OT: I've got a new partner-in-crime Options

[dbgriffith75]

So my wife and I have been wanting to get a new dog- especially since we just moved to a new place that actually allows us to have pets. So we finally got one this last Wednesday...

[Attempt 1]

...Hopefully that pic shows up. Nope? Okay, time for upload....

[Attempt 2]


There we go. So anyway, his name is Tender, and he's a Merle Great Dane. At 9 weeks old he should be bigger than he is, but this guy was born in a litter of seventeen pups.

We found him on the 'net and drove 3 hours one way to get him. He was pretty scared and skittish the first couple of days, but by now he's really warmed up to us and is getting excited about his new surroundings.

But if you've ever heard anything about Great Danes, you may have heard that they're pretty much lazy dogs. So far, this is true. He plays for maybe 1/2 hr to 1 hr and then it's nap time for like 3 hours, haha. Little guy has wicked dreams though. The other day he was kicking and twitching in his sleep so bad he fell off the couch!

And so far, the house training is coming along well. The only accidents he's had inside are because the wife and I are still trying to recognize his "signs" that he needs to go outside. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

But we did take him to the vet today just to get him checked out- vet says he couldn't be a healthier puppy, which is good news for us. We did a lot of research prior to buying him and learned that nutrition for large dogs in general is key to their being healthy. Not that it's not important for other breeds, but large dogs especially need a good diet for a healthy life.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce y'all to him. Right now he's drinking out of my water glass......... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[davep]

Congratulations. As a dog breeder, I'd offer this bit of advice.
A Dane is a big dog, and will be a 'puppy' for about two years; the bigger they will be, the longer it takes to mature. So be careful of the diet you feed them. There are some specific diets for large breed puppies from such outfits like Royal Canin, they can really help. Start obedience training early, and it helps to do some research on this as well; the big thing is to write up a list of commands you need to teach, and then be consistent with these commands. The hardest thing to do is to unteach a command because it was used improperly. Example OFF to get off the couch, or off of someone; use DOWN to get the dog to lie down. Also, use WAIT to get the dog to stay in position until you call it to COME; use STAY to get the dog to stay in position until you come back beside it and release it. Too often I see commands used incorrectly, and the dog gets confused.

Best of luck, I'm sure you will have many years of enjoyment.