1 year ago today

Today is another special day in the life of Gunther and us. We brought him home a year ago today. The pictures are what he looked like that day. (picture one is Gunther in my arms and his daddy saying Bye, the second is Gunther in my lap in the car. We had stopped at the bank and of course I had to hold him.)You know, I knew he was going to grow and change, but actually seeing it, is amazing. We were in Petsmart this morning and a lady was just so excited to see a big dog and wanted to know all about Gunther, so as we talked I realized that I must really be use to his size because a large size dog looks small to me. LOL.

Our home and our lives totally changed for the better when Gunther was born and then when he came home to live with us. I can't imagine life without him. He's so smart and so loving and he is the greatest company in the world. If a dog could be a comedian, then the Gun Man is it. He's the best and besides he's got the cutest little face in the world.  

Gunther's Look-A-Like

This is Cash. He looks loved doesn't he? Cash's mommy emailed me a few weeks back the nicest email. She mentioned that Cash and Gunther looked a lot alike. Boy was she right. ;-) Other than Cash has a little more white on him, he looks a lot like Gunther. I think this is so cute. I'm so glad that Jessica and Cash visit the blog and I hope to keep in touch with them. Great Dane people are so wonderful. (I tend to think our dogs bring out the best in us)

Have a great evening. 

A year ago

I don't know about you, but there are sometimes when it's good to go back and look at the baby pictures (this works for both children with skin or fur). Today is one of those days. LOL. Gunther and I have been working on two new commands and for some reason, he's forgot just about everything he knows. It's actually been funny. So I told him, "fine, we'll work on this stuff later, clearly this isn't a good time for you." Later this afternoon we'll try it again, only after going through all the stuff he all ready knows.

The picture by the way was taken a year ago this week. So that's my Gun-man as a little guy. He looks like he's pretty confident and in charge.

Mommy's Boy

Gunther is a BIG mommy's boy. Everyone around me knows it, and if you read this blog regularly you know it too. LOL. So here is another story to prove it.

The light in my kitchen had blown so I got the light bulbs a chair and was changing out the first bulb, suddenly I had a little helper. Yup, Gunther at first only had his front feet up in the chair with me, when I asked him what he was doing he climbed the rest of the way in the chair and kind of did a gentle lean. To humanize him even more I guess I could say he was holding me so I wouldn't fall. LOL. I changed out the second bulb and told him we were done, he got down out of the chair and stood there waiting for me to get down. Of course he got extra treats for all that. I had to, he was just too cute to resist. ;-)

It's a sad day.

For the past couple of days one of my best friends has been going through hell. I have felt terrible for her. She has been taking care of 4 Great Danes by herself. Now that would keep anyone on their toes if all 4 were healthy but 1 of them has had a stomach problem so she has come home from work to clean up messes from him, plus being up at night taking care of him, and cooking him chicken and rice so he will eat, so that was a load to face and then on top of that she has 2 Danes that are sisters that have had special health needs. Well yesterday I get a call that one of the sisters is seriously ill. She had taken a fall and that seemed to have triggered a chain of events that lead to her passing this morning.

Gracie was soon to be 6 years old. She had neurological problems all her life. Her picture is below. She is the one in the front.

The only good to this is that Gracie is not ill any more. That she is happy and healthy and waiting to see her "mommy" once again.

Updates and Stuff

First off, I would like to thank everyone who has asked about Gunther's face. He is doing wonderful. In fact I tried to get him to slow down today long enough to get a picture of it and that didn't work. LOL. Hair is growing back and he is good to go.

While at the dog show over the weekend, (congratulations to all my friends from the Great Dane Club of the Mid South, who's dogs did so well, and to Candance getting her collie's RN, great job). I picked up a few things the Gun Man really needed from the vendors there. The picture above is of Gun modeling his latest coat. It's one of those that you can dampen and it will keep him cool. Ok, it's almost Fall in some places but here in GA it's still in the high 80 - 90's. Also Gunther got microchipped. He was a little nervous so the only way we could get him to relax was to let him jump up on me, and have his front legs on my shoulders, with the help of my friend Connie and my son, GT, Gunther relaxed and didn't make a peep when he got the chip. The doctor said that was the first one he had ever done like that. LOL.

You know, dog shows are a whole different world. Gunther not being use to them, just could not understand why people weren't coming over and petting on him and giving him attention. So a few times he went over and stuck his head under peoples hands and got their attention. Unfortunately some of the people he did that to didn't find it as cute as I did. Oops. LOL.

Before I close I have to tell you all about this great email I got today. A lady sent me pictures of her beautiful black dane. I think he is beautiful, and he looks so much like the Gun that they could be twins. I'll ask her permission if I can post a picture of him up on the blog here so you can see. It's really something.

Ok, Gunther and I are out the door for our walk, take care and may your day be filled with lots of love and big juicy kisses. 

Gunther's face injury

As you can see from the picture, Gunther got a pretty good scrape on his face. Bless his heart, he can go from macho to puppy in a heartbeat. We were out in the back yard and he was running full speed having a great time. Then he came around a corner where I was standing and since he was going too fast he didn't make the corner and steam rolled right over me. The bad thing was I was standing next to my garden fence, which is where he scraped his face. He was pretty upset. This is only the second time he has ever been hurt, and he just didn't understand. He also was worried because he knocked me flat. I can't even describe the look in his eyes right after it happened. He was so sad. But the hit happened so fast that before I knew it I was on the ground. Now that part is funny. I got the Gun-man in the house and got his scrape cleaned and medicated and he is doing a lot better. He hasn't been itching it, so that's good and I'm hoping that the hair will grow back nicely.

I took him out to the same area of the yard the next day, and let him run, and he was a little more careful in that area, in fact it took him about 15 minutes to go over to the area. With a memory like that, there's more excuses. LOL.

This coming weekend there is a Dog Show in the area. Gunther will be getting micro chipped on Saturday. Plus he'll get to see some of the show. We'll have a great time.

Gunther's new toy

Today while I was buying Gunther food, I noticed there happened to be a buggy with marked down toys. So being the good doggie mommy I am, I started going through it with a vengence. Finally toward the bottom, there it was, a large toy with noise and many legs. Perfect for a Dane. So I got it for him.

The first picture shows you that he loved it so much he took it outside to potty with him. The next picture shows you what a happy Great Dane looks like coming at you. (by the way, he wasn't even at full speed at that point, those pictures didn't even turn out. LOL) Don't you wish everyone got this happy when you did something special for them? 

Gunther's new crate

Friday we had a new arrival. No not another puppy. Gunther's new crate. It's huge and it's great. He loves it. I have pictures of my kids, my teenage kids sitting in it. Gunther knew it was his immediately and was trying to get in it and sniff around while we were putting it together. Since we were moving things around the room we decided to do some living room rearranging so that's the mess behind his crate. Hopefully we'll get everything the way we (I) want it this afternoon.

I guess I am going to sale his other crate. It's in perfect condition and big enough for a large size dog. What I'd like to do is get Gunther one of the soft side crates for travel. Time to start saving up again. LOL.

Birthday Pictures

Gunther had a wonderful birthday. The morning started out with 2 emails to him wishing him a Happy Birthday, then the day got better. He got a bath, massage, nail trim. Several toys and a whole lot of attention. Everywhere we went when people found out it was his birthday they wanted to tell me their Dane experiences and little kids came up and hugged on him. He was a star! Guther also got to pick out his own birthday toys. (I have a picture of them below) By the end of the day he was ssssooooooooo tired.

Sara got this for Gunther. He loved jumping up there and trying to get it.

This picture is for a friend of mine who hates pictures like these. He knows it coming at every holiday. LOL. I will include here that it took 20 minutes to get this picture because he wanted to eat the pom poms on it. LOL. The hat says "I'm One"

Gun's new toys

Gunther sleeping on his couch.

I'll be posting more pictures later.

It's Gunther's Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GUNTHER

Today my "little guy" is 1 year old. I can't believe a year has passed. We have a busy day planned. Guther is getting a special bath, massage and his nails done. Then we are going to a few of his favorite places. Starbucks where all the barista's think he the greatest and Petsmart so he can get some new toys. Maybe if I can arrange it Gun can visit with his dad some too.

Of course there will be lots of pictures so I'll get them up as soon as I can!

Patches are on the vest & other news

Finally I had some spare time and was able to get Gunther's patches sewn on his vest. He is so funny when that vest is on him. He went from running through the house with his "froggy" hanging out of his mouth, to the regal dog, with his head held high, trotting outside for his photo shoot. LOL. I love him, so much, he is such a great dog and Danes are a fantastic breed.

In the past I have mentioned a few times that I would like to work with Gunther along the lines of Mobility Service. So if you are wondering why the vest and patches that is why. I received in the mail today the training information and when I get back in town the first part of Aug. Gunther and I will start his training.

Yesterday, I got a wonderful call from Gunther's breeder. Jazz, Gun's mom is in season, and if all goes well, Sarge and her will have another litter of puppies. Now, if you are interested in one of these pups, PLEASE contact me, or Jay, who's information you can find on the sidebar. I am also going to set up a Yahoo Group for Jay, so that all of us who own one of his pups can chat, share stories and of course post pictures. This would be a great place for those of you interested in one of the (cross your fingers) new pups to get information and ask questions. More will be posted soon about the Yahoo group.

His vest came today

Check out this handsome boy! His vest came in the mail today a long with his, In Training patch. Now I can get his CGC patch on it too. Anyway, I wasn't sure how he would like it or if he would chew it off, and to my surprise, he really likes it. When I put it on him, he stood like he does for the change of collar, and trotted around like a little horse. LOL. We went outside and he went through all of his Rally Novice commands OFF LEAD. Yes, I said Off Lead. He actually does better off lead. It must be my nerves traveling down the lead that makes him edgy. Anyway, Here he is in all his glory.

I have a little personal news. Last night (July, 12) my membership to the Great Dane Club of the Mid South, was voted on and approved. I am so excited about it. There are so many places where I can volunteer and get involved. It will be so much fun. Mid September is the Speciality Show, and I can't begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to it! I would like to thank Connie Adams and Willie Crawford, for their support and mentoring.

Ok, enough about me, let's get back to the star! 

Yahoo Group Post

This information was on one of the Great Dane Groups that I'm on. I thought that it maybe helpful to post it on Gunther's blog.

STRANGE FRUIT: SEASONAL PRODUCE THAT CAN HARM YOUR PETSCherries and lemons and apples, oh my! While spring and summer fruits are goodfor you, certain parts of these seasonal offerings can be potentiallyirritating—and in some situations, occasionally toxic—to companion animals.According to our experts at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), thepeels, fruit and seeds of citrus plants such as lemons, oranges, limes andgrapefruits contain varying amounts of citric acid, limonin and volatile oilsthat can cause gastrointestinal irritation and result in vomiting and diarrhea.As for apples, cherries, peaches and apricots, their stems, leaves and seedscontain cyanogenic glycosides that have the potential to cause vomiting and lossof appetite—and in severe cases, weakness, difficulty breathing,hyperventilation, shock and even death.“Typically, these severe effects develop from very large ingestions of plantmaterial, more likely to occur with grazing animals such as horses or otherlivestock,” says the APCC’s Dana Farbman, CVT. “The consumption of a fewsegments of citrus fruit, an apple or two, or a few cherries would usually notbe expected to cause serious problems beyond perhaps minor stomach upset.However, it is important for animal owners to be aware of the potential forproblems that these fruit trees can produce.”As a companion animal owner, it’s always a good idea to become familiar withdifferent types of plants in and around the home—and make sure that potentiallypoisonous species are not accessible to your pets. For lists of both safe andpotentially toxic plants, please visit ASPCA online

11 Months *UPDATED*

120 pounds, 35 1/2" at shoulders

11 Months old today. This afternoon I'll be getting his size and weight to add to the post, but I wanted to get these pictures of Gunther posted. Saturday isn't really the best time to take pictures of the Gun-man, there are so many distractions. On top of the normal, kids, neighbors, cars, and barking dogs, Gunther was being taunted by squirrels that were watching us. After the last picture of him laying in the grass was taken I released him from his Down/Stay and he took off after the squirrels. He didn't catch any but he enjoyed chasing them.

Take Your Dog To Work Day

June 23, Take Your Dog To Work Day. How cool is that? Since I work out of my home Gunther is at work with me all the time anyway. I'm including a link to their web site so that if you missed it this year, maybe next year you could be instrumental in setting up a Take Your Dog To Work Day at your office or place of business.

Gunther is doing so many crazy, funny things. Like when he's in the living room and I tell him to sit, he will go over to the couch and put his hind end on the couch like he's really sitting. Or this one is funny, he goes to my son and backs his hind end onto GT's lap and sits. Too funny. Gun is now really learning "names." For example if I pile his toys out in the floor and ask him to get the duck or the frog or the tennis ball, he will get then one I ask for. He also knows the names of the kids so when I tell him to get Sara up, he takes off for her room and gets her up.

This week we have worked really hard on his Rally stuff. Yesterday he about drove me nuts running through the house and constantly wanting out. Then one time while we were out, he got away from me (I have him on a lead to potty, so he'll stay in one part of the yard, and so we can work on heel, sit, down, and a moving down, on the way back to the house) anyway, he got away from me and ran over to the part of the yard where we do the Rally and sat down at our starting point. Well how could I resist that? We worked all the stations that we know so far and then came in. He got a couple liver treats for that. LOL.

I'll have some new pictures of him in the next couple of days. Have a great weekend and enjoy your Dane(s).

Look what came in the mail today!

A few weeks back Gunther passed his Canine Good Citizen test. Along with his certificate you could order patches and tags. Of course I couldn't resist. I've been thinking about getting him a vest or a lightweight backpack and this patch would look great on it. By the way, I encourage everyone in the States, that if you can, get your dog his or her Canine Good Citizen. It's a great way to do one more thing with your dog, and it brings you a little closer together. Do it, you won't regret it.

We are really enjoying the rally class. In fact we are enjoying rally so much that I'm planning on putting Gunther in Rally competition in August. I think we can do it. In fact I know he can, it's me that would mess up. LOL. I need more practice.

Growing Leaps And Bounds

Monday we took this new photo of the Gun-Man. Though the picture doesn't do him justice, it gives you a pretty good idea about his size and how he is growing. It seems that mid-May he really started growing in height and now looks like he's all legs. (stilts).

We are having a great time with Rally classes and then practicing at home. I also have found a new place to take him and walk on Tuesday and Thursdays while the kids are at karate. It's a beautiful walking park and almost everyone has their dog with them. We'll be going there this coming Tuesday.

The 14th was my second meeting at the Great Dane Club of the Mid South. There was a Rally judge there giving a demonstration. Diane Pegram. I learned quiet a bit and was really glad to learn that my instructor, Donna Thompson, at Doggie Daycare, is a head of the game in teaching us Rally. She's a great instructor and has amazing patience. LOL.

Also at the meeting I was able to get my 2 signatures for membership. It will be voted on at the next meeting. (cross your fingers). After the meeting was over I got to see 3 beautiful Danes. They just took my breath away. Especially the young one that is just a few months younger than Gun. They are Black Onyx Brindle males. If you ever get a chance to see Black Onyx Brindle's, DO IT. You won't be let down.

I just can't tell you how amazing this breed is. For me the Great Dane has everything and more that you could want in a dog. I love them.

10 month update

Well my little boy isn't so little. 118 pounds and 35" at the shoulders. It wasn't till a picture I took of him the other day that I realized just how "leggy" he has gotten. In one month he's grown 2 inches in height. I have noticed that he can reach the things he isn't suppose to better than he use to. LOL.

Speaking of those things. Some of his latest tricks are taking the cushions off the couch and chairs laying them out on the floor and then laying down on them. He is now not just catching one but sometimes up to 3 ice cubes in his mouth from the ice despenser on the freezer door. That is actually the funniest thing to watch.

Today we went to Pets Mart and walked through and he did so good. We practiced some of his commands for Rally and he was just on the money today. He totally loves training time. There were all kinds of kids and adults wanting to pet on him and it was just a really great time for him. One of the commands that he has not done real well is the "front" command where he comes to my front and sits. Well today it clicked not only there at Pets Mart but here at home. Plus the great part was he did it on and off lead. He's getting it! I am really hoping that he will be able to be good enough to compete in Rally. Gun and I would have a great time.

 

10 months

Thursday, June 1st, Gunther turned 10 months. I plan on getting his new weight tomorrow. Today we were out and about and I seen this duck toy and when it's pressed it sounds like a duck, so of course I had to get it for Gun. HE LOVES IT. In fact he loves it so much that when Sara took him out to potty, he took the duck with him. LOL.

This morning, Gunther didn't realize it was Sunday and decided at 6 AM it was time to get and have breakfast and do his normal routine. I tried to cover up in hopes that he'd get the hint and go back to sleep. Oh hell no. He took my covers off me and the bed. The boy is determined. So I got my covers back, crawled back into bed just to find myself the cushion for the Great Dane. ;-) When he turned his head we were nose to nose. It was so funny. By this time, there was no going back to sleep, I got up and took the little guy outside and then fed him and then started doing some computer work while he went back to bed.