Update on my new boy

It's been a little over a month now since Justin Hayward, the Great Dane, joined my household. As detailed in this post from last month, I got Justin from Gentle Giants Rescue, and he was just over a year old.

I knew there would be a period of adjustment--for BOTH of us--and I'd say we're still in it, although things are moving along nicely.

Justin had terrible separation anxiety issues, completely understandable considering how he'd been--in HIS mind--abandoned more than once. (It's unfortunate that pets can't have things explained to them, like "your mom is dying of cancer and THAT'S why she has to give you up, not because she doesn't love you or you've done anything wrong," and instead they just know that the person(s) they loved abandoned them.) The first day I had him he literally couldn't stay on the other side of the bathroom door when I'd go in there. Then over the next few days I made sure I shut the door so he had to wait on the other side--and he did, but whining a pitiful whine. A few more days and he stopped whining and just settled down on the carpet and waited for me to reappear. NOW he doesn't even bother following me at times!

He reacted similarly when I'd move out of his line of sight by going outside, like to turn the sprinklers on or put something in the trash. He'd watch through the window until losing sight of me, then he'd start whining and yelping, running around the house trying to get a glimpse of me.

Proud "parent" of a rescued dog merchandise
Leaving him home for short trips out, like doctor appointments or picking up prescriptions, was a BIG DEAL. My mom would stay here with him, but the moment he'd lose sight of me as I backed out of the driveway, he'd start running wildly around the house, yelping and whining and barking. Twice he pooped...in the house. *sigh* (Trust me on this, there's just NOTHING like Great Dane shit in the house!)

I made it a point to work on his separation anxiety by gradually increasing the number of short trips I made. Prior to leaving I'd make sure my mom had a nice big snack--something Justin could chew on for a long time--to give him shortly after I left. And when I'd get home--and he'd be FRANTICALLY running around me, yelping and nipping at me because he was so happy to see me--I'd very calmly walk in, say in a calm, soft voice "come on, Justin, let's go outside," and we'd go out and let him calm down. I knew that, over time, as he saw the pattern of "Mommy goes out, Mommy comes back," he'd calm down and not worry any more, and we're ALMOST there. I was out for over two hours yesterday and my mother reported that he was the best he's been so far. He watched me leave but settled down quickly. Also, when I get home now he's no longer frantically excited. He's still happy to see me, but it's just a lot calmer!

Let's see, what else? Oh, I bathed him for the first time yesterday--and he loved it. He's going to be a lot of fun this summer--I'll get him a wading pool and let him have at it. When I'm TRYING to fill up the birdbaths Justin insists on darting in and out between the nozzle and the birdbath, biting at the water stream and trying to get wet. Of course when he does that, the water bounces off of him and onto me. Oh well, I'm waterproof.

He had his first official visit with my vet today. (I'd taken him in earlier this month just to introduce him and weigh him.) There's an area on his neck/chest that's been itching for a couple days, and he's scratched/licked it raw. The vet took scrapings but didn't find anything, so we're treating it topically with Betagen and we'll revisit it in a week if he's not better. We tried to get his weight, but he refused to stay still and/or not lean on the wall long enough to get an accurate reading! Based on how much he'd gained earlier this month, they recorded his weight as 138--which is a 15 pound gain since I got him on December 12. Like I said, we know that's not accurate, but he's somewhere in the 130s.

When it comes to clipping his nails, Justin is the easiest dog I've EVER had. He just lies there and doesn't act fazed by it at all. I thought my beautiful Freddie was pretty good about it, but Justin is amazing.

Also today we had our first outing to Petco.

It's so weird having an [almost] adult Dane whose behavior in any given situation is an unknown to me. I mean, he's VERY sweet and friendly, but I don't feel that I truly KNOW yet how he'll react to strangers, either human or non-human. So I made it a point both at the vet's office and Petco to tell people I've only had him a month, and I'm unsure of what to expect. He was good with the dogs he met today, and he's always good with people he meets.

I'll post some new pics of Justin one of these days. I'm too lazy right now to dump them from my camera, so it'll have to wait!

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It's a boy! A really BIG one :)

After my beautiful Freddie Mercury, a black Great Dane, died on October 16, 2008, I was so heartbroken and missed him so badly I was inconsolable. Within months of his death I was [finally] diagnosed with the brain tumor that had turned my life upside down for 5+ years, making it impossible to work and, ultimately, impossible to stand up [without falling over], drive, or do most anything else.

In April 2009 I had middle fossa craniotomy brain surgery to remove the tumor. I knew the surgery was a big deal going in, but even so I didn't expect its recovery to be so long and so difficult. But it has been.

Between the two things, i.e., losing Freddie [and missing him so much] and having profoundly debilitating brain surgery [and its very long, difficult recovery], I couldn't even THINK about adopting another dog...until now. I've finally accepted that my physical issues are not going to improve much more, if at all. The exhaustion I feel every single day--which makes a nap a necessity--is, I think, permanent. As are the vision problems, some residual facial paralysis, etc.

So I got to thinking about adopting a new dog, a Great Dane (they're my favorite and I just really, strongly prefer them), and how that would play out all things considered. I applied at Gentle Giants Rescue more than a year ago, knowing full well that at that time I wasn't even CLOSE to being physically well enough to have a new dog. But I figured I'd get the application process out of the way, and then adopt when I was ready. I was approved, but then the clock kept ticking and months went by, and I still wasn't physically--or emotionally--ready to bring a new dog into my life. In July of this year I felt ready, so I contacted Burt [Ward, yes THAT Burt Ward--he and his amazing wife Tracy run Gentle Giants Rescue] to let him know I was ready. I hadn't realized that the application approval was only good for 6 months...so I did it again! It's a DAUNTING process--it took me at least three hours to fill out the application--but there isn't one thing I'd change about it. They're absolutely committed to doing the right thing for the dogs they rescue and adopt out, and I LOVE that they're so detail-oriented and want to know the same kinds of things I'd want to know about prospective adoptive parents.

Long story short, I was approved again and was all ready to go...then my little girl, Joy Noelle (she's a cat, but thinks she's a Great Dane...oh, she's a rescue, too), became deathly ill. It took a long time, many visits to our vet, lots of medication and special food and forced feeding to get her well, and in the meantime I didn't want to stress her by bringing in a new family member. So I waited!

Finally, it was time. I was ready, Joy was healthy, it was time.

I had my heart set on a puppy. In my LONG experience, puppies are just so special. They're cute and sweet and, oh!, that puppy breath. I had mixed feelings about bringing an adult Dane home...it's hard to explain, but I felt like he'd be invading Freddie's territory somehow. Besides, when you get a puppy they bond with you and...I don't know. I just thought I wanted a puppy. But GGR didn't have any right now. I decided to go take a look anyway, knowing there were only adult Danes available at the moment.

My mom came with me and we headed out there on Saturday, December 11. Burt and Tracy were warm and gracious and made us feel right at home. The first dog I saw was an almost 3 year old Harlequin male, and I liked him a lot. The second was a 1 year old black female who looked eerily like my favorite female Dane of all time, Star (I'd even brought a picture with me, which coincidentally showed Star when she was about the same age, and they could've been twins...except Star died in 1986). I didn't want a black (couldn't even consider it because of Freddie) and I didn't want a female, so I dismissed this sweet girl. Then it happened.

The INSTANT Tracy brought the next dog out, I KNEW. I mean really, just like that. He's just over a year old and is a Mantle (one of the unofficial Great Dane colors--black and white, but not like a Harlequin; Mantles have big areas of black and white and may, as this one does, have some spotting as well). In just minutes I asked Tracy if she'd think it was weird if I said I already knew this was the one, and she said no, not at all. I told her, "I'm done! I don't need to see any more!"

This boy is as sweet as can be, and when you look in his eyes you see an old soul. (Freddie was like that, too.) He's thin right now because he's been stressed (family issues that led to him being given up), but *TALL* and sweet and beautiful. Once he gains back his weight and finishes growing, he's going to be spectacular.

(As I'm typing this--with my laptop in my lap on my bed--he's pushing my arms constantly as he stretches while dozing...on my bed, of course.)

I know I keep referring to him as "he" and there's a reason for that--I don't have a name yet. He's already had two names, Lieutenant and Zen, neither of which does anything for me, but once we've spent a little time together something will jump up and hit me as the right name. UPDATE: 12/14/10 -- We have a name! From the same woman who came up with Freddie Mercury and Queen for her last two Great Danes, I'd like to introduce...Justin Hayward (yes, as in the Moody Blues). Perfect!

Because it was late Saturday before Tracy could take him in for his pre-release vet check, we decided that we'd wait until the next day to come pick him up. And yesterday that's exactly what we did. He was great on the ride home--about 50 miles, settling down on the blanket I'd put in the back of my RAV4, and snuggling up with the toy I'd bought him just before heading out there.

When we got home I took him straight into the backyard, on lead, and let him sniff and explore as much as he wanted. Then we headed inside--where my cats were waiting, oblivious to the fact they'd just acquired a "little" brother! They had varied reactions ranging from puffing out their tails like bottle brushes, to hissing, to hiding up on the highest bookcases and giving the dog death glares (Joy Noelle!), to downright indifference. One of the cats swatted at his face when he got too close, and he jumped back and yelped. (He was not hurt.) They'll work it out. I've been doing this for MANY, many years and my pets always get along. It's a house rule!

Here are some pics. First, Freddie with his favorite toy, Teddy Bear:



Freddie contemplating life near the end of his...I took this picture just a few weeks before he died:



This is how I like to picture my Fredster now. This picture was taken up in the mountains above Azusa, but I like to think of him standing like that, gazing out from his vantage point now at Rainbow Bridge:



And now, drumroll please!, my new boy. These were taken moments after arriving home with him yesterday. To me, it looks like he's wondering "...is this one it? is this my home now? or is she going to give me back?":





These are from last night, after he'd come inside and had a chance to figure it all out:



His favorite of two new toys I bought yesterday; we've named the toy Rocky J Squirrel:





"Uh-oh! What's that?! Oh, it's a CAT!!" (This was RIGHT before he ran over to the cat--who promptly swatted his face.):




Freddie's food/water stand a couple days after he died. It took a while before I could bring myself to empty the few morsels of food Freddie left in the bowl that last night before he died.




Same place, different stand and bowls; my new boy's first dinner at home:






"Good morning, Mommy! Wow, I slept really well. OUR bed is super comfy!"








So there you have it. For now! I couldn't be more thrilled with the gorgeous, sweet, loving boy I've been blessed with--and if you're thinking about getting a pet, PLEASE adopt. There are millions...really, millions...of cats, dogs, birds, ferrets and many other domesticated animals waiting for good homes. It's so worth it--for BOTH parties.

And last but not least: HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED OR NEUTERED

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