Remember that one time about 3 1/2 years ago that I bought a puppy?

Cute. Sweet. Little tiny puppy.

And then he started growing…. In size and personality.

I knew my sweet pups would grow.. and grow.

I just didn’t realize that he would continue to grow, and grow, and grow.. and of course grow!

I got the pups because I’ve always wanted a “large dog”.. It’s actually on my bucket list. So, I went through large dog breeds, and researched their personalities, quirks, aggressiveness, and then compared them to the lifestyle I have to make sure things matched.

Great Dane, that’s the breed I settled on, cause why not “go big”… and if I’m going big, why not get a male so I would have the bigger version of big.

Growing up, we had “medium-large” mutt dogs… aka little tiny puppies in comparison and let’s be honest, no one gave a second glance to.

So, as mentioned, my pups continued to grow… I learned how to train him, keeping in mind how big he would get, and wanting to make sure I trained him to be large. Which meant, training him to not take food, to not tear things up, to sit, stay, leave it, no, go, move, get out-of-the-way, come, back up, and a plethora of other practical commands.

Trust, “leave it” and “get out-of-the-way” are two of the most handy commands to teach a Great Dane.

Never before did I realize how much attention he would bring to us himself. How many of the same questions I would have to answer repeatedly on the same walk. How many times I would have to tell people his weight, name, breed, and name again because they misunderstood me the first time!

My pups and I have moved six times in the course of our life together. We have traveled literally more miles than I can remember. He is ever my companion, snuggling on the one piece of furniture he’s allowed on, and getting to go bye-bye are his two favorite things.

He is stubborn, lively, silly, pushy, rude, friendly, and cuddly…. possibly all reflections of his owner!

The pups and I have been through some rough seasons of life, some really fun ones, and everything in between.

He is the best “party trick” that there is, and at (currently) 205lbs he is the largest dog most everyone (including myself) have ever met.

He is loving, but there are some pretty serious dangers in having such a large dog… He has also accidentally broken a bone in my foot from stepping out of a vehicle directly onto my foot. He has hip-checked me and caused me to slam into things, which has caused lots of bruises. – Once in the bathtub when I was trying to bathe him, and I was hip-checked cause he shifted… I was sure I had almost died. He has stepped on, sat on, laid on, and of course pawed at me causing a plethora of minor cuts and bruises.

Sometimes, I find myself annoyed at him, frustrated with him, and having a lot of extra work because of him. But, then I am reminded of how perfectly suited of a companion he is for me.

 

All the snuggles and kisses make it worth it!

Remember that one time I got a puppy? While that created some of the most work for myself, it has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself.

….. But, for the love, please stop asking if he’s a horse or I have a saddle for him! – I’m tired of laughing at that same lame joke!