Setting up for Failure Can be a Cool Hand

Chewing, it’s inevitable; chewing and puppies is like cuteness and puppies they just come together, but hey I will take a little chewing for all that cuteness most days… We all try to keep our puppies/dogs from chewing our valued items and I will take a show of hands whomever is successful in this endeavor. No hands? In the last year Charlie has gotten his teeth into one blackberry, one ipod, one lap top power cord, numerous baseball hats, a few books, and a clothes hamper just to name a few of our more cherished items on his list of destruction. We all know as well that you can’t do much unless you catch him in the act. Here is where setting up for failure can be your ace in the sleeve as it were. No one wants your furry family member to fail at anything but sometimes it is your best option in a bunch of bad options.
In this case I will be discussing the late night chew. Most nights Charlie simply shares the king size, sleeps at our feet or in the middle or on the outside. People hear this and make the frown, as it’s an awful thing having a Great Dane in your bed, personally my wife and I love it. We do have a double futon on the floor for Charlie and occasionally he will get up and get down on his own bed to stretch out while Sam and I just slumber on. Also Charlie will get up for a drink in the middle of the night out in the kitchen and dogs being dogs he will get distracted by something to chew. I am sure all of us as dog owners have awoken in the middle of the night to find the dog out chewing something to bits, hopefully something of no monetary value but not likely. I could of course just cage or crate Charlie for the night but I don’t like him in the cage all night, he’s just too big for that. So instead we leave items like sticks that he can’t usually have in the house in a very sniff friendly spot but not just out in the open. During a late night roaming Charlie will more than likely go for the stick . Easy and familiar then search out something that’s unknown, chews it a while, gets bored and jumps back in bed. Get up in the morning, find some wood chips, chewed on stick but no hats, cords, ipods, computers, no books ripped to shreds. I’ll take that as a win, maybe like a shoot out win, but I’ll still take it. Good Boy ☺


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The Best for Your BEST Friend

If you own a large breed dog I am sure you can relate to this small bone I have to pick. I have noticed some people that own smaller dogs tend to find inappropriate behavior cute. While small toy breeds seem harmless when the bark, nip, or jump up on people or other dogs the consequences, if you own a large or small dog, are one and the same. Plenty of times I have found myself at the dog beach with my Great Dane and lots of small toy breed dogs that are far more aggressive then their owners realize. Before I continue I must say, I know lots of wonderful small dogs with amazing owners and tons of large dogs with owners that fall short of the mark. I am in no way saying this is true of all small dog owners. However, the assumption that size means aggression or bad behavior is frustrating and basically ignorance, and I in the past I was just as guilty as the next person. Many times I have been jumped on, barked at, or nipped by small toy breeds and their owners have done nothing. If my Dane Charlie jumped up on someone (which has happened) I get screamed at, cursed at, and even threatened. I can’t say that this reaction is uncalled for. I know, as a giant breed owner, I have a monster responsibility to make sure that my Dane knows the rules and correct behavior so we can avoid any accidents. However when another owner gets angry with my dog for jumping up on them or their dog, threatens, curses, and screams at me then turns around and lets their Terrier, or Pug do the same to someone else without even batting an eye is definitely frustrating! All dog owners have the same responsibility, to teach, lead and show our dogs what behavior is acceptable, appropriate, and safe. Size and breed should hold no merit. So if you own a Great Dane, Bull Mastiff, Jake Russell Terrier, or a Miniature Pincher the responsibilities are the same. And if you don’t own a dog please think twice about accepting inappropriate behavior from a small dog and try to think how you would react if my Dane was the dog being inappropriate.
I don’t want to give out the wrong impression that I dislike small dogs, or that I am attacking small dog owners. However it does seem that small dogs and their owners live by a different set of rules. I also realize that owning a Giant Breed dog comes with Giant responsibilities of which I am more than happy to accept for my part, but a level playing field is not a Giant request and in that owning a small or mid size dog does not exempt you as an owner from taking the same responsibilities as any large breed owner. Snarling, barking, growling, and jumping up are unacceptable behavior no matter the size or the breed and should be dealt with appropriately. Do it not for you or for me but for your dog, because it is we as owners to teach our loved ones how to behave properly around people and other dogs ensuring a happy healthy best friend.

Educating people on Great Danes

Great Dane Size Me..

The Great Dane. You hear the word, you think big dog but never does it seem that you are quite prepared as you think you are when you actually see one.  I have had the front row seat for quite a few surprising encounters in the last year and they always leave me with a definite story to tell in one form or another.  It is almost to the point that the normal every day encounters you imagine are becoming the oddity.  Charlie is a very happy go lucky Great Dane and only once do I ever recall him showing any aggressive behavior was around my cat Tai at feeding time and Tai thinking he could just reach in for a bite, was instead on the receiving end of a large mouth still partially full of dog food pinning him to the table.  Moments later both animals playing, Tai from the counter top where he is pretty much eye to eye with Charlie.  Everyone talks about how size doesn’t matter in life but in dog life size definitely matters.  Very regularly am I reminded that life with any other dog would not be the same.  From your every day pizza delivery guy, the cable guy, even your co -workers.  The first meeting of your Great Dane is definitely one they will not forget.  While most are met with amazement rather than fear, there are times when a dog of such size is just way too much to handle.  Remember your own energy towards the situation will directly reflect in your dog. Stay calm.

In recent weeks I have noticed Charlie jumping up around joggers and bikers.  Now I realize this is quite common in young dogs, something I am sure all dog owners can relate to.  However with Charlie instead of him kind of getting up on you he is pretty much jumping up as high as six and a half feet.  For a jogger, biker or even a young adult this is a lot of Charlie to be coming at you.  Its one thing to have him greet you at the door with me but yet another to have this huge dog coming towards you bounding along trying to get his play on.  Needles to say, Charlie and I will be having some on leash training for a while until he figures out that joggers, bikers and basically everyone is not just there for play.  There is a time for fun and a time for appropriate behavior. 

While looking for many accessories it is good to note here once again size does matter with a Great Dane.  Dog cages, harnesses, collars, jackets and the lot should all be measured or at the very least easily returned and exchanged. In many cases the large or even the extra large does not fit your Great Dane.  Recently I found myself just looking for Great Dane dog items specifically.  Cages, beds and harnesses usually top the list.  Some people have asked me about mini horse blankets for beds or for outside and though the thought has crossed my mind I have not personally seen a Great Dane in a horse blanket.    One thing is certain; Great Danes are giants of the dog world, small in the horse world. Maybe something we can all add to our personal web page, or social network page?  A Great Dane Super Poke.  Served up really big, full of nice and a healthy portion of play.  A gentle giant but a giant all the same.

Educating people on Great Danes

There’s Fondue & Then There’s Fondon’t

Just waiting for his
opportunity!

Jamie and I celebrated our two-year anniversary this past Wednesday. Jamie being a chef and myself, being the lucky lady that I am, he decided to make us an amazing fondue dinner for the occasion. It was delicious and we both enjoyed a decadent spread of amazing food. Later that night we cleaned the kitchen as usual, (for those of you who have a Great Dane or a dog that is equally as large you know nothing can be left out in your kitchen because nothing is out of bounds). We decided to leave the oil on the stove to cool before we put it away. The following day Jamie had a small job to do in the yard, Charlie was sleeping and taking the advice of an age-old saying he ‘let sleeping dogs lie'. Approximately 20 minutes later Jamie returned to the house to find the fondue pot, upright, lid off, on the floor. No oil anywhere. Jamie didn’t even clue into what had happened until Charlie retreated to the far corner of our living room and projectile vomited not once, not twice, but three times. Turns out the clever monster had pulled the pot off the stove without spilling a drop removed the lid and proceeded to lap up almost a liter of cooking oil. He was not the only culprit in this well thought out plan, our cat Tia was more then happy to get in on the action once the hard work was done. Needless to say when you mix a liter of oil with a counter sized dog, add a dash of cat, four cups of vomit and a third of a cup of diarrhea you get a very messy fonDON’T!!!

No need to worry, Charlie is just fine. I do, however, think it will be quite a while before we have fondue again! As for Charlie, I'd like to think he learned his lesson but......

Visit our website for awesome photos and great info about our oil hungry Dane Charlie at www.greatdanesforlife.com

For The Love Of 'Dog'

All you dog owners out there know what I mean when I say "Oh for the love of 'dog'". We love our dogs unconditionally. I can't speak for anyone else but I know here at my house we would do ANYTHING for our Charlie. However, when I wake up at 2:00am and hear a rustling in the living room I think to myself 'for the love of dog whats he up to now??'. I leave the comforts of my king size bed and drag my tired and already sleep deprived butt out to the living room only to find my handsome, lovable, and adorable pooch eating my tax return papers, a wooden spoon from the kitchen, my plastic sugar bowl, or all of the above. I don't mind though because as soon as I correct him and tell him no, he gazes up at me with his big loving eyes as if to say "I'm sorry, I didn't think you would catch me.." all I can do is smile. When we are out for a walk and he rolls in dead animal flesh, if he chases the cat through the house, or when he barks at the birds at 6:00am all I can do is correct him, love him, and think "for the love of dog". 
Our best friends (our dogs) are so smart. The funny thing is, each time I think "for the love of dog" I know he knows I'm thinking it!! All our furry friends want it to please us. My gentle giant wants nothing more then for me to approve of him. For this I am thankful. He is the best part of every single one of my days here on earth. I can't imagine my life without 2:00am wake-ups, half eaten kitchen spoons, and mangled paper work. Each time I find another chunk of tax papers, wood, or a heap of sugar I think to myself.... "for the love of dog"!!
For lots of awesome pictures of my handsome pup come visit our website at www.greatdanesforlife.com