as if to say, “what’s their problem Mom?” LOL

However…he seems to have taken a real dislike to German Shepherds. I think it could be because of our neighbor’s dog. Now this dog…is vicious. He almost attacked Patty once. He lunges and drags his owner whenever he sees a human, cat, car, dog…anythign that moves is a target. His owner seems to think it’s funny. But so far, when we’ve come across eachother on walks he goes in the opposite direction real fast. Anyway ever since Luke saw him go after Patty, he HATES this dog. they’ve never met face to face, THANK GOD. But when he sees him through the window he’s a totaly different dog…he really doesn’t like him. So, the last few times we’ve gone to the park, there were GDS’s there in the next field. The first time there was two at once, and these two women were walking them by the fence where Luke and Kayla were. At first I thought he was just going over to greet them like he always does, but he started growling really low and acting  unlike himself. Almost the way he is when he sees the neighbor’s dog walking by. So needless to say they didn’t bring the dogs in to play… Then the next day, we ran into another one, same thing…although not as bad.

So…that’s all I can type for now, it’s almost four am and I am exhausted. I just had the urge to write (although I’m sure it makes little sense me being as tired as I am :P)

Here are the pics I took at the park before my camera died. I just love the one with his football…I tell you, I never get tired of looking at him…even now, after almost 2 years with him, I’m still in awe that he is really mine. Or I am his. Because lt’s face it….I belong to him lol.

This face gets whatever he wants and who could blame me?LOL

 

 

Another Picture & Video Catch Up Post

I’m still alive! lol. Depending on how you look at it that is lol. In all seriousness, it has been a really tough few months for me which is why I haven’t felt up to blogging much. If only the non dog portion of my life were as positive and enjoyable as my life and love with Luke. Unfortunately, family, health and other life drama is not the fun loving experience I share with him.

It’s been a very long winter here…We’ve had so much snow and freezing rain, ice…that getting out and about was a real challenge this year. There were days where we were literally housebound, the roads and sidewalks were THAT bad. Thank God it is now starting to warm up a bit, the snow is pretty much gone, and Luke is very happy to be out running in the football fields again.

We’ve had Mom’s dog Kayla over a lot this winter. She has a very strong attachment to me. Not so much Luke lol. She puts up with him in order to come be with her “sissy”. Poor Luke loves her to death, but she’s a different sort of dog. She doesn’t understand the concept of play and never has. She’s kind of sad really. Totally a people dog. Luke tries so hard to teach her how to play tug of war, or chase me, ANYTHING besides put your paw on my head and growl at me, all to no avail I’m afraid 😛

Anyway I’ve taken some videos and pictures of the two of them over the past month or so.

 

A fun video I made to show Luke’s bad luck with the ladies 😛

http://v7.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=29gbxjd&s=7

 

Got a few pics and a video of him trying his best to share his toy and get some kisses before they fell asleep.
"I love my snakey"

 

"If I share it with her, do you think she might love me more?"

" I am the mistress…You will obey me"

"Momma it’s not working "

 

And a video I made to show how much he grew from his first winter, running in Grampy’s back yard versus this winter when he visited.

 

 

Fun at the park 🙂

 

Oh we can’t forget the one where he almost killed me at the park 😛

 

2 New Videos

Just sharing our two newest videos, taken the day before yesterday.

 

Luke having fun in the snow

Just a little video of my boy playing in the backyard the morning after our big snow storm here. He was having a blast. Oh and I was wrong, it wasn’t Tyler’s poster he had, but an old part from a vaccume cleaner that for who knows what reason, had been under the deck lol.

Role Models

Just more proof that teen boys make terrible role models. 😛

 

Happy Belated Holidays Everyone!

Mom has been lazy with my blog again, but she’s trying to catch up by visiting as many blogs and commenting as she can. We hope you had an awesome Christmas and New Years! Ours was nice, very quiet. Mom didn’t feel up to doing the big family gatherings this year, so we stayed at home and had our dinner with my human brother Tyler and Patty. I got some turkey dinner…I LOVE turkey! Here’s me watching Patty stuff and baste it 🙂

  

I got some great prezzies too!

Did someone say prezzies? For me? Im on my wayyyy!

Let’s see what’s in here

Is that a steak?? But it squeeks!

FINALLY I get the one Mamma kept hiding from me!

Ohh a new stuffie!!!!

Mamma hers said we have to WAIT to eat.. I’ll just chill here wit my doggy til it’s ready

 

Or maybe try a little rubber steak to tide me over?


So, christmas is over and a new year has begun. Mom says we have some goals she’d like us to achieve. She wants to work on fun new tricks with me, and try to get together more often with our fellow dane friends. I heard Mom and Patty talking about me going to the vet later this month too. Something about being neutered? I don’t think I like the sounds of that!! More on that topic later….

Anyway I better go..nap time! See you on your blogs.

 

Hi everyone…so sorry I haven’t been around to visit and comment lately. Things have been pretty hectic here, alot of changes and personal issues happening, but I’m trying now to catch up, I’ll get to everyone sooner or later.I’m also busy working on my Great Dane Owners forum…Today I did up a brand new background/forum skin, so far I like it. I’d love to see some fellow dane owners join us there for chat and fun, and all things dane. We truly are a close knit happy dane family…and would love to see some new faces and danes on board 🙂  http://slave2ourdanes.yuku.com

See u all later on! Jenn

 

 

   

He is My Everything…My Savior

I can honestly say, that without Luke these past few months, I don’t know where I’d be. He has always been the positive in my life since he came to me, the light in the dark, the love and happiness in my heart….but with the things I’ve been going through here at home over the summer and fall months, I credit him for my ability to stay sane and not completely lose it.

He knows me so well…he knows just what I need and when. He’s so patient with me on the days that I just cannot bring myself to be very active. He will snuggle close to me for hours, talking to me and loving on me until I cannot help but smile.

It’s funny how no matter how miserable or sick I am, I cannot be in a bad mood with him. He runs through my house, flinging muck and god knows what else all over the place, messing up the newly washed blankets, and all I can do is laugh because he’s having fun. I take the greatest pleasure in coming home to him with a new toy or treat in a bag, knowing he’ll be looking in those bags, searching for his present. He gets quite peeved with me in fact, if I don’t have one!LOL

Every day the strength and intensity of our bond astounds me. There are times when I’d swear we read each other’s minds! We have conversations with one another, yes, he talks back LOL.

He has become such a wonderful young man….My baby has grown up so fast, so big. He’s now over 38 inches at the shoulder, probably close to 170 pounds, although I haven’t had him properly weighed in a while. We’ve switched to Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream a couple of months ago, as I’d noticed that he was getting sick of the chicken soup. I’m very happy with the food..he’s doing just as well on it as he did the CS.

He’s so smart! He has quite the list of commands and vocabulary of words he understands under his belt. That being said, I know my boy, I know when to work with him, and when he’s just not into doing tricks/training. We work together as a team but on his terms. His attention span has never been long LOL. So far, he knows or can do the following:

Sit’

Stay

Come

Down

Roll Over

Heel

Paw

Spin

Catch It

Leave it

Pick it up

Drop it

Bring it

Quiet

Talk to me

Follow Me

Dig/No Dig lol

Wait

Bow’

Touch It

Tug

Share

Gentle

 

He knows what many words mean like:
Time for your pill

Lunch

Bed

Did you miss me?
Big Stretch

Yawn

oh there are just too many to count! It helps that we’re always together and ‘I’m always talking to him, so even if I’m talking to someone on the phone, I know when he understands what we are chatting about lol.
He is still perfect when left alone at home. He still loves meeting new friends. He still comes with me where ever I go that he can go to, including the bathroom lmao. I’m almost tempted to try and teach him to use the toilet since he already knows what it’s for lol.

I wish that he could speak our language, if only for an hour…so I could tell him just how much I love and adore him, how much he’s saved me, how I would give anything, do anything for him. To ask him if there’s anything at all that I could be doing more of, in order to make him as happy as he can be. I know he knows that I love him. He is secure, he has no fears, he comes to me with everything. If he’s unsure about something, he comes to his Mamma. He even wakes me up to hold him in my arms tighter if he had a bad dream. I just wish I could tell him and know he understood the depth of what he means to me. Maybe he does…

 

December’s Picture Catch-Up

 

Here I am again, after neglecting the blog for a few months. There has been a lot going on here at home, so I haven’t felt up to doing much online I’m afraid. Anyway…here are some of Luke’s latest pictures. I’ll add the newest videos to his video page for you all to check out. I hope this post finds you all well and happy and ready for the holidays to come.

 

Starting with oldest first:

Fun at the park with Kayla, and my little sister Leah

 

 

 

 

 

Just a grouchy face

Fun Pics

 

 

Luke loves to watch us cook. Here he is learning how to make Patty’s special Potato Salad  lol

 

“Time to add the eggs”

“Now we add the Miracle Whip”

Be Sure To mix it well Luke!

 

More fun at the park

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over at Mom’s with Kayla

 

 

Luke and Kayla at a new park/field we checked out

lol

 

Our first real snow

 

  They put up a christmas tree in the little park at the end of our street…so I had to get some pics of him there.
Snowflakes are falling on my head!

What a pretty tree…but can we run now?

Ok Ok I’ll pose..just one more!

I know we’re not supposed to run offleash but what if you just DROP the leash by mistake Mamma?

Yeehaww it’s fun being a rebel!

Yeah yeah I’m handsome..let’s go to the big parks now

Surveying my Kingdom


A walk through the woods

Can you find the Greatest Dane?

 

 

 

I was out running errands and picked this toy up..I was SUPPOSED to save it til christmas, but I’m worse than a kid when it comes to him, I just HAD to give it to him today He loves his new "froggy".
Just a little vid of him after I gave it to him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf1eBdgLRVU

 

 

Luke and I were playing around on the bed and Tyler snapped a few pics.
LOVE the wink..I wonder what he’s thinking?

Good thing he doesn’t have GERMS

"Whaaa? U talkin to me?

Happy Gotcha Day Luke!!

It’s been a year today since my boy came into my life. I can still remember waiting at the airport for his flight to come in….seeing them bring him out and looking into those big brown eyes with those wrinkles I fell in love with. I remember the drive home, wishing the stupid cab driver would let me take him out of the crate so I could just hold him in my arms. I remember the moment we got home and he just seemed to know what stairs to go up to get to our house. I remember the feel of him the first time I held him, the smell of him, the absolute joy and happiness he brought to my heart for the first time in my life. What a journey we have had together so far! I wish I could freeze this time forever….how I miss those puppy wrinkles and being able to ALMOST pick him up and hold him lol. Now he’s a young man, so handsome..so perfect in every way. I still wake up with his jowls on my cheek and wonder if it’s really true..if he’s really here with me, or if I’m still dreaming the dreams I had of him for over 20 years before he came to me. I’ve had a lot of animals over the years, a lot of dogs, a lot of PEOPLE come and go….but no one…nothing has compared to what I have with this boy. I know a lot of people don’t understand it, and I really don’t expect them to. There are times in our lives where things happen, that make no sense. All I know, is that no matter what happens from here on out, I will always be grateful for the time I had with Luke….Every second with him is a blessing, a gift I never take for granted. He’s special. I know everyone says that about their dogs, but he truly is…almost out of this world, like he isn’t quite dog, not quite human, yet something much more. I know he’s more to me….he’s my world, and I could not love anyone or anything more. <BR>Thank you for being with me….for the fate that led you to me. May we have many more years of fun and love and joy to come. <BR>Mamma loves you!

 

 

 

It was a nice day….after I got home from shopping with Mom, I gave him his treats. A pig’s ear, some all natural treats he LOVED, and a new tug rope. He LOVED this toy for some reason. He usually doesn’t carry toys around the house and beg me to play with him, more like he’ll get them, and then when I happen to go sit on the couch or on the bed he’ll tell me he’d like to play…but this time, he got all happy and wanted to play real bad lol. It was so cute! While I was gone, he dug my bra out of the laundry, and had it on his pillow on the couch. Such a man! I traded it back for the toy lol. Then we went for a nice long walk where he gathered his usual following of admirers. Walked through the Tim Horton’s drive through and got a plain timbit His head rested on their window…it cracked everyone up. The whole store was over as close to the window as they could get looking at him resting his head there waiting for his treat.

What’s New? I’ll tell ya!

Hmmm…let me think of what’s been happening in my life lately. Well…My Nanny got a new puppy a couple of weeks ago. Mom gave her a BIG talking to since the pup was taken too early from it’s Mommy…and with everything going on in that household, no one has the time or energy to deal with a brand new puppy. Mom has always been the one to train and look after all the dogs Nanny would keep getting, and this time is no different.

Mya, is a Shih Tzu. Cute as a button but BAD BAD BAD!! She BITES! Hard! Mom says she has definite aggression/dominance issues, and really needed to be trained, so Nanny volunteered us to do the job. I met Mya last week at Nanny’s for the first time. I could hardly believe how small she was! Mom wouldn’t let me meet her any earlier cause she was just too small but even now she’s tiny!

Here are some pics from our first meeting 🙂

Ahh Mom these girls are sooo BORING!

Wow a new friend! she’s kinda tiny aint she?

OWCH kid! That hurts!

I like your kisses better Momma

Ohhhh I smell TREATS on da fireplace!

Aww thanks Aunt Leah..I love treats!

Nanny says I’m not allowed on the furniture…does dis count??

 

Soooo…today Mya came over to stay for a week or two. I have been a VERY good boy! Mom says she’s very proud of me. Not only am I being extra gentle with the little mop, but I don’t eat her when she jumps up, grabs ahold of my jowls and hangs on! OWWWWWWWWCH! Those needle teeth sure do hurt.

 

Pssst::I think I can convince Mom to make the little mop head go home soon. After all, I AM the Greatest Dane, and she DOES have to keep me happy! I don’t want to share MY Mom! Sure, it’s nice to play with a new friend for a while, but she can’t stay here, nope, no way!

Mom is using the clicker thing to teach her new tricks, like sit. I admit, she is pretty smart for a tiny girl :)- She caught on to the sit word pretty fast. But I was better. And faster. And more reliable. So there!

And you know what? Mom’s giving her MY treats! Imagine that! And making me share my toys. I got told off when I growled at the mop for trying to take my toy. Mom says I have to learn to share nicely. Hmmph…why should I? It’s MY toy. Mom’s can be dumb sometimes..but don’t tell her I told ya that or she might give ALL of my treats to the little ankle biter.

Here she is….the little intruder

 

Just so you know? Mom doesn’t really like small breeds but she says “I can’t help but think she’s cute”. Hmmph! I’m still cute right?

 

Ok enough about her….I did a bad thing the other night. Mom keeps laughing about it though, even though it’s not real funny. See, Patty came over for the night and after we watched a movie together, we all passed out on our bed. Well….later on Patty tried to crawl over me to go to the washroom, and I got startled. I jumped up, with Patty over top of me, sending her flying up and off the bed, down to the floor face first! Oh dear!
I almost re broke her hip…that wouldn’t have been good..Nope. Patty’s nice though, she forgave me, even though I kinda just looked down at her, and went back to cuddle up with Mamma as if it was ok I pushed her off the bed. After all, she WAS taking up space on MY bed. :)-
I’m glad I got some cuddle time with her before that happened lol.

 

“What do you mean this is uncomfortable?!!”

 

So I’m laying right on your broken hip…what’s wrong with that? I’m protecting it for you 😛

 

So…that’s about it…I gotta head to be with Mom now. I’ll post more adventures with the mop later.

Bye!

Luke and the Crate

You would be surprised how many people are shocked when I tell them that Luke is not crate trained, in fact never was. That he is left alone to roam free in the house, with absolutely no problem. The looks of "REALLY???" I get are almost funny….but I understand from my research before ever getting him, just how many Danes have to be crated when left alone, or else their owners are looking at thousands of dollars of damage not to mention the danger to their dog should they get into something harmful.
As I said, I did all the research….I knew that crate training is the new thing. Mind you, with all the dogs we’ve had over the years, only one of them was ever trained this way..and yet we never had dogs that used the bathroom in the house after puppy hood, nor do I remember any of them being destructive. How did we manage that without a crate? I can’t even remember lol.
So I went into this thinking I would crate train Luke, even though I figured I could do just as well without one…I lived in an apartment that I did not own so if he was going to be a destructive little bugger I had no choice. I bought the crate. The people I bought it from arrived at our house, set it up for me and Luke ((at this point was about five months I think)) and he went right in it. He loved it! Knowing that his crate must always be seen as a positive thing for him, I made a HUGE deal about it. He got treats and praise galore whenever he went in it. I slowly started working in the part where I closed the door and left him in it. Of course Luke being Luke…he didn’t like that part but at first, he actually went along with it. I again praised and treated like crazy because I truly wanted to get to the point where I’d be able to leave him without getting a doggy sitter for him. ((which is what I had been doing from nine weeks til this point whenever I left him, which wasn’t often because we both kinda suffer from "I don’t want to leave you syndrome lol"))
Anyway…he was doing fine, until this one day…BAM. No more crate! He simply REFUSED and I mean refused, to go in it at all. I tried everything. Every toy, every treat, every food item, to get him to go in it. Nope…ain’t gonna happen. I tried leading him into it…NO WAY MOM!! I even went in the stupid thing myself with a pillow, laid down and hoped he’d come in with me..Nope. He stayed outside the crate pawing at it and severely telling me off for being in that thing without him but no way was he going to join me.
I got the puppy he loved from upstairs to come down. She went in it no problem because she’d been crated since the day her owner got her. Nope…no way was Luke buying into that trick.
So here I am, with a dog who cannot stand to be out of my sight for five seconds, will not go into the crate no matter what I do….and I at some point HAVE to leave my house without him! What to do???
Then came the day that I had no choice. I had a dentist’s appointment to make arrangements for surgery and I had no one to come stay with him. I had to go. So off I go, terrified, literally shaking at the thoughts of what that boy was doing while I was gone. I sat in the office toes tapping, fingers shaking, thinking omg the landlord is going to KILL me. I bet I have no house left. What if he’s howling non stop?? OMG!
Well…I came home an hour or more later, to a VERY happy boy. He was so happy to see me he was almost doing somersaults..lol…but guess what? Not a thing had been touched! I couldn’t believe it. It was like a miracle..a gift from God. Something, but definitely not what I’d expected that’s for sure lol. I went next door and asked the old folks if he’d made any noise. Nope…never heard him. I was ecstatic! This meant that Luke could be left alone without being crated! No more babysitters!
I slowly acclimated him to being alone for longer periods of time. I’ve never been gone more than 7 hours though, and frankly even if he were fine for twelve….my heart can’t take being away from him for long. I miss the little bugger ten minutes after I leave him for heaven sake!
So I sold that crate.
I do recommend crate training to a lot of people though, especially those who don’t have the kind of time to literally be with their pup side by side twenty four seven. Especially during the potty training phase, because once a pup gets used to going in the house, your work has just gotten a heck of a lot harder. Luke though, was totally trained at nine weeks. When he came home to me he already knew to go to the door and whine/scratch to tell me he had to go. If I was sleeping he’d kiss me awake and talk to me til I got up to take him out. He still does this today. I think he had 2 accidents the whole time I’ve had him and both were my fault.
I must say he has been the easiest of dogs to train…and I’ve had many over the years. I can’t claim the potty training reward though because he was already trained when he came to me, but he learned how to walk properly on a leash, sit, stay, leave it, and down all by 1o weeks. He’s brilliant in one way, kinda well….I won’t say it but…slow, in others. No…its just that he doesn’t have a big attention span. He gets bored with training excersises very fast and easy. So we have to make them short and fun…make the most of the time we have his full attention and then move on.
I shudder to imagine a half grown Dane going in the house..but I know there are people out there with this problem who are frustrated and at their wits end.

Oh and I must share that when I mentioned in other forums that I had decided not to continue trying to force Luke in the crate, I received some interesting comments. A couple people told me that by letting him win that way and by not making him do it, I would have an out of control dog that would never respect or listen to me. Um…wrong! The whole point of the crate is for them to see it as a positive place, a safe place, a den of sorts. It’s hardly going to be seen as such, if I am forcing him to go in it against his will, even if I COULD physically force a dog who at that point was already stronger than I was. Why fight with him over something that isn’t going to be a problem? Just to say I won, I’m alpha, I’m the top dog? No…I want my boy to be happy, healthy and secure. Forcing him to do things that make him uncomfortable just to prove I’m boss is not my idea of getting that result. I KNOW this dog…I know how he thinks, how he’s feeling and I KNEW that no matter what I did, I could never change his mind on that crate. He would forever see it as the obstacle between us. The thing that kept him from being able to get to me. Kept him from touching me, seeing me, following me. He never would have seen it as a safe den trust me. So I went with what I knew about HIM, not a dog in general, not the breed, but LUKE…and I’m glad I did.
Sometimes, you just have to know your dog very well, and know what works with them and what won’t. When you do, it’s easier to find what methods of training will have good results and what ones will be useless.

 

Spoiled?? Who ME??!

I am NOT spoiled! You know I get really tired of hearing people say that.  It is totally normal for me to be treated the way I am. After all, I AM the Greatest Dane in the World! My Mom says so!

So what…I get a massage for at least an hour before bed. Who doesn’t? So what, Mom runs downstairs to bring up my water bowl if it’s hot and I’m tired and don’t feel like getting off the bed to go get it myself.  So I wake her up in the middle of the night when I have an itch that I can’t scratch, so that she will do it for me. I don’t have thumbs and I’m not double jointed…what else can I do?

Ok, so Mom spends more money on me than her. It’s not my fault my food costs more than hers! So she spends more time worrying about what’s actually in my food than what ingredients are in hers….isn’t that normal?

So I get a new toy or a treat every time she comes back home after leaving me for a few hours. Well she SHOULD! After all, she did do the BAD thing and left me…all ALONE…no Mom to tickle, scratch or massage me. Run to the kitchen to grab my treats when I have a craving. No Mom to hold my bones in just the right spot so I can get those back teeth clean. She’s not here to play with me or fetch me my favorite toy that somehow escaped and is hiding under the couch. Of COURSE I deserve a treat for being neglected this way!

And for the record? I don’t think there’s a thing wrong with her taking me out to the park or on play dates when she’s in horrible pain and the doctors at the human hospital told her to rest her shoulder and not use it. Nope…she SHOULD be out there throwing that ball, playing tug of war, because, well because I said so! And I am the Greatest Dane!

So I decided, instead of listening to people tell her how spoiled I am, I am having her write up a list and put it up in each room of our house. Also, she is to take a copy with us wherever we go so when people stop us in the street, all of my commandments are ready and waiting for them to read.

Wanna know what they are? I think ALL danes should have these rules 🙂

 

1- Thou shall have no other dog, cat, other furred or winged creature, or human, but me.

2- Thou shall surrender all furniture, blankets, clothing, food, and personal space, to ME.

3- Thou shall  not be tired or too sore to play when I want to play.

4- Thou shall spend at least 5 hours per day telling and showing me how much I am loved. This will include, but is not limited to: hugs, kisses, rubs, tickles, cuddles, forgiveness of any and all drool that ends up on you or elsewhere in the home.

5- Thou shall stop making play dates for yourself and start making more for ME.

6- Thou shall not be annoyed when I have the zoomies at 3 am and make a ton of noise that might tick off the new neighbors.

7- Thou shall not leave me for any reason, for more than a total of 4 hours, and if thou does leave, thou MUST return with quality bribes to ease my pain and prevent me from taking my revenge at a later time.

8- Thou shall limit all visitors to a maximum of one hour stays. After all, visitors take time away from ME. That is a NO NO!

9- Thou shall not complain when you have no room in the bed, when my feet end up in your face, my drool in your hair, or when I pass gas. This is MY house, MY bed, YOU are mine.

10- Thou shall NEVER even CONSIDER bringing home another man, puppy or human. Again, you belong to ME. My rules. No flirting with cute police men, nor cuddling with cute pups. I am all you will ever need.

Got it?

 

🙂

Luke’s First Swim!

I took Luke down to the water again this afternoon. We can’t get down to the actual water line but I took some pictures to show you guys the view. We watched the boats and Luke explored all around.





The pic got cut off but he was giving me a big kiss

 

And later today…..My two little sisters came over to visit. We decided to try another area where we could actually get to the water, and see how Luke would take to it.  He loved it…he got so mucky we had to give him a bath when we got home but we all had a blast. I’m so proud of him

Here’s the pics

His first tenative steps with Becca & Leah
"What IS this?"


I’m not sure about this Mom!






SPLASH!!!!!!!


What a time getting him to drop this treasure!

It’s Hard Work being so Popular!

Hi blog buddies, Luke here! 🙂 Ever have one of those days where you wish people just didn’t notice you as much while you’re out and about with your human? Well I am having one of those days. Usually I love all the attention and love I get from people wherever we go, but today Mom isn’t feeling well and I could tell she really just wanted to go home. Plus it was RAINING! Like…HELLO? Dane in the rain? I MUST go home now! Leave us alone!

Then, we get home and I go out to my back yard, that has a six foot privacy fence, and there are a bunch of kids trying to climb the fence to see me! Mom told them to go away and never try to get into our backyard again. See, when Mom was young her family had a dog that ended up hating kids for just such a thing, being teased through their fence. So now Mom’s mad because these kids are rude brats. Today is not a good day. I think I’ll go snuggle up with Mom and give her alot of kisses and cuddles to cheer her up 🙂

Bye for now!

NEW VIDEOS POSTED!

Just to let you know that I’ve posted all of the latest videos on Luke’s video page here.

Check them out 🙂

So much to catch up on!

Hello everyone! Long time no see! 🙂 It has been a very busy summer, with so much to catch you all up on. First let me say, that I hope everyone had a wonderful summer, whatever it was that you did. I hope all of your danes and other beloved fur family are happy and well. Luke has grown up to be a gorgeous, wonderful young man, one I am so proud of I still look at him each day in awe that he’s by my side. He turned One on July the 14th, and although we didn’t have the big party I had been hoping for, things were too hectic at the time, I enjoyed a nice day spoiling my boy and just being with him.

We began looking for a new place to live back in late June. What a time that was! Finding an apartment in this city that was affordable, one that you would actually want to live in, and one that allowed pets, cats, let alone a great dane, was no picnic let me tell you. There were nights where I literally thought that by the end of August when I had to vacate my previous apt, that we’d be homeless. It was a scary thought! I went to look at quite a few dumps that let’s just say, I wouldn’t let a rat live in, let alone a person. Things were getting discouraging to say the least, when I happened across an ad for this townhouse we are now living in. I almost didn’t call about it….from the pictures in the ad, I figured it was too nice a place for them to ever allow dogs, let alone a dane, and after getting the door slammed in my face so to speak, so many times, I thought for sure it was a waste of time. Well, Patty convinced me to call and thank God she did! I was so excited when the woman on the phone said they did allow dogs, and didn’t start choking the minute I said my dog was a Great Dane lol. I went to look at it a few days later, and even though I didn’t like the area of town it’s in….I felt good vibes about the actual apartment, and I just knew Luke would love having a fenced in back yard to go out in….it is MUCH bigger and nicer than our old place, so  I took it.

The next few weeks were busy with getting ready to move. I had forgotten how much work it was to move, since I’d lived at the old place for ten years. Well, we’re now here, have been here almost two weeks now and we’re settling in nicely. Luke loves it, although it took some adjusting to the huge amount of young kids and noise that we didn’t have at our old place. The constant commotion had him barking a bit more than usual but he’s starting to realize that not every sound means someone is at the door, and isn’t barking as much anymore. We still have our moments where I want to go out and shut some brats and their parents up though lmao.

Luke and I have had fun exploring the new neighborhood. The good news is, there is a large park with five seperate fenced in fields to go to, only a five minute walk from here. We use one for the great dane meetups that I started back a few months ago when I decided to create a facebook group for local dane owners and have playdates with our danes. I’ve been to two so far, and Luke has really enjoyed them. He loves playing with other dogs. Especially Lilly, his little woman. There is a story there, but I’ll tell it another time.

So…it’s been a busy summer as I said. Tons of pics to share with you guys that I hope you’ll enjoy. 

Chasing a girl he liked at the dog park lol

At our first dane meetup

Some of my favorite pictures of him

A new toy and bone

With his little woman Lilly

With Kayla, Mom’s girl

At the meetup last sunday

More pictures to catch up on

I’ve done it again…forgot all about this blog lol. Well what can I say about my boy, who’s fast becoming a man? He’s still my pride and joy, still makes life worth living, still puts a smile on my face when it’s hard to find a reason to smile. We are enjoying the warm weather, going to the park, walking the trails that we love so much, well except for the bugs that is. 🙂 He met his first deer the other day while on our way home from those trails. It was so amazing, how they stood so close to one another, neither moving, until after about five minutes my boy decided he just had to play with this new found friend of his, and the deer took off back into the trees lol. He also met his first ground hog, down at Grampy’s ((they live under his shed apparently)) but I’m afraid Mamma wouldn’t allow him to play with them either. Nasty little buggers they are! 🙂
In other news, I’ve been searching for other dane owners in my city, and have found 8 so far. I opened up a facebook group for us to keep in contact, and we’ve been planning a big Great Dane meetup this summer. We’re having smaller ones when the weather allows. Tommorow hopefully, Luke will be meeting 3 danes when we meet at the trails mentioned earlier.
One more month…and Luke is ONE! I can hardly believe how fast time has flown. He’s grown up on me so fast…he’s so tall and looking more “manly” every day now. He’s still a giant love bug. Has to sleep in the bed with me, cuddle on the couch with me while we watch tv or movies together. He’s still my shadow, everywhere one goes, the other is there. People who see us together still marvel at the fact we communicate with one another as if we speak the same language. I suppose you could say that Luke and I have our own language. 🙂 I know this boy, I know what he wants just by the look on his face, the tone of his “voice”. And I will admit, nine times out of ten? He will get it lol. He loves everything he meets, and just wants them to be his friend. Right down to butterflies and the two crows who visit here every morning for their breakfast.
We are in the process now of finding a new place to live, so I may end up being offline for a month or two, but I will definitely be back to share anything we’ve missed during that time.
So here are some pics taken since my last blog entry. They are not in order of time, but I hope you enjoy them.

These were taken at the Memorial Park we visit often:

Here he is playing with his new friend Max, a 7 month old dane

These are pictures taken from a trip to the trails we love

Here he is with his “doggy” ((the one he stole from the neighors every chance he got until they finally gave in and let him keep it lol))

These are the ones taken the day he saw the deer :)]

Can you see me now???LOL

Hey Deer! Come back here! I wanna play with you!

Picture Catch Up 2

Ever have those times when you get blog burn out? Well after my surgery it happened to me. I haven’t done alot of the things I usually do online, but I’ve kept busy with my boy. He’s growing up on me, my little man. Here are some pictures to catch up on since my last blog post. Hope you all enjoy them.

 

A really nice day last week…Luke wanted to stay out front and catch some rays, but of course he had to have Mamma come out with him so out I came with a book. The blanket and pillow were for him by the way, before I got out there lmao.

Enjoying the sun

Why Mom needs a bigger bed!

Look how big these feet are!

So considerate…he chewed his new bloody bone on the towel instead of the bare couch 🙂

 

Yeah Yeah..I know, I’m gorgeous!

Ohhh a new admirer is coming?

“ACTION!”

Come and get the ball Mom!

The King..surveying his domain lol.

Getting some digging in before we leave 🙂

Gotta have a rest…it’s alot of work being so handsome!

Thanks for playing with me Mom!

A Visit with the neighbors next door. Luke just loves them. Probably because they spoil him rotten lol. It was cute to see the old guy down on the floor playing like a kid. Faces warped for privacy.

Sign Luke’s Guestbook!

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Sorry no blog :)-

Hi everyone! Mom hasn’t been able to blog lately….so here we are playing catchup again. Here are some pictures of our run through the trails we go to before Mom went to her surgery last week. 

I was such a good boy while Mom was sick. I did get bored though so even though she didn’t feel good, she took me for my runs at the playground.

Here’s a few pics of us today before she went out today.

 

Mom says she’ll be working on this site this week…so come back soon!

Playing Picture Catch up

At The Playground with Mom and Patty

 

Up at Lilly’s House playing…

 

A Warm day at the Memorial Park

Mamma’s Gorgeous Man lol

The Morning Ritual…Lilly comes to my house and they destroy the place!

Never Left Out & Another walk through the trails

Saturday, February 20, 2010

I really don’t understand humans who think I shouldn’t be a part of EVERYTHING Mom does…I mean come on! She loves me best! I know she tries not to let her other human people know, but it’s pretty obvious if I may say so myself 🙂 So lately Mom’s been telling me that I should really let up on the possessive streak, and let her have some space with her humans. I don’t get it…you mean, you want to hug and kiss and touch people and I’m not supposed to be there? HUH? Sorry….no compute. Here’s some fun pics of just how well I’m doing with the new “let Mom have some space excersise”

Umm..EXCUSE ME?? What do you think you’re doing with my Mom’s lips??

Mom??? U ok??

Ok lady…we have to have a talk! Do the words “SHE’s MINE!” mean anything to you?

Ohhh you’re just playing?? Ok well let me in on the fun then!

Hmm…well that excersise went well I think…I didn’t eat anyone after all! 🙂
Today Mom and my human brother Tyler took me to the trails again. The snow is starting to melt and what a mucky mess of fun I had on the way back!!
Here we are walking…

 

We Love These Trails!

Luke and I have started going out to the trails a few minutes away from here and we’re really enjoying it. It’s so peaceful out there and Luke has so much fun exploring and smelling new things. The last time we went I took some pictures.

Luke’s paw print

Not much difference between my hand and his paw!

A rabbit print

A Day with my best friend Lilly

My best friend Lilly was here all day yesterday and over night and we had a BLAST together! She’s really kinda rough with me ya know…my cheeks are sore from those puppy needle teeth. Mom says I am a great boy for being so gentle and patient with her! We played and played all day and night, then Mom took us down to the park, and still we played until Mom did some training with us and it was time for a few hours sleep.

OWWWWWCH!!!

Please stop eating my face girl!

Yes you can play with my toys…Im good like that!

Look at how big my paws are compared to hers!Finally the little monster fell asleep! I’m soooo tired!
I love you Lilly but I don’t sleep on the floor…I’m a GREAT Dane! I get da bed or the couch at the very least.

I Didn’t Mean To..Honest!

What’s Important

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Sometimes I find myself feeling guilty for the things that we don’t have…like a big house, a big yard, alot of money. Especially when I read about other dane owners who seem to have such a great life, have the means to go all over the place and do all sorts of different things with their dogs. Which is funny when I think about it, because I’ve never felt that way before. I never felt awful about my son not having EVERYTHING he ever wanted, not having the best of the name brand clothes or the top of the line toys. I always looked at it from the point of view that having everything doesn’t make you a better person.

I know there are people out there who think that having a dog in an apartment, especially a Great Dane, isn’t fair. Well what I’d like to say to them is this:
We might not have all that others have…..but when I go to bed at night, I can rest easy knowing that Luke has everything he needs. He is not just a dog, he is at my side no matter what I do. He isn’t ignored while I go about my daily routine. He is included in everything, even if it’s something as simple as doing the laundry. He is talked to, he is loved, he is made a part of every family visit, every place I can take him, he goes. He eats better than I do that’s for sure!LOL

Luke gets more exposure to new experiences, more excersise, more socialization than most every dog I know, atleast around here. I know people who have houses, who think the back yard is plenty enough excersise and stimulation for their dogs until the odd day they feel like going somewhere like a park for a walk. Not so with my boy. Everyday we go out, even if it’s only for short intervals because of the cold. I’m lucky that I have a playground right down the street, a memorial park about a ten minute walk away, where he can run to his heart’s content.
He is not just a dog….he is my world. I thank God for him every single day when I wake up with his jowls on my cheek and his drool on my pillow…and every night when I give him a kiss and tell him how he has changed my life, I pray that God will be merciful and allow me to live a long life with him.
I am a tough cookie..always have been. I’ve known loss, and lived on with barely a hiccup or break in my stride. But I can honestly say, that if anything were to happen to Luke…I would be totally and utterly lost. The bond between us is something I cannot ever describe. I’ve tried believe me. I can’t immagine a life now without him totally in the middle of it, tail wagging a mile a minute, feet stomping on everything, drool flying. I love this boy more than I ever thought it possible to love someone or something.

I find happiness when he’s happy. If he’s playing with a new dog and enjoying himself, I enjoy myself…as if it were me who were playing. If he’s happy to get a new treat, I am happy, as if it were me who went out and treated myself, which never happens by the way lol. If he’s bored, then I get up off my butt and do whatever I can to give him something fun to do. He gives me a reason to get out of bed when otherwise life and it’s many stresses, not to mention the pain I’m in most of the time…would make me want to just crawl back under the covers and stay there.

I don’t need him to be the BEST dog, the robot who does a million tricks and never disobeys a single command. I don’t need him to be the smartest or to win anything to prove how he great he is. To me he is perfect, even when he steals the toilet paper, or the potatoes lol. Even when he has his moments of being the rebel. His personality is amazing to me. The way he finds such joy in simple things. The way he is so eager to give love and affection to anyone who will take it. He doesn’t care if I ever get out of my pj’s and put on my make up. He doesn’t care if our house is perfect, if we live in a mansion, if we drive a fancy car. As long as he gets to snuggle and play tug and mess up the sheets when I’m trying to make the bed, as long as he gets to have his zoomies and play in the park, he is happy. He doesn’t ask perfection from me….He doesn’t want an explanation for everything I think and say and do…he simply wants to be by my side.

Crazy as it may sound….sometimes I will look at him, and ask him….”Do I give you enough? Are you happy? What else can I do to make your life better?” and in those moments, I wish so badly that he could talk…that he could tell me in words exactly how he feels. But everytime, he will look deep into my eyes, and give me the biggest kiss. Maybe that is my answer.

I keep telling him that one day, we’ll win the lotto and I’ll buy him a big house with lots of land to run and play in. But you know? I know Luke. It wouldn’t matter if I had 50 acres…he would never be the dog to go out and run in it if I wasn’t by his side. That is who he is.

I wonder sometimes there is truth to what some believe, that people can come back in another life as humans, or vice versa. I don’t really believe that, but there are days when I really can’t help but wonder. He is so human like, has been since the minute I picked him up at the airport. That wasn’t something I taught him, by treating him like a human. It was simply him. The fabric of who and what he is and always will be. I know Danes are one of the most if not THE most human like dogs….but Luke takes it to a whole new level sometimes. Again, something I can’t explain or describe. You’d just have to know him.

There are alot of things I want to do with my boy…new things I want to experience with him, things I want to teach him. But in the end, if he never learns another command, if he simply stays the sweet, funny, loveable guy he is, then I will thank God for every second I am lucky enough to have with him.

He is irreplacable…..he is what love is and should be, and I’d rather live in a cardboard box with him, than live in heaven without him.

I’m Not Dumb!

I may not be the smartest dog on the block, but I sure aint the dumbest either! I know when Mom gets out of that shower thing and uses that machine on her hair, she must be going somewhere, and lately, that might mean she’s going to leave me behind. Well no way was I gonna let that happen last night! My little Aunt Becca was over, and I was just sure that Mom was going to leave me with her while she went out without me. Gasp…Now why would Mom ever want to leave ME???HUH?? Sooo…while she used that machine on her head….I did what I always do, I guarded her. Aunt Becca got some pics of me doing it 🙂

Uh oh…she’s got that thing again!

“You don’t have to leave me here, I’ll be good!”

“Really? We’re only going to the park??!! Yay!!”

“Thank you Mom…I’m happy now!”

My Mom Loves me!

More fun at the park & a walk

Sunday, January 24, 2010

More fun in the park and a long walk

Yesterday it was pretty nice out, still cold but not as cold as it has been…and Luke wanted to get his zoomies out so we went down to the park to play in the snow again. After he got his zoomies out we ended up walking to this HUGE grave yard called Fern Hill Cemetary. It’s very beautiful, if you don’t think of the grave yard part. Strangely enough, Luke wasn’t the only dog that ever walked in there. Every few steps we could see where other dogs had marked their territory, and we even saw a man with his smaller breed dog down on the other end. It was a nice, quiet, long walk..and we enjoyed it.

At Fern Hill

Playtime with Mom

Mom always plays with me when I get bored. Whatever I want to do, is ok with her. Well Most of the time. People say I’m spoiled…well I don’t know why I shouldn’t be, I mean come on, I am Luke..the GREATEST Dane! 🙂

Mom makes me do some tricks before I get to play with her though. I have to do things like sit or down, and then I get the ball.

I have do go ALL the way down??? No fair Mom!

Come on Mom I’m sitting, just gimme da ball! Mom doesn’t mind when we make a mess either. She took alot of stuff out of our livingroom just so I wouldn’t have to worry about breaking things. She says it looks empty but she doesn’t care.

Tell me you’re not gonna eat my treat Mom!!

I’m gonna win! I’m stronger!haha

Luke’s 1st Babysitting Gig lol

Luke’s first babysitting gig lol

Luke is in love…with a puppy named Lilly. 🙂 She lives upstairs with my friend and neighbor. He’s loved her since the day she came home, but because she was soooo small, we never allowed Lilly to actually be down on the ground and play with him, just in case. Although they did get to see eachother often as long as someone was holding her.

Well…Lilly has grown up enough so and had enough exposure to Luke that I felt it was now safe to let them play a bit. He was so excited to have her here, and I will be honest, I did worry at first because he is just so big and shhh (so clutsy at times lol) that I worried he might hurt her. He did great, so…I offered to watch Lilly for the afternoon while her Mom took my son and hers to the mall. Good trade if you ask me…I got the better end of the bargain!LOL

Here are some pics from their day together….

I’m So Proud!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

I must say that I’m very proud of my boy. This past week, I had appointments and things that I needed to do, and I couldn’t take him with me. Patty couldn’t come and stay with him, so he had to rough it out alone while I was gone. No crate, since he still refuses to go in it, and I will not traumatize him by forcing him. I already tried, it’s a no go. Anyway…I was worried, not about what he’d do to the house, as I kept him in the livingroom only, and let’s face it, the couch is junk and replacable, Luke getting so upset about me leaving him and getting sick…is what I was worried about.

Patty teased me terribly about how I was acting lol. She said and I quote: “I don’t know which one of you is worse, you or him!” lol.

The first time I was gone about an hour. I don’t know whether he howled much since I wasn’t here, but when I got back, he was quiet until he heard me and then he was just SOOO happy to see me it was unreal lol. It took him a good ten minutes to calm down and I was so proud of him.

Later that night I had to go shopping for groceries, and it was a major storm out. I had to leave him again…this time I was gone atleast 2 hours and as with the first time, he did great. I brought him back a nice treat and gave him tons of loving.

The Memorial Park

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Park Pictures from last week

Hi there! These are some pictures from our visit to the Memorial Park a week or so ago. Mom’s been sick with the flu and hasn’t been able to do much online.

This was a great day though…I had a BLAST!

Mom put my coat back on because it started to get colder….and I played with my human brother Tyler…

Mom sat right in the snow to get a picture with me. She didn’t even complain about having a cold wet behind 🙂 I fink she loves me!

Do NOT Get A Great Dane If:

Monday, January 4, 2010

Don’t Get A Dane If…

These are just MY personal opinions…my thoughts..so take em or leave em basically.

Do NOT Get A Great Dane If:

You think that a dog has it’s “place” and that place is not with you.
If you want a dog that will automatically learn every trick you try to teach him, never make a mistake, never have it’s moments of refusing to do what you KNOW he/she knows how to do. They are not robots!

Don’t get a Dane…if you think that dogs should stay outside all day and only come in at night. These precious dogs NEED you…ALL of the time. To outcast them is to break their mind and spirit.

Don’t get a dane, if you think harsh commands and treatment is the way to train. They are extremely sensitive, and nothing will shut them down faster than having the one they love yelling, hitting or using other harsh methods to get your way with your dog.

Don’t get a dane if you worry about drool or slobber on your clothes, in your hair, ont he couch, EVERYWHERE! Those of us who truly love these dogs, clean it up with a smile because it’s just part of what makes them who they are.

Don’t get a Great Dane if you cannot comprehend that they are unlike any other animal, any other breed on the face of the planet. What works for one breed in training, behavior and otherwise may not and often times DOES not work with these dogs. They are unique, they are incredibly special, and they are truly a blessing to anyone who is lucky enough to have them in their home.

They are not just dogs, they are family. They are your best friends, your confidantes. They will make you laugh and they will make you cry. You will worry yourself sick over every little hiccup and bump and bruise…sometimes worse than you did your own children. You will pray everyday that God is merciful and allows you to keep them in your life for longer than what is so often the case with this breed.

Do not get a Dane, if you are not willing to go through each and every stage they have with them. If having your furniture messed up or destroyed, your shoes obliviated, your clothes full of hair and drool bothers you….these are not the dogs for you. ((ALTHOUGH not every dane is destructive, you never know until you get one, it’s a chance you take until they’re trained))

Don’t get a Great Dane if the only reason you want one is their size, their ability to intimidate, just by their look and size alone. They are not there to make you look cool!

Don’t get a Dane if you’re not prepared to spend the extra money to buy a premium dog food and to research extensively the best foods to give them.

Don’t get a Great Dane if you cannot find humour in the silly things they do…in the zoomies that will totally wreck your livingroom but to those of us who love them, bring nothing but laughter and a smile to our faces.

If you can’t give 100% of your love, affection and care to one of these giants…then walk away and get another breed. Do ALOT of research and talk to people who live and love these dogs, find out what day to day life is REALLY like with them before taking that leap.

DO Get a Dane: If you want the best friend you ever had, the best cuddle partner, the funniest, the most gentle hearted, loving spirited creature on the face of the planet. You will never regret a minute of your time with a Great Dane if you truly love and appreciate them for just what they are.

The Best Way To Spend A Stormy Night

Saturday, January 2, 2010

It’s been storming all day and all night. Dere’s TONS of snow down on da ground! It’s sooo cold too! So Mom decided we’d relax and she’d read her new book she got for christmas. I’m such a lucky boy…sometimes she even reads out loud to me. I liked this book and I thought I’d show her!

How NOT To Make Your Bed lol

I LOVE it when Mom changes the sheets on our bed! We play this game every time. Or really, I play it and she puts up with me lol.

Den I fell asleep on the blankets before Mom could make them. She said “Ok fine I’m going to the couch” and I jumped off pretty quick then! She got da bed made and in we went!

Fun At Grampy’s

Yesterday Mom and I went down to our Grampy’s to make him supper. I love Grampy’s back yard…I can run and pway there! Mom got some pictures and a video of me having zoomies before I had to go in and be a reaaaaaaal good boy in Grampy’s house. Dere’s tons of rools dere…after a while I wanted to come home.

Snow! Woooweeeeeeeee!

Then it was time to go in so Mom could cook supper. I was on my BEST behavior HONEST!

Who could doubt this face?

At home I get to sleep on the couch or da bed. Here I have to lay on da floor. No fair!

Or I can just use Mom as a chair!

Can we go home NOW Mom? I’ve been good long enough!

I’s is sleepy!

Video from Grampy’s

Here I am getting my zoomies out before dinner!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L-lx97p0Ec

All About ME!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Hello World…Dis is my blog. My Mom is writing it for me of course 🙂

I can’t wait to meet other dogs with blogs. Since we don’t know any other Great Danes here where we live, Mom says this is as close to it as we’ll probably get.

So you wanna know about me? Ok here we go:

I’m a Black Great Dane. I was born on July 14, 2009 in Quebec.

I had lots of brothers and sisters, but fate made me stay with my Dog Mom until my Human Mom could find me and arrange to bring me home.

I came to my new home on September 16th, 2009. I flew in an airplane! I didn’t like dat much. Very loud noises and I was scared. But once I seen my new Mom standing there when dey brought me out I knew it was all worth it. I had come home…my real true home forever.

Mom was trying so hard not to cry. The mean cab driver wouldn’t let me get out of my cage to be in Mom’s arms…but I twied my best to let her know I waz happy to see her! I kissed her through those bar things…and was a very good boy da whole drive home.

I am very happy in my home with my Mom. She wuvs me soooo much! She tells me every single day, atleast a billion times 🙂

My favorite thing to do is snuggle with Mom. It makes me feel good to be so close to her. Infact…I don’t wike it much when I can’t be close to her. And I let her know it too!

Things I Like:
My Hedgie (( a stuffed/squeeky hedgehog that my friend Loki gave me for christmas))

My squeeky hammer

My “baby”: a stuffed guinea pig toy that my big brother Tyler gave me when I first came here.

I LOVE treats..any kind will do. Mom likes to give me natural kinds though. I love jerky, any type of bone, especially the big marrow bones..YUM!

I am not a real active dog, although I do get zoomies once or twice a day. Mom always laughs even though I sometimes totally wreck the place :)-

I’m very good at getting brushed and having my nails done.

I don’t destroy stuff most of the time. Sometimes I like to rip the buttons off of the couch or take off with shoes, but it’s a game…they have to chase me to get them back! So much fun!

I like to play tug of war with Mom. She’s the only one allowed to play it with me. Sometimes she lets me win, and sometimes I let her win 🙂

My favorite place to go is down to the playground/park at the end of our road. I get to run and dig in the sand, I LOVE to dig but I never do it in our yard.

I have a sister…she’s a cat. Hailie. And she is NOT nice! I don’t know why but she don’t like me…I try to be nice to her, and I don’t chase her or nothin…but she meows and hisses and sometimes she tries to scratch me…for NO reason! I don’t fink we’ll ever be close. Oh well…I have Mom.

Every night Mom and I curl up on our bed…and watch tv shows on her computer. Sometimes she has a treat, and I’ll steal a few…but now she’s bringing MY treats in so we can both have some once in a while. Dats always nice!

I grow so fast I amaze myself! Sometimes I feel like I’m in a giant body dats too big for me. I wanna pway with little dogs but I’m just too big and rough even though I don’t mean to be. HONEST!

I don’t bark much…only when someone is around our house outside, and only to let Mom know. I don’t keep yapping like some dogs. Mom wouldn’t like that!

I’m VERY good on a leash. Mom says I always was. It was like I was born knowing how to heel hee hee. Mom tries to take me out as often as she can but since I can’t handle the cold…we don’t get out as much as we used to. It’s SOOO cold here in da winter!

So yeah..I’m special..Everyone tells me so. I get alot of attention when we go places. Not many people in our city have seen a dog like me. I’m always very nice to them so they know we’re not a mean dog. Mom says I make her proud when I’m good. She always praises me no matter what I do right. Even though I have always known how to pee outside, she still praises me and tells me how good I am when I let her know it’s time to pee.

I think I have a great life here with Mom. She asks me alot if I’m happy…of course I am Mom! I have a Mom to love me and keep me warm and fed, she plays with me whenever I want, she lets me drool and slobber all over our pillow and in her hair. She tries to teach me new things all the time. I’m a lucky boy but Mom is luckier! 🙂

Nap Time With Mom

Ok so I admit it…I still sweep with my mom. I wike to be as close as I can getz to her. She don’t mind! She says waking up with my drool in herz hair and on herz face is no big deal. Even kicking her all night is ok. Aint she a great Mamma to have??

Fun At The Park Video

Finally a nice day to pway outside! Mom took me to da park and I had so much fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxhHyKXd_PM

Christmas Pics With Family

Christmas pics with my family

My First Christmas

I had a great christmas!! My Mom spoiled me with tons of treats and fun stuff to pway with. Mom was worried that I might ruin our tree but I’z was good and never bothered it. I loved having friends and family come to visit. Sometimes I got a bit too excited and had to get “spoken to” but Mom still wuvs me and says I waz good!

I even got my own turkey dinner right off of da china! I’z is special don’t ya fink?:)

Here are some pictures of our christmas together.

MY prezzies:Minus da ones I’z ate lol

Any more for me Mom???

I’z a tired boy!!

Videos Of My 1st Snow

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Mom borrowed her friend’s camera to take videos and pictures of me before she got her new camera for christmas. Here’s me at the park playing in the snow.

Mom has to tell me to “Go play” alot cause I don’t like to leave her. She says I can’t get excersise if I’m by her side all the time. I think she’s probably right :)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRwMQozVn94

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIBmQaQqjVk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnvnt2ExK-c

My First Snow!

Mom wazn’t sure I’d wike da snow…cuz I don’t wike the cold or da rain. But I’z wuved it!! We went to da park and I pwayed and pwayed. Mom gots some pics and some videos of me.

Aren’t I handzsome??Mom alwayz says so!

See all da holez I’z dug? I wuv to dig..but only in da park. I’z a good boy!

One of deze dayz I’z gonna find us some tweazure!

More Older Pics of Me

More Older Pictures of Me

Tons of Pics of Me!

Tons of pictures of:ME!

Mom haz tonz of pics of me on her old camera. Once she getz dem developed and scanned she says she will share dem with yous all here.

Here are some oldies from when I firzt gotz here.