First Vet Visit

Lance and I took our first trip alone. I was able to help him up the ramp into the Big Green Machine and then we parked by a small mound at the end of the parking lot, that allowed Lance to just step off the tail gate to the ground. We were going on our first vet visit. He did very well on the ride, sat in the back like a good boy. Of course, putting the ramp in the middle space between the head rests, helps to keep him from trying to climb up front. We learned that early on.

This was a new vet for us, so was not sure what to expect. Lance paced the office and smelled every space he could get his nose into. He panted a bit, but otherwise was calm and very behaved. Even when he smelled and heard a dog on the other side of the door. 

The vet gave us a lot of hope. I discovered she has other big doggie clients, so that raised her a notch in my opinion. She did a lot of checking and gave me an inventory of her concerns (which matched most of mine). Most of what she wants to do, she said she would prefer to have him asleep (ie: infected ear flush and bad dental plaque and abscesses). She did discover that he has worms, which she said may be a huge culprit to some of his issues and we started treatment immediately  She sent us home with some special medicine food and some antibiotic tablets. He will be going back next week for his big day of treatment. 

We really love this guy and have decided we can live with his lameless, arthritis and/or hopefully old age ortho issues. But we are hoping the rest (tummy, ears & teeth) can be resolved with short-term antibiotics and treatment. He hasn't exhibited a single behavior issue, which is a huge relief and blessing. We can trust him around other dogs. Seeing a squirrel or cat on the walk doesn't get more than a look and then back to the usual sniffing. People coming to the door, just gets a greeting, no barking or aggression. He is incredibly sweet and loving. We have seen small glimpses of his playfullness, so knowing it is in there, are anticipating better health bringing more of it out. Of course, since we got him, Sunny California has had an abnormal amount of drizzle and rain. Playing outside hasnt been much of an option. Looking forward to sunny days, good health and seeing his personality emerge.

In the meanwhile, I have become addicted to a site that has a full time web cam on a group of Great Dane Service puppies. Almost all of them are Mantle's, so I can picture what Lancelot looked like as a little guy. My heart just goes pitter-patter when I watch these cute little guys, then I run over and give my big guy a kiss on his nose and call him my Big Pup! Check out the site here.

Full Day

Last night Lancelot paced most of the night. Dad got up and would get him to lay down, then no sooner leave the room, and up he was pacing again. No potty or business breaks needed. 

So today we were determined to wear him out, so he will sleep tonight.

First, we went for a long walk... he was pretty pooped after this.

So tuckered, that he pretty much slept through me cutting and filing all his nails. YAH!

Then we went to the dog park. Some of you may remember, Sasha was not to hip on being around other doggies. For Lance, it is a non-issue.

A dobie took a little bit of too much personal interest in Lance, which Lance was not going to stand for. I was very proud of his behaviour. He tolerated it for only so long, then just let out a loud bark. Of course, Dad stepped in to make sure a scuffle didn't happen, but the dobie usually ran off. 

Lance tries to catch up with the young wipper-snappers, but he just doesnt have the speed. And if you look closely in the last video, there is a little dog with a high wagging tail, following the pack. This little guy, Skip, really took a liking to Lance. Although it didn't bother Lance any, Skip's mom was a bit embarrassed that Skip's interest got a bit personal, and he even thought he could "climb" on lance. It was pretty funny. As we were leaving, he came over to say goodbye.

After the dog park, we headed to a local "Self-serve Pet Wash". Sasha had gone there in the past, and I really liked it. They supply the shampoo, towels, combs, blow dryer, you-name-it, its there. Last time I just had Sasha stand, but the owner really pushed to have us put lance in the sink. So 2 girls and my hubby picked him up and set him in. That was quite interesting to witness. 

 At the beginning he was ok with the whole thing. But as we progressed, he soon realized he didn't have much room to move around in. So he didn't look very comfortable or happy. 

 But he was very good, and mostly stayed still while we washed (mom took occasional pictures). At one point he almost tried to jump out, which terrifed me, so the "restraint" went back on.

Then all three hefted him out again, and we toweled him off, and gave him a blow dry while he sat and enjoyed it. I was very proud of him.

On the way home, we made one more stop to visit some friends that wanted to see him. They are the ones with the "Silver-dappled Doxie" that we watched last summer. Their doxie is about the size of Lancelot's head, so they were quite shocked at his size, but he got a lot of love.

Now he is home, on a clean bed, and we are trying hard to keep him awake, so all in the house will get a good nights sleep.

And what, you ask, did Cinderella do all day?

Still Amazed!

Both Lance and Cinder aren't phased by loud noises at all. Cinder just watches the vacuum and Lance sleeps through it. 

I'm still amazed at how laid back they both are.

The Furry Parents

Big Honey Dog Has a Store!

We are excited to announce that our friend Honey the Great Dane has opened her own store. We want to spread the word to all the other Dane friends out there. Also, Honey's little kitty sister, Muesli, has her own stuff too. Check it out here: Big Honey Dog

Update on Sir Lancelot... He is eating and drinking well, finally. He has his moments where he snubs his food, but eventually gets around to it. I think he is hoping we will add some people treats to it, which is a no-no in our house. Since he drags his toes while he walks and his nail are nubs that bleed, we are in the process of trying out different boots, without going crazy on expenses. Until then, the Pawz have worked fine, we just keep adding duct tape when a tear happens. Since XL comes in green, and using the silver or red duct tape we had on hand, he looked very decked out for Christmas.

He and Cinderella get along just fine. She has only swatted him twice, and that was because he "licked her ears". (Now there is a sentence I never thought I would ever say... "Sir Lancelot licked Cinderella's ears.") She walks between his legs and hasn't been stepped on. When she is sitting high and he wants her attention, he will let out a little bark, and she just stares him down. When she sends out a high-pitched howl, he will come see if she is OK. She had her first vet appointment, which went very well. She is being treated for ear-mites, so she has sensitive ears. We didn't know her exact age, so the vet is estimating she is between 2-3 years old. She is very curious exploring every space in our house, and is starting to show signs of wanting to sneak outside, which we are hoping to avoid.

Stay tuned for an introduction from Lance himself.

Happy New Year from The Parents.

Gotta Think Creatively

Lancelot has had stomach issues. His meals are not processing very well. So we are trying a bland diet of rice and chicken to hopefully bulk him up. He is not drinking much water, so we are worried about him getting dehydrated.

How do you get a dog to drink water? Before I "googled" it, we came up with our own idea. Add chicken to a bowl of water. It's working. He is slurping. YAH!

After success  I just googled it, and it says to add chicken broth to the water, after they have sniffed the broth. Well, I came close.

On a new journey - The Dane Parents

Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello

On our annual Monterey trip this year, we brought Sasha's ashes and said a final goodbye. This is the beach we went to each time she came with us, so it was extra special to leave another memory here.

Then we came home and picked up our new family members.

Introducing...

Sir Lancelot and 'Cinder"ella

 

We are still 2 days into our new chapter. As soon as Lancelot allows us to see the "real" him, we will allow him to introduce himself. Cinder is already a character, and quite animated with all of us. As you can tell, Lance is doing well with her antics. This is something I have dreamed and hoped for a long time, so it makes my heart pitter-patter when I see him lick her and clean her ears.

Stay tuned for updates and a new blog.

Happy belated Thanksgiving.

Teaser

Tonight we met our new guy, for the first time!

He was very loving, gave us lots of kisses and wanted to come home with us.

 Since we are going out of town this week, we will be picking him up as soon as we return next week.

Until then... here is a teaser...

And he will come with his own furry companion, teaser #2...

And yes, it was hard to walk away without them, but knowing they are in good hands and will be ready for us in a week... we can relax, enjoy our last trip for awhile and come up with a list of boundries and rules to start off with right away, so we dont end up with this is the first week...

She was very lucky that she lived almost 6 more years after THIS incident :-) All good memories now.

Stay tuned...

Big Dog Fix

What are the odds? I started a new Bible Study and one of my leaders has two Irish Wolfhounds. I about jumped across the table to hear more about them. She was so sweet and said we were welcome to come by anytime to meet them. So last weekend, we headed over and spent a couple hours watching and loving on them. More like, we were being loved on. My heart was just pittering away. Look at these beautiful giants.

When we arrived, one was standing up on the chain-link fence, ready to greet us. She was taller than my hubby. My heart was lost on the first "lean." They circled us, and were very eager to start the lovin'

The one in the front is Brady. He is only 7 months old. The other once is Callie, and she is a year and a half. 

The owner is a tiny little lady, and I was so impressed at how well trained both the dogs were. Callie even "prayed" in her down position.

I can't even put into words how full my heart was when we left. Every time I look at these pictures I can't NOT smile! How can we resist such a gentle giant, such a precious face and such a huge heart to just love US! I had to look at the calendar again, to see how soon it would be for our own giant again.

Even better news... yesterday I got a call from the rescue we use. They have a dog for us, think it would be a perfect fit. I am sure you know how hard it was for me to not just hang up the phone and RACE over there. I had to remain calm, ask the questions and then tell them I had to confer with hubby. Either way, the week after Thanksgiving, Lord willing, there will be a new Gentle Giant in our home. 

Stay tuned...

Bite-Size Tease

Although our baby girl was a fawn, this image just reminded me of the difference between the size of the doxy we pet-sat, and the size of the baby girl we lost. Just not the same. 2 months to go... count down time. Cannot wait to see what new dog is waiting for us to take him/her to a forever home.

To be continued...

The Pain Now is Part of the Happiness Then

A friend found this cute stuffed Dane in her little boy's toy box. She said he had never played with it and offered it to us.  I came home to find it sitting on a chair on our front porch. It touched my heart so much. When hubby came home, I set it up like this and showed him, and he instantly teared up. What a nice memory of our baby girl. 

For healing, we have taken advantage of our new freedom and have enjoyed long day trips and short weekend trips to enjoy each other without having to worry about an elderly dog. We have even offered up our services to house/dog sit as long as we are "pet-less", which is another adventure on its own. This weekend we were given free tickets to the San Diego Zoo. We couldnt go until later in the day, and my comment was.. "As long as we get to see the BIG CATS, I will be happy". Well, that prayer was answered. While waiting for the last bus to the front of the park, we visited the Lion and lioness. They were both awake, prowling and roaring. What a grand vision. The female even came up to the window and stood on her hind legs and pawed the window. My heart raced. After spending a week of dog-sitting a little doxy, I had the mad craving to pet, thump and hug on a very large animal. I guess a Lion would not be a good choice, but you big dog owners know exactly what I am talking about. 

We are always asked... are you going to get another one? And the answer is YES! After taking our time to mourn and become clear headed again, we both feel in our hearts that we need a little bit of time for ourselves again. Then we will be ready for the plunge again. Our logical thinking leads us to starting over in December, the same time we started with Sasha. It will be a dog filled Christmas (and maybe kitty too) and a new joy to start the new year. And yes, we are hoping for another Dane, or maybe even.... take a deep breath... an Irish Wolf Hound. We just know we need another Giant Dog in our hearts and home, even with all the risks involved, we are ready for ride again.

Recently we watched the movie Shadowlands, C.S. Lewis story. There was a line in it that touched both of us. The lead who is dying, says to her husband, "The pain then is part of the happiness now." After she dies, he says, "The pain now, is part of the happiness then." That is exactly how we feel about loving and losing our girl and taking the risk all over again.

Remembering Sasha...Enjoy her story through this video

Around the World

I just can't walk away from this blog. There is something therapeutic about coming back here and reading and re-reading the postings and comments. We made so many friends from all over. Just for kicks, today I checked the stats and was once again am amazed at where Sasha's friends came from. I can't believe how far she reached. I wish I could go to each place and give/get a hug personally.

We do miss our girl so much. Here are just some of the "triggers" that hit us at times:

• Walking through the living room, we still drift to one side, as if her bed is still on the other side.
• When the doorbell rings, there is not a crazy barking issue to address
• We still try to keep food put away, and start to warn the other if it is left out
• Coming home, we still listen for a "roo roo roo" from the other room
• We still leave music playing when we leave the house
• No more morning walks (not the same alone)
• Clean kitchen floor
• No fur bunnies throughout the house
• Sleeping through the night without any interruptions
• No "bombs" in the backyard

There are many more that just pop up. Recently we have gone for a bike ride and a walk. It felt odd to not be greeted by passerby's. Without our girl, we are just an ordinary couple (I hope that doesn't sound arrogant). My husband is going on a very short trip soon, and it just hit me, I will be coming home to a totally empty house. I haven't had that in almost 6 years. I am not sure how to prepare for that. Fortunately someone will be staying with me on one of the two nights he is gone. 

I got the call yesterday that my baby girls ashes are ready to be picked up. We have already discussed the different places we want to let her go.. backyard, university quad (most of our walks and runs) and Monterey. Some of her ashes will go into a stone that we will make, so she will go with us everywhere we go. Along with her brother Max and sis Spike. 

As I write this post, I have been interrupted 3 times by a Blue Jay that has been insisting on calling for his peanuts. The odd thing is that I have been feeding him for a couple years now, but for the past 6 months he has been gone. He just showed up again the past week or so. I don't believe in re-incarnation, but I do believe God sends us what we need for comfort, so I will thank My Lord for this small blessing and keep tossing the peanuts.

Thank you for sharing my journey-- Sasha's mommy--MindyLu

Sasha the Princess 2001-2012

Sasha graduated to rainbow bridge on July 7, 2012. She will be forever in our hearts. Enjoy watching our journey with her here. 

Saying Goodbye

Sasha

2001 - 2012

The time finally came that we had to make "the decision." We chose to spoil and love her beyond limits during her last week. Here is her point of view...

I helped Daddy work in the backyard by supervising.

I supervised Mommy while she washed the big green machine.

I got to enjoy the cold sweet treats!

Mommy and me would mediate by the big water bowl.

 I watched all the hoomans get ready for the big "barks in the sky" day.

I visited with friends.

 Daddy and mommy laid down a lot with me. 

Mommy made me meals of Rice and Chicken- My FAVORITE!

I got lots of orange stick treats.

I got to lay in bed with mommy and daddy and watch a movie with them.

Mommy and daddy let me sleep with them.

 I got a last treat of an ice cream cone.

Mommy and Daddy loved me BEYOND THE LIMIT!

We sadly said goodbye to her today. A video will be posted soon. Thank you everyone for being her friend. We will share more when we can see beyond the tears.

Lazy Dog Day

Mommy and I worked in the yard today. I supervised her.

When she was done, I tried to convince her to give ME a massage. Think this face worked?

Your darn right it did.

BARK! Sasha the princess!

Bed Collection

When I first came to my forever home, I tried to claim this bed.

 But Mommy and Daddy said NO!

 Then Mommy got me this big bed. It is the biggest they found at Costco. I have gone through many of these beds.  

When I get bored with it, I flip it and try to squeeze back on.

When I started having accidents, Mommy got me an alternate bed to use when she is washing my regular bed. Here I am trying to do Doga on it. It is not my favorite.

This weekend, Mommy and Daddy went "Yard Sale-ing" They said that is where people go to other peoples lairs and dig through their junk and bring it back to their own lair. 

They met some other people who used to have a big doggie and when they heard my story, the peoples gave them this BIG BIG bed for me. They said it would be real helpful for my sore leggies. It is the PERFECT bed. It fits all of me. I really like it.




BARK! Sasha the Princess!

I'm Still Here

Oh my, mommy just signed on and everything looks different. It has been WAY too long!


Well anyway... I am still here. My leggies are getting worse and I need more help getting up to do my thing. Mommy and Daddy are being very patient with me and showing me lots of love. I sleep a lot, but still go for my morning sniffies, just not very far from the lair.


Sometimes mommy's eyes start to leak and she comes and lays down next to me and gives me lots of lovin's. And when mommy is gone at night, Daddy does it too. He tells me what a good doggie I have been and that he does not want me to go anywhere. They both take turns cleaning up my messies, even though I try real hard to keep them outside. I know Mommy and Daddy love me lots.


Mommy said the Princess collar was looking pretty bad. Parts of it were following off.

 So she went out and got me a NEW Princess collar. Here and daddy made such a big deal about how pretty I looked with my new necklace.

What do you think?

Leaving you with a laugh!

BARK! Sasha the Princess

Clean Paws

My paws are clean again. Mommy even gave me a pawdicure this morning. I just layed in the sun and bathed while she clipped and filed my nails down. It was getting hard to walk on the wood floors in the lair.

 For those of you who asked for another hint, mommy found the only item that she could pin on me. But I challenge her to find ANY paw prints on this!

Bark- Sasha the Princess

Dirty Paws

"I was framed, I tell you. It wasnt me!"

" What? My paws? There is nothing wrong with my paws.
 I think they are very pretty, princess paws!"

" Umm, well, you see, it just sort of jumped into my mouth, and what was I suppose to do?"

No evidence was left behind, except a spring. Can you guess?

BARK! Sasha the Princess