All posts for the month April, 2008
Kenai looking out the window, 17 wks.
The thing about cropped ears, is they are more like antlers than ears when they are taped. The posts have to be hard and inflexible so they don’t cause curliques from bending. And the tape has to be seriously sticky or the next morning you have a naked eared puppy. Sometimes with one ear glued to the forehead and the other to the bed…
Getting the tape off when you want it off, though, is a misadventure. Like giving a cat a pill. Try it once, and you’ll know why necessity is the mother of invention…Kenai is very good about it once he realizes how far you are willing to go to get-r-done.
He sits through getting them oiled up so the tape will release without a hair removal treatment. He endures the suds and rinsing to get the soap off that gets the oil off. He waits for his freedom, quietly, while pinned to the couch. Then he goes outside and does a few goober runs, also known as zoomies.
There’s no getting all the sticky off the first time, either. It takes at least two tries. I should attach him to a dust mop and let the ears pick up all the dust bunnies hanging about. But I think he might take exception to that. He might just chew the dust mop in half for revenge.
When his ears are taped up, my little spring buck gets them caught in the wild blackberry bushes, his leash winds up trapped on the top of his head, and when he comes over for a little attention, they poke! The wise get away when he shakes his head…I wonder from time to time if wrapping them with foil and laying him next to the TV will improve the reception.
So part of having a prong horned antelope for a puppy is learning all the ways his prongs can cause trouble. I went to give BB his pain meds last night in a glob of peanut butter, and here comes Kenai. He promptly sticks his taped ear in the open jar trying to lick my finger. Then BB decides to get the peanut butter on his brother’s ear, and Kenai decides little brother shouldn’t touch his ears. A dispute ensued. All because I didn’t leave the PB jar on the counter. Duh…
Cords are another potential problem. Beneath my computer desk are all the cords for the computer, the phone, etc. I have learned to watch for any wayward balls. If Kenai does go in for his ball, he comes out with a fax, a digital camera, and a charging cell phone behind him, cords wrapped nicely around the ears. He looks somewhat like Dasher or Prancer hauling Santa’s sleigh.
I musn’t complain too much, though, because he is the least clumsy Dane pup I’ve ever had. Most Dane pups find walking without tripping over their own feet to be difficult! Kenai’s lion paws lift up and slap down over terrain rather gracefully, if a bit loudly. He’s wonderfully co-oridnated for a 4 month old Dane.
And he is very good about his bony tail too. No swiping the coffee table clean. Yet. I imagine though, as he gets bigger, he’ll start raising welts on our legs with it. What a Dane tail can do to a man, goes without explaination.
Besides the ear antlers, Kenai has a set of Dane jowels that would impress a Basset Hound. He can drool as much as he drinks already. The puppy grace period of going without a slobber towel at hand is over. Wiping the cabinets off is a routine, and as he grows, the wall wipes and ceiling scrubs comes into practice. Clean windows are an impossibility. Danes are not for neat freaks with limited time.
Dane Jowels…Kenai 17 wks old. Wait until he’s grown into all that skin. You’d drool too if you had lips that size!
Well, Kenai had some practice time at getting hung up in the holly bushes out front today. His bro was being evaluated for puppy school class, and we took advantage of the time to garden alone. It was nice not having to pop up and seperate the two boys every 5 minutes.
I managed to weed a bit, and discovered a white landscape rose had rooted itself where the canes touched ground. So I cut and transplanted the canes, having enough for two bare places in the gardens. Kenai watched and thankfully didn’t get in his head to help dig. We had just settled in for a nap when BB came home, all bouncy and grinning. Nap diverted.
Poor Kenai is a handsome hodgepodge of creatures: rhino feet, deer antlers, crocodile teeth, bear nose, lion rump…it’s a wonder he doesn’t have an indentity crisis with all the nicknames I give him! But there really is no doubt about it, he’s a puppy. Fuzzy, funny, floppy, enthusiatic puppy, through and through.
“Smooth sailing doesn’t make for a skilled sailor” –unknown
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 29, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/is-it-a-dog-or-a-deer-by-lisa-harmon/
Kenai practicing sit/stay in a parking lot, 16 weeks.
Kenai’s had a long day of learning. My confession: I was foolish enough not to take him for a run in the field before we hopped into the car. I set him up for not doing as well as he could for me in public.
We began by taking the car for an inspection and tags, and Kenai had his first serious obedience practice in public.
I was a bit surprised by how uncomfortable he was with the passing cars and noises of town. He couldn’t concentrate very well, and the thought of skipping the field romp this morning stung a little. My fault. I know better. An exercised pup is better able to concentrate.
He wouldn’t down, he felt the need to watch passing cars and people, and couldn’t keep his nose off the ground, nor the grass out of his mouth. He wasn’t wild or panicked, just not comfortable. It was becoming less than fun. So I stopped the “practice” called it a “socializing experience” instead.
I sat down and let him just watch and listen, to get used to the sounds and smells, saying the names for him to learn. “big truck”, “little boys”, “car door”, “tire rack”… My not taking him out every day is starting to show. I live in the country, so all this stuff isn’t “normal” to him yet. My fault. Lesson learned–don’t rely too much on his calm nature. Socialization is all about frequent exposure. Without it, training won’t succeed. Oops.
After the hour and a half of car stuff, and all the walking I did at the start to help Kenai relax, my legs had become really shakey and unreliable. No way was I going to finish the to-do list by myself. So we headed home for some help. We packed up Mom, my cane, and BB for the rest of the running about.
Kenai’s never seen me use a cane, and it took about ten minutes for him to stop looking at it, sniffing it, and mouthing it. I left it on the floor, telling him what it was. I would pick it up and use it, then set it down again.
He finally left it in favor of sniffing the dirty laundry. But when I tried to walk with him and the cane, he wouldn’t walk in the right place, lagging behind to watch the cane move or trying to pull like a sled dog. So the horrible gentle leader made its appearance. He had to wear it because I was too weak to handle him pulling. And I worry about too much pressure doing damage to that throat.
He hates it, but the GL did the trick, and he was easier to walk beside me. We drove to get his ears taped back up so he doesn’t look like Piglet with the floppy ears. Maybe just another month, buddy. Maybe just another month of taping. I know better than that too, but hope is a good thing. Those long ears just might surprise the vet, right?
After the unfun vet stuff, I stopped at the puppy store for a new food. His eagle pack food continues to cause loose and watery stools. Enough. This is the 3rd time I’ve returned to it, and the last. Darn it, it was controlling his growth, and had corrected the knuckling over so quickly. But he can’t have loose stools all his life.
The puppy store is always a treat for him. He gets a new stinky big bone each time, and sometimes a new squeaky baby. He gets bored with his toys, just like any other toddler, furry or not. So for every new one, an old one gets put away for a couple months. He and his brother BB had a good time being goofy, and it made up for the gentle leader. Dog’s let go of unpleasant stuff so fast…
Our last stop was Walgreens, and I decided to try again with the training now that he was more tired and happy. I took the GL off and we walked outside a little while Mom was in the store. BB watched intently from the car. I asked inside for a shopping cart. Theirs are metal, and they clang, bang, and rattle. Just what I wanted.
HE DID IT!! Kenai walked that sidewalk and lot with the cart like such a gentleman, that someone even stopped to say how amazed they were that he didn’t care about the noise. He started to draw a crowd, and thanks be to heaven, there was two crying kids, and an older lady with a walker. Now that’s a test.
Kenai was just a little uncomfortable, but he did his sit stays! He wouldn’t down, but that will come. The walker didn’t disturb him. He got some petting since he doesn’t wear a vest yet, and he clicked into this “good boy” mode–I was so incredibly proud of him. It was a little vanity boost to say that he was only 16 weeks old, and gather up the compliments.
He made a good impression, and good education too. I explained what a service dog could do for me, and how much training he would have to complete. He was the first service dog in training any of them had met. No one had any idea how strict the “rules” are for public access. Or that people other than the blind, deaf, or in wheelchairs could have one.
Kenai ended his day in public on a high note, having enjoyed all the “good boys” and ear rubs with each challenge he had mastered. He had some fun practicing after all. I know when he gets his vest at 6 months old, the petting from other people has to stop. He’ll be more mature, and comfortable with the sights, sounds and smells of public places.
But right now, he’s learning and the more fun he has doing it, the better.
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 28, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/the-more-fun-the-betterby-lisa-harmon/
Kenai the rock eater, 16 wks. I think that one’s a bit too big for ya little guy!
The boy has found the mother of all rocks to try picking up and running off with! Anything bigger and he would climb up and sit on it! If he gets it out of the ground, he’ll sit on it. He started digging that thing out after I took the picture, and I’m telling ya, it’s a monster. Don’t think I could pick it up. Well, he has something to entertain himself with for the next couple weeks…
He got so frustrated not being able to cart off the rock, he had to do some goober runs between digging sessions. Goober runs in Dane pups is like watching a ping pong ball with fur: the tush tucks under, the lips flap up and down, the body’s turned but the skin keeps going in the original direction, and the huge feet kick up clods of grass at a thousand miles per hour…it’s hysterical!
Then they stop dead, legs splayed out like a mule, with a look on their face like “whewww, got that out of my system”. After a moment to collect themselves, they stand up straight and trot off. That’s a goober run. Kenai has at least one per day. A word to the wise: be sure they get outside enough to do it in the yard or the coffee table won’t ever be right again…
Kenai the stubborn finally gave up on the rock, and we went out front to pull some weeds. The rain has made everything so green, including the weeds. So I set to work, and Kenai decided to walk about a bit. I only had to remind him twice to stay out of the flowerbeds.
Last week, I had walked him up to each bed, put his foot on the mulch and said “No”, then moved him back and said “out of the flowerbed”. I didn’t think it would stick so quick. But he moved when I told him “out of the flowerbed” from ten feet. He amazes me sometimes with those brains!
And people amaze me sometimes for the lack of brains. Just before I needed a break, I noticed a neighbor was walking their dogs right into our driveway. They were off leash, and they ran up into our yard, tromping around in my flowers and marking everything more than 6 inches tall. They saw Kenai and started coming towards him with aggressive body language. That lab has charged my Mom before, so I was ready to deal with them.
Kenai came and sat next to me, and I stood up. Their owners just kept walking right around towards our back yard like they owned it until I said “hey, back off” to their dogs. If I hadn’t been there, they’d have just kept walking around…People are so darn rude. Anyway, the dogs and their idiots left without a word.
I like having neighbors who come to say hello, and have their dogs at least controlled if not leashed. No problem with that. But still, it takes considerable chuzpa to just walk your happy butt around someone elses’ property without so much as saying good morning, let alone asking permission. I wonder how many times they’ve walked around my yard when I wasn’t home…
I weeded until I was worn out, and Kenai the Calm was a good boy, napping in the sunshine. BB was stressed, being stuck in the house with my neice running around. When I came inside, Em had BB cornered in the kitchen and he was scared. She only wanted to play, but he was shaking and the hair on his back was up.
BB doesn’t handle things as well as Kenai, and has snapped at kids twice before. It was not a good situation. So I called her over and she played a little with Kenai while I picked up and held poor BB. Mike never got off the couch, watching that damn TV in another room while his kid was unsupervised…uhhg.
Well big brother recused little BB, taking all the rumpus of a little girl for him. I carried him while Kenai and Em walked beside me. I left the poor Beebster with Mom in their bedroom. Bless his heart, he was so upset, he was clinging to me like a cat with claws. Wonder how long he was chased around. And how much longer it would have been before he bit her.
After letting Em mess with Kenai awhile, I put him upstairs and took BB out for a little romp in the field. I’ve made myself some crop circles out there: dropped the mower deck and created some meandering pathways. I get wet halfway to my knees each morning during Kenai’s play time outside. So I scalped the grass down to keep my legs a little drier.
And it’s easier for BB to walk in. He will get into the taller grass for a little while, but he prefers to walk in the pathways–doesn’t have to hop as hard to get around. He’s been getting pain pills at night so he can sleep better. Lots of pain for that sweet fella. Pain or not, he loves his puppy play outside. He carries sticks around and never goes far from me.
I’m teaching him to retrieve, since he likes it so much. Best game in town! He picks up, carries, lets go, and the whole she-bang. On the couch he’s sort of blah, but get him outside and give him a stick and he lights up like a Christmas tree. Gotta keep his spirits up, with all the suffering he’s going to endure. Let him be happy however he can.
Well it’s time for my little caramel colored rocket rump to go back at that monster rock, now. He needs his runs outside to be good inside. I might just take the Beebster out too, once Kenai is tired. Swap pups with Mom. Big brother can play inside with Mom after the fuel boosters are empty!
I might just show little bro how to put the clump of weeds in the basket for me. Wouldn’t that be convenient–toss the weed, BB put it in the basket. And when he’s big enough, Kenai carry off the basket for me. Hey, I might be on to something here. Now if I could get them to put their toys away…
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 27, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/kenai-the-rock-monsterby-lisa-harmon/
Kenai having a photogenic moment, 16 wks old
Puppy moods are interesting things. They go through all kinds of emotions and their reactions are fascinatingly like ours sometimes. Sometimes they are a total puzzle. In the picture above, Kenai is feeling like “the man”, all proud and noble this morning. He didn’t goober run, tush tucked, racing here and there at a thosand miles per hour. No, this morning he trotted, and galloped, head up and tail out.
Even when we came in and little bro BB was making a pest of himself, Kenai maintained his dignity. At least until the teeth hit his ears. Nothing elegant about that reaction. They both wound up with a gentle leader strapped on. It must be like a bra for puppies, because they hate to wear them, and the relief when they get them off is visible…
Anyway, it was sad sacks and floppy pups for awhile. You can see the results, poor dears. All was quiet for a solid hour after the Gentle Leaders came off. Mom calls them the “happy leaders”, but there is nothing happy about it for them!! Just us, enjoying the sudden quiet.
You can also see a little of BB’s bad leg in the pic above. We still haven’t heard from Colombia about it, so we’ve put in a call to the vet there. The little guy is getting worse as far as walking on it and his pain level. Of course, he’s grown and inch so the problems are getting worse every day.
I got the book I was waiting for! It’s very small, but crammed full of doggie body language. It’s called ‘Calming Signals’ by Turid Rugaas. Just a quick read and I can tell there’s alot I haven’t been hearing from these two. I wrote page about it, kind of a book report. I’ve got to re-read it and think about what I can do with the knowledge.
But I was amazed that I was already using some ‘calming signals’ and didn’t know it. I would stand between the two when they started a bit of a rumpus, and sitting between them on the couch when they wouldn’t leave each other alone. I just figured since they ‘respected my space’ they wouldn’t try to cross over me to get to each other. Imagine that, our instincts and theirs sometimes overlap!
Still, last night I was coming into the living room with Kenai trotting along beside me, and I stopped to pick up the smokes I dropped. I just thought Kenai had stopped because I did. When I looked up I realized BB was doing THE STARE the whole time. He even had his nose wrinkled, looking for a fight. He got one.
No way could I get ahold of Kenai before he took off. It was the mother of all run-and-smush collisions, too. All 60 plus pounds of him rammed dead on into BB and rolled him hard. I can know everything in the world, but if I’m not paying attention it doesn’t do me any good…
Needless to say, BB was a bit deflated and hurting the rest of the night. His mood definitely changed. You’d think he’d learn not to do that!! I don’t know what got turned sideways in his puppy tush, but his brother sure knocked it out the other end…
Well, Kenai’s mood right now is returned to dignified. That’ll change since it’s time for me to get a good bath. Yesterday was so awful I didn’t even bother to wash my hair. So I’m looking forward to a long soapy soak. Kenai doesn’t have fits anymore, but he doesn’t like it. The bed gets put next to the tub and the door gets shut.
He has to lay there and wait for it to be over, the pitiful ball of fur. At least he gets some baby powder on his tummy, which he likes. He has to get used to it, since I plan to teach him how to help me get out of the tub without tenderizing my rump roast. The trials of a service dog are many, you know.
Speaking of service dog, Kenai’s had a few opportunities to practice his wait, stay, and come today. Not so hot today, but still done. I’ll get a good practice session in this afternoon, once he’s over the groggies. The rainy blah day seems to affect him a little, especially after the gentle leader this morning. I’ll get him interested and we’ll have some fun.
Dogs are excellent at avoiding conflict. We could learn something from the “lesser” creatures…
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 25, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/25/puppy-moodsby-lisa-harmon/
Kenai the scent hound! 16 wks
It’s already been a rough day for yours truely, starting at 6 am. Darn weather getting up my fibromyalgia. Last night I was too hot, having nightmares, and hurting like I’d jumped off a cliff. Didn’t sleep well. So the fatigue is pretty bad, too.
Kenai was bothered a little by the storm with the windows open, so he spent an hour or so in his crate. Just walked in real casual like. Next time I woke up, he was back on his big mattress. I took advantage of his sleepiness and got a little cuddling in!
Mom is a bit touchy, still waiting for the vets at Columbia to call about BB’s leg. It’s nervewracking for her. If they say there’s nothing they can do, we call OSU and give them a try. Danes are too big and heavy to do well after amputations, and at some point soon, BB will be too big and heavy to get him up and in a carrier. He won’t live long unless surgery is an option for him.
She’s also a bit ticked off at me, since I won’t watch BB all day while she’s gone. I just can’t. I cannot handle a pair of brothers whose greatest enjoyment is picking fights with each other. Not with a combined weight over 100 pounds. And for 6 hours or more at a stretch.
I’ve given in to the guilt and tried it before. Once was not bad, but the next time was horrible. I got completely exhausted and the pain…yikes. I had to recover for days afterwards: not able to cook, or exercise my own boy, train, nothing. Just lay in bed and try to ingore my shipwrecked body so I can rest. Two is way too much for me.
I understand that Mom doesn’t want BB crated for so long. Wouldn’t want to do that to Kenai, and arrange my appointments so I don’t. It makes me so terribly sad that it increases BB’s pain being confined–if anyone has a glimmer of the pain he’s in, it’s me. Being alone that long affects his emotions.
I wish I could accomodate. I really do. If they behaved well together, I’d seriously give it another try. But they don’t. With all that is going on in our house, I’m barely making it from breakfast to bed time. I’m sick all the time, and worse than I’ve been in a long time. It’s all stress. It’s all stress from being forced to live in other people’s dysfunction. I have enough of my own, thank you very much.
I knew this would happen, the “you can watch them both” thing. Part of what we agreed on before we brought the Beebster home was that she had to take care of him as if I wasn’t here. In a way, I’m really not here: the fibro and fatigue has removed me from the helpful category.
Our family has never understood the concept of boundaries. With Dad it was do what I want or else, who gives a crap how you feel. The pattern of ignoring what Mom or I need has continued with my brother Mike. It’s a subjugated lifestyle, and I cannot do it anymore, physically or emotionally.
I can’t dismiss my limitations because the consequences of ignoring them are misery: migraines, severe pain, anxiety attacks, exhuastion, irritable bowel, muscle weakness, acid reflux, nausea, mental fog…I can’t manage both boys, I just can’t. Another thing trying to make me feel guilty and helpless.
The weather isn’t the only thing gloomy today. I’m sorry, it’s my troubles, not yours, and you likely didn’t come here to read all about it. I’ll pull up a better mood. I enjoy writing something that’s amusing, as well as helpful to others. Funny is just trying to play catch me if you can right now.
Anyway…about the boys:
There are sight hounds and scent hounds. I’ve got one of each. Kenai and his nose are something else. Left to himself, he glues his nose the ground and follows trails like a bloodhound in a Dane’s body. And at our place, there are trails aplenty: foxes, coyotes, groundhogs, neighbor’s cats…no shortage of interesting smells for my stinker.
His brother is a sight hound, and seems to have better vision than Kenai. I wonder about that, but I don’t know how a puppy’s vision develops and sharpens. It may just be that Kenai is more attuned to the nose business than BB. It’s not like BB can get up and chase a smell. Maybe he just uses his eyes for recognition of things more. Kenai has to smell the treat, and BB has to see it.
Kenai is responding well to the stepped up training, and I’m always certain to conjure up a happy mood to practice in. We do 5 or 10 minutes of formal practice a couple times a day, but our routine involves the necessary commands alot. Like stay while I put on his leash, or wait so we can go out the door together.
He’s an awfully good boy already. I’m so very glad I started him on the commands from the day we got home, even if I made a few minor mistakes (who knew SD training was so particular?). The boy is also growing like a fiend! He’s 28″ long and tall. I haven’t weighed him in a couple weeks, but I’m estimating he’s well over 60 pounds. I can barely pick him up now. He’s still a tank too, the big little guy.
I managed to get him out the door today in a mild rain. It was a lift and shove the rump until the front end moved forward kind of thing. He did his duty and was ready to head for the door. Playing had to wait until the water wasn’t coming from above! But when it stopped, there was gallavanting galore.
Everything smells different after a rain, and that nose kept itself busy. He got nice and muddy, but cleaned up without a problem. Or a full blown bath. That would be a not-nice way to start the day! He hates to get wet.
I’m pulling ticks off regularly now, so I’m gonna have to do something about that. Some flea and tick products can cause neurological reactions. I’ve had it happen to two dogs, so I’m currently surfing around for information on herbal or non-toxic tick repellants. There’s lots of stuff for fleas, but I guess ticks are a tougher critter to keep at bay.
Tomorrow is a new day, maybe it’ll be better.
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 24, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/one-of-eachby-lisa-harmon/
Kenai listening to the turkeys, 15 wks
Kenai had is first official service dog obedience class today, and he did very well. The slight skittishness with the wheel chair was a new development, which he got over right away. And he conquered the umbrella scares!! (Good Boy, Buddy). It’s normal at his age to start being shy of things he hasn’t shied from before.
But he wouldn’t do what the trainer asked of him, especially when I walked away. I had to tell him, or walk with him next to the wheelchair. I think he’s bonded to me…maybe a little?
I made several mistakes, which wouldn’t make any difference in an ordinary puppy class. First, I’ve been bending down to call Kenai to come. Can’t do that, because if I put him in a sit stay, he has to stay there if I bend down to pick something up. So I have to pay attention and think about every movement or word I use.
To give you some idea of how infernally detailed service dog obedience is, I learned right off the bat that there is a difference between “stay” and “wait”. Stay with an open palm hand signal means stay forever until I come to you. That way there’s no running across the street again to come back to me…Stop dead and grow roots until I get there.
Wait with a closed hand signal means Kenai waits until I give another command like come or down. Ooops. Guess who was using them interchangeably…But being the way-too-smart-for-Mom’s-good puppy that he is, Kenai learned the wait command in about 10 minutes. No mistakes on his part!
It is tremendously tiring to concentrate so hard for an hour, being aware at all times what I am doing and what Kenai is doing. I’m not a good multi-tasker! I can talk to you, or I can pay attention to Kenai’s body movement. But I can’t seem to manage both just yet!
To be fair to myself, I was exhausted, foggy, and in fair amount of pain. But I still have to be able to know the moment he moves, and be fully aware of my own body’s movement until it becomes second nature to me. It will, I’m sure. It did with Shabah, (past loves page). That sort of intimate connection takes time, and my little buddy’s only been with me for 8 weeks.
As well as Kenai does, and as calm as he is, he’ll do fine. And we’ll get to know each other extremely well over the next couple of months, as his (our) training intensifies. It’s so much more work than ordinary obedience class–every nitpicky detail has immense importance for some part of the training to come.
BB on the other hand, has just today manifested a potentially dangerous behavior: he growled and snapped at some kids. Twice. In different places. That is completely unacceptable. He is in pain, yes, and he is insecure at times. But growling and snapping will cost him his life if it isn’t stopped.
So Mom and I have put our heads together and realized that BB hasn’t been anywhere but Melba’s house (no kids, no dogs) without his brother. He feels secure here at home, so he hasn’t growled at Emily when she comes for Mike’s visitation. But this weekend BB will be totally monitored. Kenai is BB’s security blanket. Hummm.
So we will be getting with the trainer next week, and she will thoroughly evalute him. When he got nasty today, I grabbed his muzzle and made him get petted anyway–cannot let him think that growling means people go away. I did that with Shabah, and it became dangerous. No more babying the baby, either: he isn’t going to be hiding under tables or between our legs anymore.
Mom knows now why I was pushing her to socialize him more on his own. Lesson learned for her, and she’s going to get after it now. He’s a smart boy, and a sweet boy. He just needs to become secure and confident. So does she, really. So they do it together.
Kenai was very glad to see me when we got home. It seems strange, but you want at least a small amount of seperation anxiety in a service dog: they go where you go constantly, so they have to actually want to be with you all the time. Oh, it can’t get to the point that they are nervous wrecks or destructive. But the desire to never be seperated is a highly valuable trait in an SD.
I can leave Kenai for 1 or 2 hours, but he’s big time cuddle boy when I get home. He can be left in my bedroom without tearing things up. But I struggle with an anxiety disorder at times, so unless he’s crated, I worry that he’s jumped off my bed and hurt himself, or gotten into some kind of a problem. I’m a ninny…
I think if I just get a blasted rug for the end of my bed, I wouldn’t worry so much about him falling on the hardwood floor. But have I done it yet? Duh. I feel more relaxed if he’s crated, but I don’t want to crate him anymore since he’s housebroken. I’d love to let him be loose downstars eventually. He’s not a destructive pup, so I bet he’ll get to that point soon.
I am sooo tired right now. At least I have a couple hours to snore with the pooch before supper needs starting. Any bets on whether or not he rolls on his back and snuggles up for some pack time?
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Tagged
anxiety,
chronic fatigue,
fibro fog,
fibromyalgia,
great dane,
great dane puppy,
growling puppy,
insecure puppy,
littermates,
obedience training,
puppy socialization,
puppy training,
service dog puppy training,
service dog training
Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 23, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/i-cant-multi-taskby-lisa-harmon/
Kenai enjoying a wander after the rain, 15 wks old
There are so many questions showing up from search engines about puppy troubles: diarrhea, vaccinations, growth, and training are the top hits. I certainly hope people are finding the answers here that they are looking for. Great Danes are a heartbreak breed, having so many potential afflictions. Their recent popularity is both a blessing and a curse.
As a breed, they are so easy to train and live with compared to higher energy breeds. They mature emotionally around 2 years old, settling in to a life of couches and companionship. They have great sensitivity and intelligence, too. The genetic state of Danes has become quite dismal, with inheritable diseases epidemic. Rare is the breeding line that doesn’t have at least one life threatening disease appear.
It seems much of the training and behavior problems come when owners don’t realize that Danes are different, a specialty breed: They must be trained from the moment you bring them home, they must be indoors, and calmness must be encouraged. The sheer size of a Dane makes a spinning, jumping, running puppy become dangerous as they grow. The idea that “they’ll just grow out of it” doesn’t work, not for Danes, and honestly, not for any dog.
A silly and immature adult Dane is a problem child, and when you look at that sweet happy face at 8 wks old, you must never ever forget that next month they will be 20 pounds heavier. And in a year, over 100 pounds. If you do not want a certain behavior at that size, do not allow it in a brand new puppy. It is necessary to encourage calmness and maturity in a puppy, and discourage wildness or disobedience.
It is more simple than you think, but you have to think about all the ways you are working against yourself: hitting the easy button or unintentionally teaching something you regret later. Puppies will be excitable, and that is normal. But an excited puppy shouldn’t be fed or given affection because it encourages that behavior. It doesn’t matter how young the Dane is, you begin setting that precedent from day one.
Don’t put the food bowl down until they sit and wait. Do not give them a toy if they have nipped you or pounced on you to get it. Teach them to down stay when a child comes to pet them. Take away the treat if they are jumping for it. Make them sit and wait at the door if they are prone to charge out the moment it opens.
If they start acting wild or destructive so you put them out to run, then crate them instead for a time or you will create a cycle of bad behavior: destroy something=get to go play. Have a fit=get a new bone to quiet me down. You can see the unintentional ways we can cause an unwanted behavior to continue! Create a routine instead, and don’t vary from it. Include lots of interactive play, and exercise: a tired dog is better behaved.
All these things teach a puppy that self control and politeness will bring the things they desire because it is what YOU desire. If you’ve got an adult who still behaves like a wild puppy, then do the same things: no food, toys, treats, or walks until they are calmer and have earned it.
As for Dane illnesses, especially with puppies, the first year of their lives is minefield. I cannot say it enough: be cautious about breeders! A good website can fool even an experienced Dane owner until they start asking questions. I have an entire page about buying a Dane puppy. Alot of breeders will not fit into my requirements. Most, in fact.
If you are a first time buyer or have had bad luck with Danes in the past, I beg you to be a total pain in the whatits when looking at breeders! AKC papers mean nothing anymore. It only proves that the pup isn’t a mixed mutt. It says nothing about the health and temperment you can expect, so don’t be fooled by it. All my sickly and temperment troubled rescues had AKC papers.
Some breeders will say they test their bitches’ hips, but if they have bred them before testing, look out. They’re willing to cut corners. If they say one or two pups have had a thyroid problem, but hey, the rest were fine, run for the hills. If the dogs don’t fit the conformation standard, don’t buy the pups. If they are breeding “off” colors like merlequins, fawnequins, or the breeding stock is bad tempered, go elsewhere. You’ll hear “color pure” and “European pedigree”, but ask about the health of the pups they sold 6 years ago…
Look and study about Danes. Know before you go look at a breeder’s stock what is standard conformation and accepted colors. This can seem over the top, but a best in show doesn’t guarantee the dog’s pup won’t have hip dysplasia or wobbler’s disease. With all the love, money, and effort you will put into raising your Dane, it is your right to be particular. You need to, or you can pay for it later with heartache and vet bills.
Even choosing a breeder with the greatest of care, you can still have health problems with your puppy if you are not knowledgable about their needs. Cheap food can damage their growth. Not having a good orthopedic bed even for a puppy can cause them joint problems later. Allowing them to jump for toys or off of high perches can wreck their hips and shoulders…
If I sound like a ninny, I’m not. Everything I’ve mentioned here comes from hard experience: there is a past love behind every warning. Before you give up on buying a Great Dane, though, realize that I have yet to meet a person who had a good Dane and could be satisfied with another breed! They will win your heart for life if you give them the chance to become the best dog you’ll ever have.
A Dane puppy’s growth is astonishing. You can expect them to be long and lanky for a solid year, and let them stay skinny! Overfeeding causes more problems than underfeeding. The first six months it is normal for them to grow an inch a week and nearly a pound a day. The wake up in a new body after every nap! It is also normal for the back end to be a little higher than the front at times, or the back to hunch a little bit. But watch for splaying feet, or bowing in the legs, as this is a nutritional problem.
Puppies also have a tendency to pick up every cootie on earth: vaccinations really are important, as is keeping them and their environment clean. Puppy immune systems are not well developed, and they can get all kinds of infections and bacterial overgrowths. Some are fatal like parvo, and some are annoying like the coccidia overgrowths my current tots had. As a new Dane owner, be prepared to see the vet from time to time.
If you get them through their first year, you can start to relax a bit about their health and growth. Typically, Danes will begin to fill out in the chest and muscle a bit unless they were neutered–neutering will cause a Dane to grow very tall and weedy looking. It is testosterone that gives a male dog a solid appearance, with strong heavy bones and lots of muscle.
Past one year, the biggest worry for a Dane owner is bloat or traumatic injury. They are adolescents from 12-18 months old, and are intense about everything, including play. They will usually play very hard, and can really aggravate other dogs! Here again, their obedience training, and your insistance on calm behavior will be as important as it was at 3 months old.
Other than bloat, you get to just enjoy your adult from 2 years old until about 6 years old, when they start to get old. Danes age as fast as they grew, and the muzzle will start to go grey. Arthritis rears its ugly head, as can Wobbler’s disease. Your being so fussy about the bloodlines health and longevity will pay off in old age. And having had good orthopedic (expensive!!) beds, high quality food, and good vet care during their lives will give you more years with less problems.
Danes die young. The average life span is a wretched 7 years. Good care and good genes can give you 10 years with your Dane. Don’t expect more. Enjoy the blessing if you are fortunate enough to have more than 10 years! There are some Danes who live to 12 or even 14 years old with good quality of life.
Danes are worth the worry and expense. They are expensive dogs, with a huge list of potential problems. The extraordinary intellegence, gentleness, entertainment, and companionship is worth all the effort. Of all the breeds I’ve owned, I can say from my heart that there is nothing like a Dane.
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 21, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/so-many-questionsa-long-post-by-lisa-harmon/
Kenai and Emily, 15 weeks old.
What a Saturday!! For the first time, Kenai was more tired than I was at the end of the day. I got to watch the Gaither’s on TV. The only interruption was some mild puppy snoring. We started off the day playing with my neice, Emily. They went walking together, looking at things together, and not until she started running with him did he get excitable and have to be corrected. No swatting, little boy…
Kenai was very very very good, and I decided to put him through the sausage grinder and see how far he could be pushed: I showed Emily how to gently play with his feet, his lips, his tail, his nose, his tummy, his toys, and even with the ears. She leaned on him, sat on the couch with him, and generally messed with his parts!
He crawled behind me on the couch when it was over, but he laid there and took it until Em was bored–almost 20 minutes. He’s gonna be just fine with her, and she hasn’t once tried to be too rough with him. I’m still gonna be vigilant, though. They are both quite young, and he’s already 15 pounds bigger than she is.
You may have noticed I’ve been putting my name in the post title: some pings are coming back with someone else saying they wrote it. As long as the ping comes to this site, I can put my name in the title so every reader knows who really did write it. It’s not like this is great literature, but all the same, it is my life story, mine and Kenai’s.
Anyway, after a morning of playing with Emily, we gathered the two furry toddlers up and went to the park for a Dane Day out. (greatdane meetup site link to the right). There were about 10 Danes there, from 15 weeks to 4 years old, and the boys had themselves 2 solid hours of mucking about with other dogs.
Kenai was fearless with the big guys, and friendly to the people came over to see the Danes (a pack like that is hard to miss!) I had a happy incindent: someone walked up to Kenai while I wasn’t watching him, and the SUPER good boy popped a pretty sit and waited for his attention! The practice is paying off about sitting politely…believe it or not, some of it sinks in, even when they’re in stubborn puppy mode!
Kenai and BB having a little fun with Memphis at the park. And mixing it up with the big guys too!
Little BB did great, though he laid down most of the time. When one of the adult Danes started barking, he got a little skittish, but big brother came to the rescue: Kenai parked his brown bottom right next to him and BB relaxed. And Memphis, the blue pup that is the same age, lay down next to BB for a little swatting and nippy play. So BB had fun too.
The two stinkers were so worn out, they slept all the way home in the car, not even waking up when we made a stop for bread and milk. They slept all evening, and all night too! Oh how peaceful was our living room last night! I hurt like the devil from the extertion, darn fibromyalgia, but it was a fun day.
It is so hard to believe Kenai and BB will be 4 months old next Tuesday. It doesn’t seem possible, really. And two months after that, he will be vested and entering any store or place I want to go as a true service dog in training. The next time I walk into a college classroom, it will be with Kenai the SDit…
We have so much to learn and practice, that it can be intimidating. I try not to think about it too much, or I get anxious. So right now I’m focusing on basic obedience practice: sit, down, stay, come, stand, pick up, let go. Like all puppies, he has his strengths and weaknesses in the repetoire. But overall, I think he has an excellent, calm personality.
Kenai’s learning words like “pull” means resistance on the collar or pack, “don’t pull” means loose leash walking, “slow” if he’s moving ahead of me, and “carry” when he wants to trot along with a stick or toy in his mouth. He just naturally does these things, and I want him to know the word for the task training later. Or sooner, if he just keeps on doing new tricks!
How good your dog is depends on how well you trained your puppy…take the time now or pay for it later!
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 20, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/tuckered-out-totsby-lisa-harmon/
Kenai and BB practicing for puppy school, 15 weeks old
I hate the photo eye thing in my puppy pictures, but this one was so good otherwise, I decided to keep it. They are both such good boys! Kenai has his cropped ears untaped for this pic, and they are standing purty darn well. Glad for small blessings.
You can see how far behind physically little BB is, but he really enjoys getting his treats and attention. So puppy school practice for the little bro too! The trainer’s back and they start puppy school next week.
If Kenai can pay attention when his little brother is around, he can pay attention through most anything. And they have about a 10 minute attention span on good days. Zero, zilch, nada, nyit at times too. But they’re just youngins as the “God and guns” people say (Not cool, Obama, ya snob). I don’t usually get into politics on blog, but that one irritated me.
Anyway, Kenai had a busy day yesterday, having Wade and Melba come over in the morning and going to the vet to get his ears retaped in the afternoon. There was a playful boxer mix pup at the vet, and they had themselves some fun while waiting their turn to do the necessary not-nice stuff.
She was a spunky little thing, too. She tried ramming into Kenai, and naturally, bounced off like a tennis ball. His paw covered her entire head when he’d gently play swat. But she wasn’t intimidated at all. It was entertaining.
The boys behaved themselves very well with my neice last night. Kenai went on short walks with Em, holding the end of his leash. He stayed beside her, with me behind holding the middle of the leash of course. And she “taught” him to sit, down, and stay–he did what she said and you’d think it was the best thing since biscuits and jam! Big giggles and girlie squeals!
She had a whole bag full of her plush toys, and the boys wanted so bad to get some slobber on them. But being told no a couple times was all it took for them to leave Em’s toys alone. Even when she would set the toy on their backs or feet, saying “You hold that, Kenai” or “BB don’t let Kenai have that” they wouldn’t put their mouths on it. I thought that took considerable restraint for pups not yet 4 months old!
We didn’t stay long, coming upstairs to rest since we’d been on the run all day. Kenai was totally bushed: he collapsed on his bed at 8pm and didn’t get up until 5 am this morning. Nothing could get the rocket rump up to go out last night, not even a liver treat. I stood him up twice and he never made it to the stairs. Me and thee, bud…
And today will be busy too: my boy is going to have a good long romp before we go to the Dane Meetup this afternoon. Running and romping makes a boy too tired to misbehave! We’ve gotten together some Dane owners and are having play dates to let the big dogs run. Kenai’s “littermate in a past life”, Memphis, will be there: he’s as smart and stubborn as my guy so they should be peas in a pod. I’m hoping for a good turn out, and lots of good pictures.
So tonight the boys will either be wiped out or tired puppy hyper! Let’s hope for the wiped out, since Em may be here again this evening. I think supper will be a casserole tonight, since I don’t get hyper when I’m tired, I just get tired. I don’t know if Em’s ever had tuna casserole, but if she doesn’t want it her Daddy can get up and make her something else. I’m gonna throw everything in a pan, bake it, and call it good.
I got a very good picture yesterday of a friend with her Dane in is new service dog harness. The Duke-ster looks so handsome! I’ve added it to the SD training page. Kind of a preview of Kenai in a year and a half. It’s encouraging to me, too. It’s so hard to imagine that Kenai will be wearing a vest and walking into a grocery store two months from now. How will we ever get there that fast?! Correction, how will I ever get there that fast…
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 19, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/pick-a-pair-for-puppy-schoolby-lisa-harmon/
Like my new bed, Mom! Kenai, 15 weeks old.
Today will be a quiet day at home. The new beds finally came, and appearantly they are awfully nice. Once I put a familiar old blanket over top anyway. Kenai plopped down and let out a huge puppy sigh, going right to sleep. His stools were loose again early this morning, but are normal now, so I figure it was just the upset of the past several days.
Kenai is pretty stressed out by the past few days. Nothing’s been normal for him since last week. Great Danes have a problem with not normal–they like their routines. I had a Dane, Brazos, who would cry and fuss if the furniture was rearranged! Spring cleaning was traumatic, silly guy.
All in all, Kenai held up well for such a little guy. His behavior is a bit different, but I expect he’ll be back to his usual self in a day or two. Right now though, he’s a cuddle monster, which is not typical behavior. But I’m not complaining! I like puppy cuddles. They’re good things. I can’t figure out how something so bony could be so soft too.
He was intense about his run today too. His morning constitutional was heavy on the rocket runs: straight on and full out. For two days he’s been eating junk on the ground and completely ignoring me when I call him again. So I thought, “let’s do a little puppy school”, in hopes of reminding him. Uh-huh. Yeah…
It was not a shining success. He wasn’t in the mood. So I’m going to have to get a long retractable leash for the feild recall, at least for a while. He’s just bent out of shape at the moment, so I won’t be too concerned about it affecting his training.
I haven’t heard from his SD trainer so I don’t know if he’ll start official puppy school next week or not. She had a family emergency a couple weeks ago. But I’ve slacked a bit too long, so next week will be daily outings and two a day practices. We need to get started, even if I do it on my own.
By next week, as long as we don’t have the craziness of Emily all weekend again, Kenai should be back to normal. I hope against hope he doesn’t go into that tired puppy hyper mode today. It seems when he is tired, he gets this burst of hyper energy. The same thing happens when he’s shy on exercise. I’m worn down to dirt from the past few days myself: a weekend of wild 2 year old and driving 750 miles in two days.
I am getting concerned about Kenai’s nibbling at his legs. The stairs are becoming a problem for him–he’ll go up, but he won’t come down. I’m back to carrying him. At 50 pounds, that’s gotta change. So I’m calling a builder friend to turn the stairs into a long ramp. It will be steep, but hopefully he can do it for us.
Finally, there isn’t much to report! A quiet day is good medicine. The weather is warm and nice, pushing 70 F, so maybe Kenai will be calm enough to let me get some yard work done. Wouldn’t that be great…Can’t do much today or I’ll be a gimpy wreck tonight.
But heck, I can sit in a chair in the sunshine when I get tired. Take a bed outside, flop the pup down on it, and wander through daydreams for a spell. As long as he’s had some play time, Kenai should co-operate with that relaxing plan.
He better anyway, or I’ll gorilla glue his hindquarters to the bed! Yeah, I know the problem with that idea: I can just see Kenai running around the yard with a bed stuck to his butt, bobbing up and down like a buoy…not to mention the white taped-ear antlers!
Puppies are like kids: they belch in front of company, run when you tell them to sit, and never hold still long enough to get a really good picture to prove to the disbelieving that they can be perfect…
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on April 16, 2008
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/getting-back-to-normalby-lisa-harmon/
Kenai looking out the window, 17 wks.
Dane Jowels…Kenai 17 wks old. Wait until he’s grown into all that skin. You’d drool too if you had lips that size!
