Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Feb 16th i lost my closest friend, Sampson. He was a Black Lab/Great Dane/Newfoundland Mix, according to our vet of course i do not believe the Newfoundland part since there are not any around our area. He was 29inches at the shoulders and 120lb and almost 3 years old. He was given to us by a Mexican Family, because they did not want him. He was my first dog and less than week after getting him he came down with Parvo. He was on a diet that mixed some kibble with cooked meats and lots of yummy veggies, because of problems that can start after a puppy has parvo. His FAVORITE chew.. a whole carrot or large slice of squash, when dogs chew on veggies they do not get the neutrients from them because of the big peices they stay in. I miss him very much.

I am baby sitting a puppy for my Fiance's mother this weekend. I did not realize how much i really missed simple things like warm snuggles.

I will be watching for a Great Dane to adopt. I know they have a lot of potential problems, but i love the personality. And having a puppy here has made me realize our house is still puppy proof and i now have 20/20 hindsite on training, food, ect.

>>Feb 16th i lost my closest friend, Sampson. He was a Black Lab/Great Dane/Newfoundland Mix, according to our vet of course i do not believe the Newfoundland part since there are not any around our area. He was 29inches at the shoulders and 120lb and almost 3 years old. He was given to us by a Mexican Family, because they did not want him. He was my first dog and less than week after getting him he came down with Parvo. He was on a diet that mixed some kibble with cooked meats and lots of yummy veggies, because of problems that can start after a puppy has parvo. His FAVORITE chew.. a whole carrot or large slice of squash, when dogs chew on veggies they do not get the neutrients from them because of the big peices they stay in. I miss him very much.
>>
>>I am baby sitting a puppy for my Fiance's mother this weekend. I did not realize how much i really missed simple things like warm snuggles.
>>
>>I will be watching for a Great Dane to adopt. I know they have a lot of potential problems, but i love the personality. And having a puppy here has made me realize our house is still puppy proof and i now have 20/20 hindsite on training, food, ect.
>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Get to know some Labs, too. There is no finer temperament than a good Newfy or Lab--and the Lab is descended from the Newfy. A male GSD would likely weigh considerably more than 120 pounds, but a Lab male may commonly be an 85-pound dog, which is plenty big. There are so very many Labs in need of rescue, it's absolutely overwhelming. I hope you'll keep them in mind. With the right one, I'm sure you'd be very happy, and might well be saving a life.

There are also Great Danes in rescue, but be prepared for the dog to be more like 150 pounds. You might see even more physical problems than your last dog had.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

You are definately right.. i loved Sampsons massive size ( more to cuddle ) for me it is more the feeling i get from the animal. I was extremely attached to Sampson from first glance, he was sort of tossed on us, but i am glad he was. We would have never gotten a dog if he hadn't and not of his bred. My fiance preffers German Shepards and Akitas.

I have gotten to know a Chocolate lab, who is my fiance's nephew's dog, he is a sweet dog but that connection isn't there.My fiance's dad has a Maltese sweet although ferocious little bugger, when she has just come from getting her hair done and has bows in her hair you would never believe that she is such a little scrapper. She makes me laugh, but still there isn't that special connection.My Fiance's mother's new puppy was a real joy to have here and i definately would have snatched him up ,he is a terrier lab mix, he is adorible, but still not a real connection there either.

I think that i will just have to look .. i will know when they are the right one .. no matter what the breed. I have a few breeds that i really like, but i do not gravitate toward the looks but more the eyes and their actions.

Qtkitty,

So sorry to hear of your loss! It's never easy when they pass especially at such a young age.

There are many very good Great Dane rescues throughout the country, and if you are seriously interested in adopting a dane I would be more than happy to put you in contact with one of them that is close to you. What state are you located in?

During this time of year, the need for rescue is greater than any other. Many people who went out and bought dane puppies as an "impulse buy" or for "christmas presents" are now finding themselves with a 1-2 year old dog that they don't have the space or time or energy for. If these people would put just a few minutes a day into training and socializing their dogs, they wouldn't end up in rescue... BUT, at least there are kind people everywhere willing to take these dogs in, rehabilitate them, and rehome them.

The pros about getting a rescue dog (of any breed) from a rescue as opposed to the local pound, is that a good reputable rescue will have completely rehabilitated any physical problems in the dog, they will have screened the dogs temperment, the dog will be UTD on shots, and should be spayed/neutered *before* placing the dog in a home. Rescues take great care in screening both the dogs and the homes to ensure the best match is made, and the animals are being delivered to their "forever home". Also, by adopting an older (not a puppy) dane, you won't have to go through many of the "puppy stages" like chewing, crate training, housebreaking, etc. It works out well for many people

Good luck in your search, and if you'll let me know what state you reside in, I can point you to a nearby dane rescue so that you can speak with them and see if adopting a dane is something you really want to pursue. Danes aren't for everyone, but they are a loving wonderful breed.

Caroline Smith
FarView Great Danes

I live in North Carolina near Charolette.

I actually do not mind the chewing, Sampson was a chewer. The only real problem we had was when Sampson went through a Huge growth spurt around 6-9 months and would have accidents, when a 80-100lb dog has an accident, It's a HUGE accident. The problem there was that he didn't realize he had to go fast enough to let us know, we ended up going back to the going out every half to an hour like we did when he was a baby.

Until we do decide on a dog for to share our home as a forever home. We might just open our house to fostering again. We had a weird looking little dog sharing our Home with Sampson, they had a bawl together. When we moved we asked he be put into a new foster home since we were moving out of county and because he didn't fit in well enough with us to be a forever homed dog, i was sure there was another home out there just waiting that would be 100% perfect. The woman who took him in adored him and ended up adopting him and he adores her as well so it's a perfect match! I am glad he got that perfect match he deserved it he is a goofy sweetheart!!