Memorials to our Departed Kids

This was my very first Dane! I was young (18) and inexperienced. I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing. I read every Dane book in the library and even cut from paper a life-sized Dane and taped it to the wall next to my bed so I would know what size it would be. I decided upon a harlequin and after working the summer as a Camp Fire Girls Equestrian instructor, I took my wages and bought my blue merle male pup. The breeders said he could be shown. I thought they meant in breed. I soon learned otherwise. When I brought him home, my father, first home from work, asked what it was. Once I told him, he said it was the ugliest dog that he ever did see and that Mom would have to make the decision as to whether I could keep him or not. Mom came home and repeated the same thing. That evening they both asked me to bring him to them so they could kiss him good-night because "I'd rather be his friend than his enemy". Thanks to my parents, they made me go to obedience class with him and I was HOOKED from then on! Later in his life, I had to place him with a family friend because he was growling at my husband. That's another story. I don't know when he passed on. I just know the family was very happy with him.

Sieg was my 2nd Dane. He taught me so much! He was my first dog to take to therapy visits at the nursing homes. He was my best Dane ever. He was very consistant and steady. I could trust him in anything. He never failed me. He did however, set me up for being disappointed in later dogs' speed and scoring in gaining obedience titles. He got his titles in 3 shows each time, except for the UD. That took 4. He was with me through two divorces. He also began to growl at my first husband. I then got rid of the husband and kept the dog! Much better decision. He was healthy as a horse until just before his death from cardiomyopathy at 10 years of age.

Cali was my first bitch to own. I got her rather late in life (13 weeks) and she proved to not bond very well because of her being kept with a litter all the previous time. Don't get me wrong, she was a good dog. She just didn't care whether I was there or not. She'd work because I made her work. She'd play because I made her play. That as well as learning about fear periods and bonding periods, taught me when to get a puppy you could live with. She did enjoyed therapy visits and actually scored consistantly well in obedience. She died at 10 years of age of abdominal cancer (after a previous surgery to remove same).