My Great Dane Princeton

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains

2011-08-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Princeton looks back to say, “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains”

When I say something that Princeton really likes, he stares intensely in my eyes as if to say, “Yes, yes, YES!” Usually he does it when I say words like “walk,” “go to,” or “park.”

But the other day we were listening to Josh Groban singing “You Raise Me Up,” and Princeton keyed in to the lyrics. (Yes, my dog is that smart!) It was the word “walk” that first caught Princeton’s attention. But he stared deep into my eyes through the whole song. I like to think that it expresses his feelings toward me:

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to WALK on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

Often I’ve been frustrated by Princeton’s strength pulling against me on the leash. But this song helped me see that my dog and I are strong together.

Until recently Princeton has been a giant dog who gave tiny, stingy little kisses. Usually he wouldn’t kiss at all. I trained him to kiss on command for a treat, but he would almost never kiss to show affection. Once in a great while he let the very tip of his tongue touch my skin for a split second.

For three years we kept trying to show him that we LIKE kisses. This week it was like he finally got it. One day I got seven kisses from Princeton! Every time he gives a kiss, he has a proud, happy look on his face, as if to say, “I finally figured out how to express love to humans!”

Princeton stands on another "mountain" with a much smaller friend

Happy birthday! Princeton is 3 years old

2011-05-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Princeton struck a pose on his birthday. A real 3-year-old charmer!

Our Great Dane Princeton celebrated his third birthday recently. He is doing great!

He still LOVES to play, but he is more mature about it. He stopped pulling pillows off the couch and hardly ever gets mouthy anymore. He seems to understand almost every word that we say!

This was a tough year for Princeton. There were times when we didn’t think he would make it to his third birthday. He slipped and fell in a cement-lined creek, and severely injured his toenails by clawing his way out. They got badly infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It took 3-1/2 months to nurse him back to health. I learned more than I ever thought I would about canine nail infections and osteomyletis. Now he’s finally healthy and frisky again, but it looks like some of his claws will never grow back.

Now that he’s all grown up, Princeton has an almost human look in his eyes sometimes. As one of our friends said, “I can see that there’s a beautiful spirit inside.”

I’m grateful to have Princeton in my life!

Princeton’s paw with missing toenail

Princeton’s beautiful spirit shows in his eyes on his 3rd birthday

Great Dane meets horse

2010-06-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

A horse stands next to Princeton

When people see my Great Dane Princeton, they often say, “He’s as big as a horse!”

Well, a real live horse came to our local dog park recently, and guess what? The horse was a LOT bigger!

Princeton is used to being the biggest creature around, so at first he was scared to meet the horse. But both the horse and rider were very friendly.

They stopped right by the fence and the horse lowered her head to sniff the crowd of dogs that came to sniff at her. Later I took Princeton out on the leash so he could get "socialized" and learn to stay calm around a horse.

Everything that the horse owner said about training his horse was the same as how I trained Princeton. We both showed off how we can say the command "back" to make them step back, and “turn” to make them turn around.

A nice dog owner snapped a photo. As you can see, a Princeton is not really as big as a horse!

Happy birthday, Princeton!

2010-04-24T14:44:00.001-07:00

My Great Dane Princeton turned two years old today!

We got him **FOUR** of his favorite squeaker toys -- shaped like a spiney pacifier. Yes, he’s still a big baby who loves his pacifier, aka his “binky squeaker.” He doesn’t like any other toys as much, so we just got him lots of his favorite.

We also got him a kit for making an impression of his big old pawprint, now that he’s full grown (I hope). People often come up and tell me, “Wow, he’s big even for a Dane!” And it’s true -- at least 36 inches at the shoulder, with a super-long neck. Reminds me of a giraffe. The pawprint gift is really more for me. I’ll let you know how it goes when we try to press Princeton’s paw in the clay.

(Update: The putty was so stiff that it barely made an impression when 125-pound Princeton stood on it. Kind of a rip-off. I wouldn't recommend it. We're going to try making a plaster cast of his paw print on the beach someday.)

I can hardly believe it, but people at the dog park are starting to compliment me for having a dog that is "respectful" and "gentle"! The ones who know Princeton better just laugh when they hear that.

You can see Princeton in action in these new videos at the Arroyo Seco river and bike path in Los Angeles.

His favorite game is running in the river while carrying a big stick in his mouth…

Here he races on the bike path at top speed, stick in mouth. He zooms out of sight and back in 23 seconds What a racer!

You can get a better look at Princeton during one of those rare moments when he slows down to walk in the river…

Giant dog, small car

2010-02-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

Princeton fills the back seat of our compact car

People are shocked when they see my giant Great Dane Princeton riding in my small Honda Civic.

“Get a bigger car!” is a common joke from people who see us coming and going from the dog park.

Princeton doesn’t seem to mind. He likes having the whole back seat. He seems to enjoy riding back there, hooked to the seat belt with a doggy car harness for safety.

He often rests his snout on my shoulder while I drive!

Great Dane loves furnace in winter

2010-01-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

Princeton stretches out near the wall furnace for maximum warmth

On these cold winter days my Great Dane Princeton spends as much time as possible lying near our wall furnace.

Last winter he was a puppy and the cold didn’t seem to bother him. Now that he’s reached the ripe old age of one and a half years, he LOVES to stretch out and sleep near the heater all day.

He especially likes the one in the hallway where the heat gets trapped. I snapped some photos of him stretching out to enjoy the warmth.

My previous dog, a Dane mix, didn’t act like this until he was more than 10 years old!

Princeton doesn’t like the noises that the furnace makes when it first starts heating up, though. The scary furnace sound make him bark.

I’ve read that purebred Danes are very sensitive to the temperature (both hot and cold), and it’s certainly true for Princeton.

He’s also mellowing out and being a lot more obedient in every way. What a good boy!

“Don’t bother me -- can’t you see I’m trying to get warm?”

Merry Christmas from Princeton!

2009-12-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

Great Dane Nativity Scene:
Princeton bows to the baby Jesus

Merry Christmas and
happy new year to all
with love
from Princeton

Great Dane 2010 calendar on sale now

2009-11-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

Real Pets 2010 Calendar by MyDogMyCat

I just finished the 2010 calendar with photos of my Great Dane Princeton and his dog (and cat) friends. Order it at Zazzle.com -- or make your own.

My friends, family, dog trainers and vet all love the pet-photo calendar that I put together every year. It features some of the best photos from this blog -- and some shots of Princeton way back when he was still a little puppy.

Great Dane breakthroughs

2009-11-22T20:23:00.000-08:00

Princeton with one of his best friends, a Corgi/Border Collie mix

My Great Dane Princeton has had some breakthroughs lately. At age 1-1/2 years, he finally got the message that mouthing is wrong! He was trying to get our food, so I was trying to make him to back off by holding my hand infront of him. In the midst of the conflict, he mouthed my arm -- and then he instantly looked guilty and crouched down, before we could even say, "Calm down." This is the first time ever that he seemed sorry for any misbehavior! He's really learning.

He’s very smart -- so smart that he figured out how to open the gate to the backyard! Recently I let him out in the morning and went back to sleep as usual. Then my honey woke me up: “Princeton’s loose!” Fortunately our neighbors saw him on the street, rang the doorbell, and helped round him up. Now we have to keep the backyard gate locked with a padlock!

There they go! Princeton likes being “herded.”

Dane learns respect and discipline

2009-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Australian Shepherd looks up to her pal Princeton

My Great Dane Princeton is learning respect and discipline now that he’s 18 months old.

He saw his first horse when he was on a walk in a park with horse trails. Boy, was he scared to meet somebody bigger than he is! He flattened out on the ground and wouldn’t get up until the horse was almost out of sight. Then he was more obedient for several days!

Lately I’ve had to get really TOUGH with Princeton. We went through a crisis, but now I finally feel like Princeton is living in MY world most of the time, whereas before I felt like I was living in Princeton’s world.

It all started last week when my partner surprised us at the dog park and he went crazy jumping on her and mouthing her, just like he did 6 months ago. We’ve worked so HARD on training him not to do that! I felt very discouraged, like a failure.

I got advice from our trainer and the “Danes gone wild meet-up message board.” I also thought back to the tough-love training tactics of the obedience class we took, and all the episodes of the “Dog Whisperer,” which is almost like a Bible to me.

Here is one of the most helpful comments I got, from a Dane rescue place:
“There is always hope as long as you are willing to reach out, take advise and use it consistently. Be persistent and always follow thru with a command and if you need to manhandle your Dane, then do it. He needs to know who is in control and who will kick his butt when he doesn't listen.”

In the last few days I have been determined that Princeton will obey me. I started taking him on an extra walk, and I stopped avoiding potential distractions (other dogs, kids, bikes, etc.) My new method is to yank his choke chain really hard as soon as he started to get distracted. If it’s too late and he goes wild, I make him lay down and calm down. I wasn’t strong enough to do this before, but Princeton has made me stronger. I started holding a broom horizontally to block him when he rushes our front door and window, barking at people walking by. (He has bitten my arms twice when I tried to stop him.)

My partner and I are newly united in resisting all his efforts at what the trainer calls “passive dominance” -- coming to us for attention. No, all attention must be given on OUR terms, when WE initiate it. I used to shower him with affection for no reason, just because I enjoyed it. But on the trainer’s recommendation I am treating him more like a ghost. Most of the time it’s no touch, no talk, no eye contact for Princeton these days.

Withholding affection is the hardest part. (I’m surviving this by petting our cat a lot more!) I’m able to keep going because it’s really working! There is a dramatic difference in Princeton’s attitude. He is much, much more respectful, watches me a lot more, etc. Until now, every single day he got into trouble by grabbing forbidden items (shoes, pillows, soap, etc) and running around with the house with them, trying to start a game. Now he has gone for a few days without doing that at all. He did grab my partner’s shoe last night, but he dropped it immediately when she walked in the room. He hardly even protests anymore when I clip his nails.

I used to have a special name for the hour before, during and after dinner: Bad boy time. That’s when Princeton would go wild. Now he lays patiently waiting for his food while we eat, then he settles down right away after I feed him. There is no more bad boy time!

We still have a lot of work ahead. But I do feel there’s hope.

Great Dane plays football

2009-09-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Princeton loves his new football

My Great Dane Princeton’s new favorite toy is a REAL football! He can actually fit it into his enormous mouth!

Princeton loves mouthing things with his big old mouth. Finally we found a toy big enough for his huge mouth, and he LOVES it.

Does anybody know where to get GIANT toys suitable for Great Danes? This football was not built to stand up against dog teeth.

Now almost 17 months old, Princeton is getting A LOT better about not mouthing the many tempting things that he’s not supposed to mouth -- especially my arms and small children. When I say “Leave it,” he usually listens. If not, I get his attention with a squeaker toy that I carry at all times when we’re out -- a great tip from our new trainer.

He’s also learned what it means to “CALM DOWN” -- although it often takes a while. I’m learning how to stay calm, too. We keep practicing.

Princeton opens wide to fit his football in his giant jaws

“Let’s play football!”

Dane pup’s weight levels off at 124 pounds

2009-08-16T14:54:00.001-07:00

Princeton at 15 months

Our 15-month-old Great Dane weighs 124 pounds -- the same as he did three months ago. And only one pound more than 4 months ago.

I caught myself smiling a big grin when we saw the number 124 on the scale. I was happy at the thought that Princeton won’t get any bigger. He’s big enough! Hey, I even outweigh him by one pound still. Don’t worry, I’m feeding him plenty, but he doesn’t always finish his food.

Princeton is also looking more mature. I love the photo above, taken when he struck a show-dog pose all on his own at the park. He’s looking so handsome and grown-up! His long front legs are incredibly straight.

Princeton may not be getting bigger, but he IS getting stronger! He can pull a lot harder on the leash. Fortunately, he’s also growing up mentally. We’re working with a new trainer now called BarkBusters.com and it’s going the best ever for Princeton. His most important new command: “Leave it!!!” This works with his biggest behavior problem -- mouthiness. Yes, he’s STILL Mr. Mouth. The trainer predicts this will be a lifelong challenge for Princeton.

Training is going well. I am becoming Princeton’s pack leader by using my mental strength, even though he is physically stronger. I try not to think about how big he is, but instead to stay CALM and focus on his energy and actions. Of course, people don’t let me forget Princeton’s size for long. I am learning to ignore the constant stream of people telling me, “That’s a BIG dog!” everywhere we go.

Our trainer says that Princeton is “the most intuitive dog I know.” She means that he picks up the emotions of the people around him, and then mirrors them back and magnifies them. For example, if we meet a calm person who loves Great Danes, he is the best boy in the whole world. If we meet somebody who’s afraid of him, he jumps around like crazy. If somebody says something in anger, he instantly starts barking at them. Each of these emotions feeds on itself and escalates when the other person reacts to Princeton’s behavior.

Of course, all of this happens based on my mood, too. Having Princeton reflect all my own emotions is one of the hardest parts about training. I have to stay calm, calm, CALM , or else!

Our dog broke a window

2009-07-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Our window -- after our Dane broke it

Princeton broke a window! I tried to keep my 14-month-old Great Dane Princeton out of the living room when deliveries were expected, but the UPS guy snuck up on both of us.

Princeton rammed his snout right through the glass when the UPS delivery man put a package outside. It happened while I was standing between the window and Princeton, trying to get him to back off. But he lunged past me.

Princeton is OK now, but a cut on his face was bleeding pretty bad at first.

We got the window fixed and we’re working on “door manners” with a new dog trainer… from a place called Bark Busters. She’s the best of the many trainers that we’ve met. BarkBusters.com is an international company. They send a trainer to your house and guarantee to keep working with you for the life of the dog for one low price.

However, teaching “door manners” to my Dane is a long, frustrating process.

Great Dane gets new tooth -- at age 13 months!

2009-06-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Princeton is happy to be growing MORE teeth

My Great Dane Princeton is STILL teething -- and he’s more than a year old! This week I felt his gums and he literally got a new tooth!

He’s had an empty space for a “premolar” on his lower left gum for months, but I thought it meant he was born without that tooth. But no, he’s just sloooooooow to develop.

Dog references say dogs are supposed to have all their teeth by the time they’re 6 or 7 months old. No wonder Princeton still acts like a baby and chews a lot -- he really is still a baby at almost 14 months old.

OK, he’s not as young as the photo above, which was taken when he was 5 months old and his “fangs” were still coming in. But it’s a good shot of the teeth of the our boy, nicknamed “Little Sharkey” as a puppy for obvious reasons.

Update: Collars and barking at mail carrier

2009-05-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Princeton on a grassy path -- still wearing the old leather collar (taken before he ripped it apart!)

Many thanks for all the great comments about collars on my last post. For now my Great Dane Princeton is following Hsin-Yi and Honey’s method -- just wearing the choke chain. We transferred his ID tags to the choke chain and he wears it all the time now.

It’s working out well because the leather collar used to get in the way when I walked Princeton -- because I use two collars to walk him, a Halti and a choke chain, with a leash in each hand to steer him. As Hsin-Yi noted, it also looks nice because it doesn’t interrupt the line of his neck. And it’s certainly strong and waterproof. However, it looks like he may outgrow his 24-inch choke chain soon!

Also thanks for the comments about training Princeton to stay calm when the mail arrives. I am keeping him in another room or outside when the mail comes, and it’s making life a lot more peaceful. I know that we need to set up practice sessions with other people dropping papers through the mail slot. But that will be in the future. For now, I’ve got all I can handle just with leash training and other basics.

____
Update on July 12, 2009
This problem escalated and Princeton broke a window. Click here to get all the info in my new post “Our dog broke a window.”

Urgent: Leather vs. nylon dog collar?

2009-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

My Great Dane Princeton broke his leather collar today!

I was trying to train him not to attack the mail slot when the mail comes. I tied his leash to our entertainment center and told him to stay after I saw the mail carrier in the distance. Oops! Princeton couldn't control himself when the mail carrier reached our doorway. His desire to attack (protect?) was a lot stronger than his old leather collar, inherited from my previous Dane.

Does anyone have advice about the best kind of collar for a Dane? He plays in the water almost every day, so maybe that weakened the leather. Maybe nylon is more durable?

Let me know soon because we’re probably going shopping tomorrow to buy him a nice new dog collar.

Hey, maybe somebody has some ideas about how to stop him from going ballistic over the mail, too.

My big boy sure is getting strong!

We’re fabulous!

2009-05-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Princeton jumps high to reach a branch

This blog is honored to accept the “Your Blog is Fabulous!” Award from the Danes World Blog. Many thanks (and dog kisses) to Mindy Lu and her beautiful Dane Sasha.

I especially enjoy the Danes World Blog because it is written from the dog’s point of view. I have fun finding out what Sasha the Dane thinks about life. They make me laugh, too. I’ll sum it up with one of Sasha’s favorite words: “BARK!”

In accepting this award, I am passing on the honor to some of my favorite blogs:

Danes Down Under
Abbey has tons of adventures with her Danes Chelsea and Shiloh. The photos and links are incredible. Abbey was the most devoted and enthusiastic of the earliest visitors to Princeton’s blog. Thanks, Abbey!

Reflections of a Dog Mom
Allison’s Merle Dane Waldo looks and acts a lot like my Princeton. What fun to follow his life. Allison leaves lots of great comments here, too. Thanks, Allison! Her blog already has lots of awards, and it deserves another.

Isis Isis Ra Ra Ra
Michalea has a witty blog that includes photos and stories about her Danes Reese and Merlin, as well as her chickens, her travels in Egypt, and much more. Michalea also happens to be one of my oldest and best friends in real life. We lost touch for a while, then discovered that we each had Great Danes in our lives! Michalea has even met Princeton in the flesh. She and her blog are truly fabulous. Thanks, Michalea!

Simon Says Great Danes
A breeder of Harlequin and Mantle Great Danes does this fascinating blog with practical advice and lovely photos.

Super Not So Mini Cooper
Janelle’s handsome Dane Cooper is like Princeton’s twin -- a Merle Mantle who is almost exactly the same age as Princeton. I enjoy comparing notes by visiting her blog full of photos, facts and stories.

That Mutt
Lindsay’s That Mutt Blog offers many good challenges that inspire me, such as take your dog to “30 new places in 30 days.” It’s the only blog on this list that isn’t about Great Danes, but it’s too good to miss. Dogs of any breed are covered here.

Big Honey Dog Blog
The Big Honey Dog Blog is truly impressive. Great Dane Honey and her human Hsin-Yi have amazing adventures including competing together in dance competitions. They also gave our blog an award recently. More about that in a post coming soon. Thanks, Hsin-Yi!

For those receiving the awards, here are the rules:
1. Do a post naming (and linking to) the blog that gave you the award.
2. Pass on the award by naming and linking to 7 other blogs.
3. Go to these 7 other blogs, tell them that you are giving them the award, and invite them to visit your blog to pick it up.

One year old and 123 pounds!

2009-04-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

Princeton on his first birthday, April 24, 2009

We celebrated our Great Dane Princeton’s first birthday by taking him to the vet to be weighed today. The big result: 123 pounds!

“And not an ounce of fat on him!” our favorite vet added.

He stands 33-1/2 inches tall at the shoulder.

You can see how beautiful he looks in the photo, taken yesterday on his actual birthday when we arrived at the dog park -- right before he ran to party with his dog friends.

Happy Birthday, Princeton!

2009-04-24T13:45:00.001-07:00

Princeton on his first birthday... “Hurry up with that camera so we can PLAY!”

We’re celebrating Princeton’s first birthday today!

He’s having a fun birthday. We’ve already played his favorite backyard game of chasing the water from the hose. Later we’ll spend a long time at the dog park. And tomorrow -- we’ll take him to get weighed. Then we’ll find out what a BIG BOY he really is.

Here are birthday photos of Princeton taken today. Woof, woof! He’s looking a bit impatient because I made him pose for photos right before we played with the hose, while he was still dry.

My Big Boy on his first birthday

Beautiful day at the dog park

2009-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Princeton on the path to the park

It started raining on Good Friday soon after my Great Dane Princeton and I arrived at the dog park. All the other people took their dogs away, but we decided to stay in case it was just a brief rain shower.

After a couple minutes of light rain, a gorgeous big bird flew over our heads and perched on one of the trees in the park. Believe it or not, it was a Great Blue Heron! (The park is near a river and an Audubon bird sanctuary.)

While I was still marveling at the bird, the clouds broke and a lovely rainbow appeared in the sky. Wow!

It was the most magical moment I’ve ever had in the dog park.

Then the rain stopped, and new dogs came to play with us.

Happy Easter!

Dog Bed Drama, Part 3

2009-04-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

After a few quiet nights sleeping on old blankets, my Great Dane Princeton woke up in the middle of the night crying again.

I opened the door to let him out to “go potty” -- and he ran past the open door and out into the living room. He plopped right down on the top-quality dog bed that we keep there -- where we can guard it. That bed belonged to our old Dane (who died last year) and it’s made of bean hulls and organic cotton. Princeton loves that bed, but that hasn’t stopped him from chewing it. We have to scold him almost every night for gnawing on the corners, then spray the corners with bitter apple. We got a new denim cover for it, and that is helping a lot. It weighs 15 pounds and he likes to swing it around and attack it. He lost his first baby tooth while biting it. We thought that someday maybe we would be able to move it into his crate.

Well, that day came. Princeton refused to get off of that bed and growled at me when I first tried to pull him off. Finally we pushed him off and dragged the bed into his crate. He has been sleeping happily there for the last two nights. He chewed on the old sheets, but treated his bed with the respect it deserves.

Maybe we’ll all be getting better sleep now.

Click the following link for info on the organic pet beds. They really are worth the money:

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Organic-Pet-Beds/213000.aspx

Dane likes sleeping on old blankets (bed drama, part 2)

2009-04-07T21:18:00.001-07:00

Princeton looks proud to be sleeping on real blankets and towels -- not a "doggy" bed

Thanks to all the comments on my last post, I set up a new, simpler bed for my 11-month-old Great Dane Princeton. He’s sleeping on old blankets and towels -- and he loves it.

He lifted his head high and looked proud and happy when he first lay down on the blankets and towels. I ran for the camera and took a photo (above). While he thought the supposedly tear-resistant doggy bed was one big chew toy and attacked it immediately, he had a totally different reaction to the old blankets etc. He recognized right away that it was a bed -- with the same kind of good stuff that humans sleep on. He settled right down and fell asleep.

It did take some adjustment before Princeton completely accepted the new bed, however. The first night he woke up at 3:30 a.m. whimpering, crying, then howling. I thought at first that he had diarrhea and needed to go out, as happened when he was a puppy. But no. He didn’t want to go out. I made him go out and he came back in and cried for another half hour. I think he missed his ratty old shredded bed with its green fluff and cedar chip mess. (Princeton gets very attached to routines and likes everything to stay the same.)

I kind of missed the fresh scent of cedar chips, too. The old blankets smelled kind of musty. Finally I got in the crate with him and snuggled him. He fell asleep within a few minutes -- but woke up crying again one more time before morning.

The next day I got some of his favorite smells onto one of the old blankets (swampy mud from the dog park, my old socks). He’s completely happy sleeping on the blankets and towels now.

Thanks, everybody, for telling me about this simple solution.

Help! Dane dog bed advice needed! (bed drama, part 1)

2009-04-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

“Tear resistant” dog bed -- after 5 minutes with my Dane pup!

Tonight our 11-month-old Dane Princeton ripped apart his brand-new “Tuff n Ruff” Dura-Ruff bed. It’s advertised as “tear resistant -- withstands rough treatment.” Ha!

Within 5 minutes, Princeton had ripped a HUGE hole in it. (See photo.) Fortunately the store has agreed to refund the $65.

But what is Princeton going to sleep on now in his crate??? I send out a plea to others who have lived with Great Danes and other “determined chewers,” please tell me what kind of beds your dogs use!

I know, some of you share your own bed with your dog or give him a couch of his own. There has to be another way.

I don’t want to use a piece of carpet because I have finally succeeded in teaching him not to chew on our carpets. However, if he had his own carpet piece in his crate, I’m sure he would get back into that bad habit.

Sleeping on the hard, bare floor of the crate will give him calluses and “proud flesh” on his elbows, etc. I’d rather avoid that. It took him several months to rip apart his old bed, which was much flimsier than the new one. It seemed like it took all morning to clean up the scattered cedar chips.

Yes, I do put chew toys in the crate with Princeton. He ignores them and chews his bed. (Maybe because he knows that he’s not supposed to? Or he just likes tearing something soft? I took away all his soft toys on the advice of a dog trainer in order to teach him not to chew the carpet.

He’s definitely not ready to sleep outside the crate (still chewing on anything available -- but now he’s a good boy and stops when we say no).

For now, I guess he’ll have to sleep on a few blankets.

***
P.S. Thanks for all the advice about leashes and collars. Princeton’s leash training is going well. He pulls on the leash a lot less and has learned to walk politely next to another dog on leash. It seems like a miracle compared to how wild he used to be.

Moody Dane: Shark or sweetheart?

2009-03-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Princeton and Tashi (photo by Malcolm Dysart)

Here are some favorite photos of Princeton and Tashi, the Beagle mix who lives down the street. She’s like a surrogate mother to him. Tashi’s owner took these great shots of them playing rough in December. They both loved mouthy, biting games. They looked ferocious, but they never draw blood.

In the last month or two, Princeton has started maturing so that he loves to run with other dogs instead of always trying to mouth and wrestle. But it seems like “two steps forward, one step back” in dealing with my moody Dane. I read that a one-year-old Great Dane has the mental maturity of a 15-year-old human. Princeton is almost 11 months, so that makes him an early teen. He does act like one!

On March 18, Princeton had a breakthrough. I was fixing dinner -- that’s his “bad-boy time” when he always acts up, racing around the house, chewing on sofa cushions etc, or else barking if we put him outside or in a crate. Then unbelievable happened! Princeton wanted to rest! Miraculously on March 18, he saw me fixing dinner -- and just went and lay down. And it was just a regular day with no extra exercise or anything. (Maybe that was the secret, because every little change in routine upsets him.)

Then yesterday Princeton regressed and went wild when some family members came to meet him for the first time. At first Princeton was calm and loving, but he changed into a different dog when we went out into the backyard. In retrospect, I was a bad “pack leader” because I wasn’t paying close attention, expecting everything to go well and forgetting that Princeton thinks of the backyard as his play area.

Princeton jumped up on my brother and nephew (who weighs 30 pounds less than Princeton). My nephew got safely back inside, but my brother stayed to play, and Princeton really jumped on him and mouthed him -- we call it “sharking” because it feels like being attacked by a shark. Princeton hasn’t done that to us in months. Eventually the training kicked in and we got him under control, but it was a struggle.

I felt discouraged when my family decided not to join me in walking Princeton after that because it was “too risky.” A bright spot was meeting a dog-walking friend on the trail who pointed out how much Princeton’s behavior has improved overall. “Someday he’ll grow up and you’ll miss the way he’s so curious and jaunty,” he said.

Today Princeton is still acting like a baby, barking at me when I fix his food, being defiant, and chewing everything. We both need some time to recover from the family visit. I hope all this is normal “growing pains.” I guess we both need some time to recover from the family visit.

Well, here are some more photos of my sweet shark Princeton going wild with Tashi.

Princeton and Tashi (photo by Malcolm Dysart)

One of Princeton’s favorite moves is putting his giant mouth over another dog’s whole head or neck. (photo by Malcolm Dysart)

Princeton and Tashi (photo by Malcolm Dysart)

Dane training tips worked!

2009-03-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

Princeton is walking much better on the leash now that he's 10 months old

My Great Dane Princeton is walking much better on the leash. I talked with another dog trainer who gave two excellent pieces of advice that are really working.

I explained the problem is that Princeton pulls hard on the leash, and I’m not strong enough to yank his choke chain hard enough to make an impression as the last trainer told me to do. Princeton pulls the hardest when we meet one of his dog friends on a walk.

Here’s the advice that’s working:

1. The trainer said that it sounds like Princeton places the highest value on having fun with another dog. True. YOU (the owner) have to be the source of the most fun in your dog’s life! Cut back his play time with other dogs. Spend more time having fun with Princeton.

This sounds obvious, but I’m a recovering workaholic, so I often need to be reminded to have more fun. When we spend less time with other dogs, Princeton and I have more time to figure out fun games we can play together. Princeton’s new favorite game is chasing the water that sprays from the hose.

2. Use really yummy treats while walking Princeton to reward him for not pulling.

I was doubtful about this because it did NOT work when he was 2 to 5 months old. Back then, if I didn’t give him the treat right away, he bit my hand with his sharp little puppy teeth and it really hurt. As soon as he got the treat, he’d get distracted again and pull. I do think it helped to have a “tough love” training class from ages 6 to 9 months. But now, to my amazement, treats work! I can lead him along with a treat past several houses and he stays focused, gently mouthing my hand occasionally without causing pain.

Best of all, Princeton seems to like me a lot more. He follows me around more in the house and curls up next to me sometimes.

___
P.S. I forgot one more training tip that’s working -- when I remember to do it.

3. Don’t let your dog greet other dogs or people while walking on the leash. These distractions really break the dog’s concentration when they’re in training. The dog does better when he knows that being on the leash simply means walking and nothing else.

Dane runs with BIG palm branch

2009-02-25T23:06:00.000-08:00

My 9-month-old merle Great Dane pup Princeton got very excited when he found a BIG palm branch in the park -- and ran around with it in his mouth. See the fun on video.

Dane meets film makers in park

2009-02-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

Princeton at the lake in the park where we met the film crew

My Great Dane Princeton jumped in shock when we went on our usual walk to the park and discovered it was overrun by a film crew, complete with dune buggies racing around carrying camera equipment. I got him back on leash and we checked it out. I counted 40 people! Usually it’s absolutely empty.

I sat on a bench and Princeton was mobbed with fans from the crew. Then the director came over and asked us to move because “you’re in my shot.”

“Do you need a dog as an extra?” I asked, half in jest.

“I already have two dogs,” he answered, deadly serious. Yes, I could see the actor dogs on good behavior across the park.

The director sent us to a different bench, where another crew member came to pet Princeton.

“Are you background, or are you here to walk your dog?” he asked.

Background, ha! “I’m really here to walk my dog. We come here every day,” I explained.

Princeton kept squirming and pulling. He wanted to run free in the park, not talk Hollywood. So we headed out.

Another woman from the movie came running after us, calling, “Can I pet your dog?” We stopped so one more Hollywood type could pet and admire Princeton.

Usually I think of regular people like me envying folks in Hollywood, but as Princeton and I headed for the hills, I felt that the reverse was also true. The filmmakers long for our reality as much as we long for their fantasy. They’d love to leave the movie set and take a real walk a real dog in a real park.

Harlequin Dane wins at Westminster

2009-02-11T00:23:00.000-08:00

Ch. Sasdania’s The Prophecy wins at Westminster Kennel Club dog show

I got so excited tonight watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on TV. A Harlequin won the Great Dane best of breed for the first time in about 20 years there He’s gorgeous!

His name is Ch Sasdania’s The Prophecy (call name Leopold), owned by North Park Great Danes.

Click here to see the offical video of the Great Dane judging. I love the end, when all the beautiful Danes parade around the ring with the winner in the lead.

I imagine that somewhere back in history my Princeton shares a common ancestor with this champion.

Leash-training a Dane -- advice needed

2009-02-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

Our dog training class finally got the lesson I’ve been waiting for -- heel. I’ve struggled to prevent our Dane pup Princeton him from pulling on the leash ever since the day he arrived 6 months ago. We walk every day, but it keeps getting harder to correct him because he has grown from 15 pounds to more than 100 pounds during those months.

Today the dog trainer asked me to show how Princeton does his other commands before introducing “heel.” Princeton moved with embarrassing slowness when I asked him to sit. He was much less cooperative than usual on stay, down and come, too.

The trainer looked weary as he took the leash and eyed my giant dog. “OK, let’s start teaching him heel,” he sighed.

He demonstrated how to hold the leash and started walking with a brisk, “Princeton, heel.” To everyone’s surprise, Princeton followed at his side almost perfectly with a loose leash. Princeton looked quite proud of himself as they walked around the parking lot past lots of other dogs who were still struggling with sit and stay.

That’s when I knew that all my efforts with Princeton had paid off. I’ve been feeling extremely frustrated about leash training Princeton for months, but he was actually learning more than I realized. Today I have to give myself some praise, “Good girl!”

OK, now for a reality check. He still pulls on the leash fairly often on our walks with real-world distractions, and sometimes he pulls HARD. So….

QUESTION:
I know there are a lot of experienced Dane owners out there who read this blog. Does anyone have any advice about the best training collars to use? Has anyone tried a prong collar (aka pinch collar and does it work? How about Cesar Millan’s Illusion collar? (I just checked Cesar's website and they don’t seem to have Dane sizes, plus it’s only for dogs over 1 year old.)

Right now I’m using a slip chain (aka choke chain) and a Halti head collar -- with one leash in each hand. I do corrections with the slip chain, and use the Halti as a back-up when he pulls hard. This has worked until now (age 9 months), but he’s gotten stronger so I have to yank harder and harder to make an impression on him. I’m not sure if I can keep up with him as he grows and grows.

Of course, one reason I chose to get a Great Dane puppy was so he would motivate me to build muscles. I’ve grown stronger right along with Princeton.

Dane pup LOVES beach -- great photos

2009-01-29T23:22:00.000-08:00

Princeton loves his first day at the beach

Our Great Dane pup loved his first day at the beach. We took Princeton to a “Great Dane Meet-Up” there. It’s where Great Dane owners meet online and agree to get together at a specific time and place -- in this case, Huntington Dog Beach. There were 7 Great Danes there. Princeton was quickly nicknamed “the Baby” because he was much younger than any of the other Danes. They were all at least 3 years old, and not nearly as playful as “the Baby.”

Sizewise, Princeton fit right in. He was about the same height as the full-grown females, and an inch or two shorter than the full-grown males. Lots of people looked at his big old feet and exclaimed, “He’s going to be HUGE!” I think it was a Dane-lovers’ way of complimenting him. According to Dane growth charts, he is exactly average for a Great Dane. Princeton spent most of the time running around with younger dogs of other breeds. We took lots of photos

Princeton makes friends with a Harlequin

Princeton runs like the wind along with waves with a Labrador Retriever

Happy dog

Yippeee!

Go, go, go!

Sea, sand, surf, and dog... an unforgettable day

Pup at peace

2009-01-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here’s a video of my 8-month-old Great Dane puppy Princeton in the local park where we walk almost every day. See, sometimes he’s a calm, peaceful boy! The grass is gorgeous green now in southern California.

Dog love story: The Balcony Scene

2009-01-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

My Great Dane pup Princeton and his best friend Tashi go nuts whenever they get together. Every day when we go to visit Tashi, it’s like the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet!

These videos capture the fun. First they go crazy because they are separated with Princeton on top and Tashi below in “the pit.” Then the eager girl Tashi scrambles upstairs and outside to a joyful reunion with her dashing guy Princeton.

You can see more videos at Princeton's YouTube page.

101 pounds of fun!

2009-01-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

My 8-month-old Great Dane pup Princeton weighs 101 pounds! The vet weighed him when we delivered her pet-photo calendar. I keep thinking of the song from “South Pacific” --
”One hundred and one
Pounds of fun
That’s my little honey bun!
Get a load of Honey bun tonight!”

Here's my new favorite video of Princeton. He jumps over his best friend Tashi, the Beagle-Jack Russell Terrier mix. Wow!

My Dane pup’s on calendar!

2008-12-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

I just finished putting together a 2009 calendar with the best photos of Princeton -- and some other cute dogs and cats in my life.

I did my first pet-photo calendar last year as a Christmas gift to family and friends. It was a big hit with everyone, so I’m doing it again. This year I'm also making it available for sale online. Check out the ad below.

All dogs and cats in this calendar are real pets, photographed with their real companions, in or near their real homes. See cute puppies and kittens, dogs of all shapes and sizes… Great Danes, Lab, Dachshund, Beagle mix and more. Made with love.

I carried last year's calendar around with me often to show off my pets wherever I went.

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Dane pup’s first rainstorm… and medical update

2008-11-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

Princeton looks happy at the park at age 7 months. This is a rare shot of him looking out of his left “ghost eye.”

Our Dane pup Princeton saw rain for the first time this week and went wild. He loved racing around the backyard getting wet and barking at puddles. Then the next morning when it was still raining he watched it from the doorway with a puzzled look, then lay down right next to my feet, not wanting to get wet again.

Princeton was neutered 10 days ago and came through surgery just fine. He’s recovered quickly -- you can’t even see the scar anymore. He weighed in at 94 pounds! And he’s 29 inches at the shoulder. I wonder how that compares to his brothers? He's not 7 months old.

The vet also checked his eyes because he acts like he can’t see as well out of his left (lighter colored) “ghost eye.” The vet turned out the lights and shined a flashlight into each eye. No problem with the right eye, but when she shined it in his left eye he kept squirming to get away, then finally bit her! (Not hard.)That’s not like Princeton! He’s usually very friendly and never bites (except in play). So that side is a lot more sensitive to light, but the vet couldn’t see any differences other than the color of the eye. She said we should see a specialist (ophthalmologist) if we want to pursue it. It seems to be a genetic condition because he's a merle color.

My partner asked the vet how big she thought Princeton would get. She said it was hard for her to estimate because they don’t have any other Great Dane puppies in the practice. Then she added, “There’s probably some other clinic nearby that’s getting all the Great Dane puppies.”

“Every profession has its conspiracy theories,” my partner teased, and we all started laughing.

When I walked Princeton in the weeks leading up the neutering, I kept feeling like he was a stallion prancing and resisting as his handlers try to get him into the starting gate for a race. I wonder if he will still be like that after neutering. Our neighbor’s nickname for him is “Bounce” because he’s so bouncy.

Magnificant Dane pup on mountain trail

2008-11-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

I captured Princeton in all his glory on our walk in the park today. This photo is sure to become a classic. He's almost seven months old.

Great Dane pup dances with lemon

2008-11-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

Here’s a fun video of my Dane pup Princeton dancing with one of his favorite toys -- a lemon!

This was actually taken about a month ago. He’s even bigger now! But he still loves lemons.

His obedience training is going well. But it keeps me busy enforcing rules and practicing “sit” over and over. (He knows the command, but he doesn’t know how to obey it EVERY time, even when HE doesn’t feel like it.)

Dane pup is in training

2008-11-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Princeton running with one of his dog friends

Princeton has started a real obedience class -- much tougher (and more effective) than the “puppy kindergarten” that he did before. I don’t have much energy for blogging left after being so strict and vigilant with Princeton all the time, so don’t worry if I don’t post here very often.

Maybe this class seems so much tougher because Princeton is much bigger (29 inches at the shoulder) and stronger. Plus he now has the moody, sometimes defiant attitude of a teenager. He’s 6-1/2 months old.

Yesterday he lost what looks to be his last baby tooth while playing with his friend in this photo.

Pup may have vision problem

2008-10-21T17:21:00.001-07:00

Princeton likes to grin from his right side

Princeton’s vision may be significantly worse in his left eye. Our Great Dane pup tends to cock his head at look sideways at you. I’ve always thought it was cute how he gives a three-quarter view of his face and gazes slyly out of one eye.

However, some people complained that he seems distracted or even blind. I improvised some vision tests and he always passed, except that he doesn’t have much depth perception.

I kept focusing on how Princeton’s eyes look different. His left eye is blue-green and surrounded by white fur, while his right eye is darker with black and grey fur around it. Finally it hit me. His eyes don’t just look different, they might work differently, too.

Sure enough, when I paid attention, it was obvious that he ALWAYS looks with his head turned with his brown eye forward. Both eyes respond to bright light, but I finally realized that maybe he can’t see as well in his light-colored eye, the one with the white fur around it. Merles are known for such genetic defects. Click here for an excellent summary of merle Dane genetics and related vision problems.

I’m going to ask the vet and the breeder about it. He gets around just fine, but it does explain some of his quirks. For example, he’s run into me or my partner a few times when he was galloping at top speed. Maybe he misjudged where we were?

This also explains why he keeps wanting to “heel” on the wrong side -- so he can have his good eye on the outside to watch for danger. He keeps wanting to move from my left side to my right side. It’s not just him being naughty, either. He does it when he’s on his best behavior, and he doesn’t pull or act up when he does it. I think he wants to have his “good eye” on the outside to see what’s happening. I’m going to try modifying his leash training with this in mind.

Princeton has never been able to catch something that’s thrown to him, unless it’s huge. My old Dane mix used to love catching apple peels, but toss one to Princeton and it just hits his snout every time. This may just be a Dane thing. I had another Dane lover test her 5-month-old puppy, and he couldn’t catch treats, either.

Interestingly, my favorite baby photo of Princeton from the breeder is one where he is looking out sideways out of his good eye with a mischievous expression at age two weeks. It’s still my screen saver. I post it below.

That photo is one reason that we chose to adopt Princeton. I thought that any puppy with that cute sideways mischievous look must be a lot of fun and have a special outlook on life. And it’s true.

Princeton already had his classic sideways glance at 2 weeks old
(photo courtesy of Shabrea Great Danes)

Great Dane pup loves to jump

2008-10-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

Princeton loves to jump -- not over fences, but straight up in the air. He jumps for joy. I’ve noticed three occasions when he jumped for joy:

1. When a friendly stranger asked for his kiss -- and he knew what to do. It happened when we took Princeton to a street fair. One woman bent down and commanded, “Kiss!” That’s a command that we’ve been teaching Princeton daily for months. He responded by kissing her, to her delight -- and his! Then he leaped high in the air for joy, ecstatic that he could communicate with a stranger. It was like he finally understood why we were saying, “Kiss” over and over and giving him a treat when he licked our hands. It was like that classic moment when Helen Keller figured out that the hand sign for water was a word.

2. When a little boy surprised him with a playful jump of his own. We were at an outdoor concert where we met a six-year-old boy who LOVED playing with Princeton. The boy crouched down on the ground and rolled up in a ball -- then sprang up to his feet, surprising Princeton and making our puppy leap for joy.

3. When he noticed that I was wearing my walking shoes. I changed my shoes in another room, then found Princeton to take him for a walk. My puppy sniffed my shoes and jumped for joy!

Last night Princeton jumped like a frog onto our bed -- no running head start, just leaped straight up in the air with all four legs and landed on our bed. I was amazed. He looked quite proud of himself, but got down as soon as we yelled, “Off!”

An update: His eyes are turning brown, and he has lost almost all his baby teeth. One sharp little fang in front left to go.

Great Dane pup loves to run

2008-10-07T14:16:00.001-07:00

Princeton on the go

Our Great Dane pup loves to run now. When we first got him, he was rather uncoordinated. He looked like a rocking horse when he ran. Now at five and a half months old. he’s poetry in motion.

I tried to capture Princeton running in this photo. I love how his ears fly when he gallops at top speed!

Pup loves playing with fruit

2008-09-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

The Prince likes playing with strings of crabgrass, too

Princeton found something on the ground and brought it in the house to chew on. As I reached into his mouth, I thought it might be another piece of cat poop or some other stinky horror. Then I smelled delightful lemon scent!

He had found a small, unripe baby lemon. He LOVED it. He danced around with it and tossed it in the air many times. He pricked tiny holes in it with his baby teeth, but never bit into it. We had a lot of fun playing hide and seek with it.

Another day our Dane puppy Princeton put his feet on the trunk of our neighbor's apple tree and picked some apples to play with. We laughed to see how happy he was. I knew what he was thinking: "Wow, balls grow on trees!" The danger of letting him play with these ready-made “toys” is---he snatched a peach off the dining room table and ran around with it, thinking it was another doggy toy.

Natural cure helps sick Dane

2008-09-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here’s Princeton looking like a vulture while he waits for me to fix his food

I highly recommend a set of natural supplements that are helping my Great Dane puppy Princeton with his health.

He had three bouts of diarrhea soon after we got him. The vet put him on antibiotics and worming medicine three times, but the problem kept returning -- until we tried the Giardia Program developed by Linda Arndt, fondly known as “the Great Dane Lady.” She’s a canine nutritional consultant who bred Great Danes for about 30 years.

Under the Great Dane Lady’s program, Princeton has gone for more than a month without diarrhea -- a record for our puppy. The supplements include probiotics, digestive enzymes and anti-parasitic herbs.

Check out GreatDaneLady.com for lots of valuable info about all things Dane. Even though she’s called “the Great Dane Lady,” I expect that these supplements would work for other dog breeds, too. Some are even suitable for human consumption!

Dane inherits unusual spot

2008-09-17T17:16:00.001-07:00

Here’s my Princeton at 4 months with his amazing spot...

And here’s the EXACT SAME spot on his great-grandma Penny Moloseum of Moloseum Great Dane Kennel in Poland

My Dane pup Princeton has an unusual spot like a big, long bar on his left side. Because of this unique spot, we nicknamed him “one-banded armadillo” when he was still a small puppy.

I had never seen anything like his single stripe -- until I came across a photo of his great-grandmother Penny on the Moloseum Great Dane Kennel website. My puppy and Penny have the EXACT SAME SPOT on the left side! They both even have the same secondary spot near their spines. Of course, Penny is a Harlequin (black and white only), while Princeton is merle (black, white and grey). Still, the resemblance is uncanny.

See for yourself in the photo, used by permission from Moloseum Great Dane Kennel in Poland. Click here for more photos of Penny. My Princeton is one-quarter Polish through Penny’s son Xander Moloseum.

Princeton was the only pup in his litter with the unusual spot. It does not show up on his mother or grandsire. Princeton is the lucky one who inherited this handsome spot three generations later through the magic of merle and harlequin genetics.

It’s fun to visit the Moloseum website and see lots of cute Dane pups and champions.

Princeton is getting so big that he’s almost like a one-banded dinosaur now.

Puppy follows kibble to gingerbread house

2008-09-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Every night we tell our puppy Princeton a bedtime story as we lure him into the crate. A good way to get Princeton to move is to drop a trail of kibble for him. If you hold it in your hand, he knows that he may not get it right away. The trail of kibble reminds me of the trail of bread crumbs followed by Hansel and Gretel.

As he nibbles his way along the kibble trail to the crate, we tell him a bedtime story about a Great Dane puppy who follows a trail of gingerbread crumbs into the gingerbread house. Here’s the basic version:

Once upon a time there was a Great Dane puppy named Princeton. He found a trail of gingerbread crumbs and followed it through the forest. It lead him to a yummmmy gingerbread house. He went inside the gingerbread house and lived happily ever after.

Dane pup digs a BIG mess in mud

2008-09-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

My 4-month-old merle Great Dane puppy made a BIG mess digging in the mud. His favorite hole was full of water and he was trying to dig out the water. His paws, which are pure white, were black with mud. I managed to capture it on video. After I recorded this, he ran in the house and got mud everywhere!

It all began when I made the mistake of watering the lawn a few feet away from my puppy’s favorite hole. I was careful NOT to get the hole itself wet at all… but I forgot that water travels underground to the lowest place. I heard a strange splashing sound and turned around to see Princeton digging frantically in a muddy hole full of water.

For a moment I was frozen in shock. All four of his white paws were knee-deep in dark mud. I thought: “I’ll never water like that again!” And: “I wish my family could see this!” Suddenly I remembered my video camera. I ran for it and recorded this (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime mess.

I got some great video shots. And then suddenly Princeton took off and ran toward the house. I was so busy with the video camera that I had forgotten to shut the door! He ran inside and left muddy pawprints everywhere!

Click here for another video of my mud-puppy.

Shark attack by Dane pup

2008-09-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

Princeton, aka “Sharkey,” loves to bite the hand that feeds him. Here he is greeting my dear friend from Texas that I hadn’t seen in years. Within minutes of her arrival, she got a shark attack from Princeton. Fortunately she is has two Danes herself, although a grown Dane is not quite the same animal as a Dane pup. I heard her tell Princeton, “You’re the first hyper Dane I’ve met.”

Too late for our friend’s visit, we FINALLY found an effective antidote for the shark attacks: mint breath spray. Our puppy kindergarten teacher recommended it, and it transformed Princeton’s behavior instantly.

The first few times we sprayed him, he had a totally shocked look as if to say, “You mean you don’t LIKE being bitten?!!” It made me realize that all our seemingly nonstop efforts to say “no,” ignore him, rattle coins, distract him, etc etc had made zero impression on him. The shark repellent that we bought is called Sweet Breath. Boy, it IS sweet to be able to pet the tamed shark with having him sink his sharp little baby teeth into me.

Dane pup quadruples in size

2008-08-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

Our Dane pup has quadrupled in size since we got him two months ago. Here he is resting with his Harlequin pillow. He can’t fit on top of it anymore!

I took these photos today for comparison with the shot of him sleeping on top of the same pillow in my last post.

He posed nicely showing off his two-tone eyes and almost-black nose. His nose was pink when he was born, and half-pink when he came to us. The black spots just keep growing bigger as he grows.

Who can resist this cute face?

Princeton curls on pillow

2008-08-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Doesn’t Princeton look cute curled up on his Harlequin-patterned pillow?

It’s a good thing that I took this photo in July. One month later our Great Dane puppy is way bigger than this pillow! He’s also outgrown two collars since then.

Dane pup loves rolling in grass

2008-08-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

My Great Dane puppy loves to roll in grass. Whenever we come across a lush green lawn (not often in drought-plagued LA), he pulls the leash so he can go roll in it.

He also likes plants and flowers -- sniffing them and chewing them. I was worried because he was eating dandelions and other flowers in our yard, so I took some samples to our vet to make sure they weren’t poisonous.

The vet was amazed by my baggie full of blossoms. “He likes flowers!” the vet marveled. Apparently most puppies are more interested in chewing shoes and stinkier stuff. The good news is that the flowers were non-toxic.

This video shows him rolling on our lawn while California songbirds chirp and twitter. Click here for more videos of Princeton.

Our Princeton is like literature’s Little Prince

2008-08-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Our little Princeton looks like the Little Prince in the famous book

One of our nicknames for our Princeton is the Little Prince. I’ve always loved the book The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery. Our Great Dane pup does have the whimsical, childlike quality of the title character in the book. He even looks a bit like the illustration for the Little Prince.

Famous, favorite lines from the book:

“One can't see well except with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eyes.”

“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”

Yes, I am taming my Little Prince, and will care for him forever.

Princeton lives near 1,262 tiny Princesses

2008-08-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

There are 12 Princetons in LA County, but there’s only one face like this!

The Los Angeles Times has created a fun database of amazing dog trivia. By playing around with it, I discovered fun facts such as this: The most common dog in Los Angeles County is a Chihuahua named Princess. There are 1,262 of them! I thought there were a lot of those little prima donnas running around, but that’s ridiculous!

Great Danes are 46th most common breed in L.A. County, with 1,403. Top names for local Danes: Zeus, Blue, Max and Scooby. In our ZIP code there are 299 dogs per square mile.

Overall, there are 12 registered dogs named Princeton in Los Angeles County. Our puppy makes 13.

Click here to play with the doggy database.

Best age to neuter a Great Dane pup?

2008-08-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

Princeton likes to hide under the bed -- while he's still small enough to fit!

Soon we’ll have to decide when to neuter our Great Dane puppy, and we’re getting mixed messages from experts.

Our breeder requires neutering before Princeton is one year old because his coloring is merle, and therefore not “show quality.” We don’t want to add to dog overpopulation anyway. But we don’t want to damage Princeton’s health by neutering him too early.

We had planned to wait as long as possible (one year based on our contract). However our veterinarian said the surgery is less traumatic for the dog if done at 4-1/2 months, before sexual maturity. She says that if it’s done early, he probably won’t even have to wear a surgical Elizabethan collar afterward for protection. That collar was more traumatic than the surgery for our old dog.

The vet said that when the surgery is done later, the sudden dramatic hormone change is hard on the dog. She said that if Princeton is neutered before adulthood, he will grow taller with bones that are not as thick -- and she thought that this might provide an advantage against hip dysplasia.

On the other hand, some Great Dane experts say that Danes are so giant that they mature more slowly than other breeds. They say it’s best to wait until the dog is a year old.

So down the road we will have decisions to make about whether Princeton will ever know what it is to be a sexually intact and mature adult male… or be a little Prince forever.

Puppy makes music with toy

2008-08-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Princeton makes the sunflower sing

Princeton got at a special toy of mine: a plush sunflower that plays “You Are My Sunshine” when you squeeze the leaf. Princeton loved it!

He has lots of plush animal toys that squeak when he bites them, but this is the only one that plays a whole song! Boy, was he surprised the first time he bit down and it started making music! He probably bit down too hard because the song is starting to sound out of tune. Here’s a photo.

Puppy superstar: Princeton works his magic

2008-08-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

Princeton and one of his many fans

The magic is already happening with our new Great Dane puppy -- because strangers are falling in love with him, just like they used to do with our previous Dane. When our old Dane died, we thought that maybe those magical days were gone forever.

First the carpenter who was building our new fence brought his family over especially to meet Princeton! It was a family affair with his wife, their daughter and three grandchildren ages 6 and under. They loved Princeton and he loved them back, being much gentler with them than he is with adults.

The magic happened again the next day when we took Princeton to the vet for his 2nd vaccinations. As soon as we walked into the vet’s office, the three young women behind the counter practically swooned. “Princeton!”

“Have you met Princeton yet?” one asked another.

“Not yet!” she said as he hurried up to him and announced, “We’re going to be best friends forever!”

Then two of the women knelt down in unison and cried out in high-pitched unison, “Come here, Princeton!”

Our pup was rather overwhelmed, as were we. Then vet emerged and hugged me. “You’re braver than I am, taking on a puppy,” she said with a smile.

A woman with a sick Cocker Spaniel interrupted. “Excuse me, may I have the sign-in sheet?!” In all the excitement, I had forgotten to finish signing in and was still holding it. I quickly finished signing in and handed it to her.

It’s like Princeton is famous. When we’re out walking, strangers stop their cars to meet him and photographers beg to take pictures of him. Strangers even come to our house asking to see him -- so much so that I can’t even sleep sometimes. Recently day Princeton and I had finally settled down for an afternoon nap when the carpenter again arrived with another set of grandchildren eager to play with Princeton! It’s like we’re living with a superstar. The magic is definitely back.

Do my puppy’s eyes match?

2008-08-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

My 3-month-old merle Great Dane puppy's eyes look like they're different colors sometimes, but it's hard to tell for sure. One side of his face is white and the other is merle grey, so it may be an optical illusion. I try to get a good look into his eyes on this video.

Mismatched eyes are a fault under the U.S. Great Dane Breed Standard, which states: “In harlequins… eyes of different colors … are permitted but not desirable.”

However, lots of people who meet Princeton seem happy and excited at the thought that his eyes may be different colors.

I’ve heard that a dog’s eye color is not set until it is four months old, so Princeton’s eyes are still changing. Hey, we think he looks handsome, no matter what!

Puppy teaches compassion

2008-08-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm learning compassion these days from a new teacher -- a Great Dane puppy! Princeton is testing my compassion A LOT by biting me when he wants to play. He just wants to play and is too young to know better, but it hurts! Dog trainers say the best response is to remain calm and withdraw briefly or offer another toy. Easier said than done when it goes on and on and on.

When I told one of my spiritual friends about this, he replied, “Pet animals are great teachers. Maybe that's why we don't have any !!”

I love the Dog Buddha from WonderfullyWacky.com. My own puppy-teacher can’t maintain this peaceful expression for long.

Dane’s ears are flopped, but not cropped

2008-07-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here's how Princeton likes to put his ears when it's hot. He does this all on his own! Maybe he feels a connection to his show-dog brothers with cropped ears.

Great Danes have natural floppy ears, but traditionally they have been cropped to make them stand up. Today many consider ear cropping to be cruel, and the American Kennel Club no longer requires cropped ears. Princeton’s breeder says that ear cropping requires weekly or bi-weekly re-wraps up to a year of age.

We plan to leave Princeton's ears natural. Then he can flip them and flop them whenever he likes.

Puppy attacks sprinkler -- and wins!

2008-07-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

My Great Dane puppy gets wild and “sharkey” in this video as he attacks the sprinkler -- and wins! He has a thing about lawn implements. He’s graduated from battling the trowel to ambushing the sprinkler.

Click here to see him lunging and barking at the trowel and other videos.

Perils of puppy-proofing the house

2008-07-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Princeton looks so sweet and innocent

We’re struggling with how to manage our Great Dane puppy in the house. We tried to puppy-proof before Princeton arrived, but we had a lack of imagination. He gets into EVERYTHING whenever he is awake. For example:

We’ve had to fold our floor-length curtains over the curtain rod -- after he ripped a chunk out of them. This tactic includes the shower curtains.

Shoes must ALWAYS be kept up high or in a closet.

The same goes for throw pillows from the couch. These are a favorite target.

All books, coasters, etc. had to be removed from the coffee table. In fact, we had to move the coffee table because the puppy was chewing on that, too.

NEVER allow a table cloth to hang off the table, or a sheet to hang off the bed.

NEVER hang laundry on the clothes line, unless you want to wash it again.

NEVER leave the TV remote control on a chair or table, or you’ll end up chasing the dog instead of changing the channels.

Charge your cell phone at your own risk. Best to do it behind closed doors.

Putting a roll of toilet paper in the usual place is asking for trouble. Safer to put it way, way up high on a towel rack.

Electric cords? I was worried about that, but that’s one item that doesn’t interest our puppy, thank goodness.

Even the carpet isn’t safe! But what can we do?! I put a cookie sheet over the places where he has gnawed holes in the carpet. But mostly we say “no” and put him into a carpet-free zone until he settles down.

He’s getting taller every day, which gives him access to more places! Fortunately, as he grows, he’s also getting too big to get under the bed, under the gate, or into other small spaces where we will soon be able to hide our shoes, books, remote controls, cell phones, and other puppy magnets.

Is my pup a celebrity lookalike?

2008-07-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or does my puppy Princeton look a lot like Joel Grey in Cabaret?

My Great Dane puppy Princeton has a clown-white face with black spots that give him natural eyeliner and black lipstick like Grey’s character, the mischievous Master of Ceremonies at a cabaret in pre-war Germany. But I think it’s that devilish gleam in the eye that really makes them look alike. The resemblance is strongest when Princeton is about to bite.

BTW, Cabaret is one of my favorite movies and Joel Grey is one of my favorite characters in it.

Top 10 ways to stop puppy biting

2008-07-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Princeton gets a mischievous, sharkey look in his eyes right before he bites

Our biggest challenge with our Great Dane pup Princeton is that he lunges and bites when he wants to play.

He just wants to play and is too young to know better, but it HURTS! He’s also ripping holes in our pants and sleeves with his sharp little puppy teeth. And he’s getting bigger every day! Trying to escape his jaws or block him just seems like a game to him.

Here are some tactics that we’ve tried and the results:

1. Distract him with a toy. (Doesn’t work. A human target is much more interesting.)

2. Shake a jar full of coins to distract him. (Doesn’t work. This gets him more excited and makes him bark at me between bites.)

3.Gently hold his little mouth shut and say “No bite.” (Works sometimes. But this also resulted in me getting the worst bite on my wrist. His “little” mouth is already as big as the mouths of many full-grown dogs.)

4. Carry a cane to block (not hit) him and assert your authority. (Surprisingly effective. He’s more respectful as soon as I pick up the cane. But he still thinks it’s a fun game when I try to block him.)

5. Ignore him. (Doesn’t work. Ouch! He just keeps biting my skin or tearing my clothes.)

6. Remain calm. (Ha! Stay calm while a shark draws blood biting and circling you? Easier said than done!)

7. Yelp like a puppy to let him know that it hurts. (Satisfying to me, but doesn’t stop him at all.)

8. Poke your finger in his cheek so he bites his own mouth and he knows how it feels. (Haven’t tried this yet. He already has sores that won’t heal from biting his own lips.)

9. Nip it in the bud as soon as he starts to act up by removing sources of excitement, such as food or the cat. (Works sometimes.)

10. As soon as he starts biting, give him a “time-out” by putting him in his crate or other isolated space. (This really works!!! When I tried this, Princeton spent most of the first day alone in time-out, but the next day he started biting us a lot less!)

_______
Update on May 17, 2009 --
Princeton is one year old now, and several people have asked me if he ever stopped biting. Yes, it’s about 95 percent gone. He still occasionally gets mouthy when he’s excited, but even then he doesn’t bite down hard. It never hurts, but it can scare foolish strangers who sometimes TRY to get him excited at the dog park.

We have a new technique for disciplining him when he gets mouthy, and it seems to be working well. We stand our ground and quietly face him with both hands open, sending him “calm, assertive energy” (based on the ideas of the “Dog Whisperer”). The most important thing is not giving up before he surrenders. Just keep standing there until the dog lies down and looks away in surrender. It’s really about mental power, not physical strength. At first it took 10 minutes as Princeton barked in protest and lunged to mouth our arms. Now he gives up much more quickly -- although he’s still testing us. It’s really surprising how well this works. The best part is that I don’t feel stressed out, injured or exhausted by the process. In fact, we all end up feeling better and calmer.

I must have seen the Dog Whisperer do this technique on TV more than 100 times before I understood it and got it to work. I’m not sure how well this would have worked on Princeton when he still had his baby teeth -- because it was impossible for me to remain calm when those needle-sharp teeth sank into my flesh. But it works great now.

This has been my most popular post ever, and I still get emails and comments about it. For all you new puppy owners out there, don't give up. Even the pups who are most like sharks will someday grow up, learn to stop biting and become love bugs.

Princeton opens wide to bite

Check out Princeton's sharp little baby teeth in profile

Sharkey Dane pup bites his own lips

2008-07-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Princeton inherited his lips from his grandpa Xander Moloseum, (courtesy of Great Plans Danes and Shabrea Great Danes)

Our puppy Princeton has gotten sores from biting his classic Dane lips. Great Danes have handsome overhanging upper lips that hang down to make their muzzle look square.

Princeton’s grandsire, the Polish champion Xander Moloseum, has truly amazing lips as you can see in his photo. It looks like our puppy has inherited these impressive lips.

Princeton had cuts on both sides of his upper lips when he came to us. At first we thought his littermates bit him, but at his first check-up, the vet figured out that Princeton bites his own lips! We're treating the sores with ointments and trying to keep them clean, but they still haven't healed. Even if he isn't biting at his lip, it gets irritated when he chews things, which is whenever he is awake.

The vet says that this problem solves itself when the adult teeth come in because they're not so sharp -- or he said we might want to pull his puppy teeth! (Seems too drastic -- we don't want to!)

The breeder and her circle of expert were all dumbfounded. They figured it must be Princeton’s Euro lips. And I couldn’t find any info on the Internet about this problem -- zero! -- so it must be rare. The breeder’s vet said tooth removal would be an absolute last resort, and it will all change as he gets older, outgrows the teething stage, and his lips grow.

Princeton’s breeder added, “He must be a aggressive chewer when he chews.”

Ha! We laughed at that comment. That’s an understatement! Trying to get him to stop chewing is like trying to get him to stop breathing. He loves to bite so much that we started calling him Sharkey.

Request to readers: Let me know if you have any good ideas about how to handle the lip issue!

Puppy learns to squeak his toy

2008-07-21T19:40:00.001-07:00

At 9 weeks old, my Great Dane puppy Princeton learned how to bite down on his toys and make them squeak. Now he can't stop squeaking them!

Watch him squeak his green lizard.

Dog toys -- and owners -- get frazzled

2008-07-20T16:15:00.001-07:00

Princeton loves all of his many toys

My Great Dane puppy Princeton has many toys that came with him from the breeder, and he loves them all. I have to carry one around with me at all times to stuff in his mouth when he tries to bite me or chew on something he’s not supposed to. I try to keep at least one toy in every room, just in case.

Trying to keep the stuffed-animal toys nice, clean and organized is hopeless. I read advice that says to rotate the puppy’s toys so he doesn’t get bored. But these toys rotate themselves! They’re always disappearing, and then I find them a few days later hiding under some furniture.

All the dog toys quickly get frayed, dragged through the dirt outside, and/or peed on. I am reminded of the class children’s story The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. It has wisdom about how a toy becomes Real when it has been loved to the point of being worn out. A favorite quote, spoken by a wise old toy to the Velveteen Rabbit:

“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." Click here for more of the story.

Princeton is definitely making his toys Real. I also feel frazzled as I chase him around the house in clothes that are muddy from playing in the yard with him, with little rips from where he’s bitten my sleeves and pant legs. My pants bulge because my pockets are full of dog treats and toys. I think that Princeton is making me Real, too.

2008-07-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Princeton relaxes with our kitty

The biggest surprise is that our new Great Dane pup Princeton and our cat are already getting along well! They just relax together about 6 feet apart. I thought that it would take a month to get to this point -- based on past experience with adult dogs. Princeton doesn't even seem very interested in the cat. Our cat is happy to have a friendly dog around again.

The cat seems very contented. She has a kind, motherly expression on her face all the time, as if she keeps marveling, “Why, he’s just a baby!” (That’s what I myself keep thinking, too.) She seems very happy to have another four-legged to share our home again.

The cat waits until he has played for a while and is tired. Then she walks slowly where he can see her. But she’s had to speed up, because he doesn’t notice her at all when she walks super slow. Then he starts to follow her. Then she jumps on a couch or chair -- higher than Princeton, but not too high. Then she turns around and stares at him. The first time she did it (last night) he instantly collapsed to the floor in utter submission to that stare.

They did it a few more times today, with the cat allowing him to sit up. He looks intently at her in fascination, then looks away in submission, then she looks away and lets him look at her, then he falls asleep.

This Dane pup will play with ANYTHING!

2008-07-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Princeton was so cute -- barking at a trowel on our patio and pouncing on it as if it was alive! I managed to catch it on video.

Then I caught him attacking the trowel again about a week later on the video below. He’s already gotten bigger -- now he can carry the trowel in his mouth for a few second. Don't miss his fearsome growl. When he was still with his breeder, she warned us, “Whenever we hear a particularly vicious sound -- it’s Princeton!”

You can visit Princeton’s YouTube channel to see more videos of him.

How Princeton got his spots

2008-07-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Princeton and his Harlequin and Merle littermates (courtesy of Shabrea Great Danes)

I wondered how my Great Dane puppy Princeton got his beautiful markings, so I did some research on the genetics of breeding Harlequin Great Danes.

Both of Princeton’s parents are Harlequin (white with black patches), but Princeton and two of this littermates are Merle (grey with black patches). Princeton is also Mantle because he has a white face, neck, chest, belly, legs and tail tip.

Princeton’s breeder said she did not intend for his parents to mate because they are both lightly marked Harlequins, so some of their puppies were likely to be deaf. But love found a way and Lilly and Retro got together anyway. Fortunately all of their puppies were born hearing. In a litter of nine, there were six Harlequins and three Merles. (Seven boys and two girls.)

I was curious about why a breeding of two Harlequins created some Merle puppies, mine included. I discovered that Harlequins come from a combination of two different genes, Merle (spotting) and Harl (removing the grey background). Therefore Merles are a necessary part of Harlequin breeding.

Merles are considered “mismarks” and “pet-quality.” The American Kennel Club does not allow Merles to show or breed in an effort to prevent genetic defects.

Our previous dog was a Harlequin who was adored by strangers. I thought that maybe our new Merle might not get as much adoration from the public because of his “mismark” coloring. Boy, was I wrong! People are fascinated by Princeton’s markings, and he gets tons of compliments on his striking mix of grey, black and white.

For those who are interested in all the complexities of Harlequin Great Dane genetics and coat color, here are two excellent articles:

The Harlequin Family of Dogs: Harls, Merles, Blacks, Whites and More

Inheritance of Great Dane Coat Color by Jane Chopson

This Dane has great genes

2008-07-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

Lilly when she was pregnant with Princeton (courtesy of Shabrea Great Danes)

Our pup Princeton comes has a champion Great Dane pedigree, including one-quarter European lines on his mother’s side. Many of his ancestors are champions.

The breeder is actually looking for a new home for his father, Retro, while she keeps two of Princeton’s Harlequin brothers for the show ring. Click here for more info on Retro, or just enjoy his handsome photo below.

I’m impressed by the picture pedigrees that are online now for dogs. Click here to view a picture pedigree with part of Princeton’s lineage. (Princeton’s mother, Lilly, has the same parents as Bubba on this picture pedigree from Great Plains Danes.)

Princeton’s dad Retro (courtesy of Shabrea Great Danes)

Watch out, world, here I come!

2008-07-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Great Dane Princeton at birth (courtesy of Shabrea Great Danes)

Our Great Dane puppy Princeton has been amazing from the moment he was born. Our breeder, Shabrea Great Danes, gave permission to post the photos they took of him, including this picture of our puppy as a newborn. He weighed 1 pound 6 ounces.

We picked Princeton out of the litter by asking the breeder to choose the boy who was most calm, gentle, friendly and submissive. But I must admit that I was won over by the spirit and pizzazz displayed in this photo of him as a newborn. I was also charmed by the sweet picture (below) of Princeton at two weeks old.

We had tried to imagine what an 8-week-old puppy was like, but he’s more of a baby than we expected. The breeder said he had never stepped on the ground outside in his life. She said not to take him for walks until he had more vaccinations. We thought this would be hard. But after meeting him, he’s not ready for walks outside our yard. He gets tired and overwhelmed just by walking around the yard.

Princeton at two weeks (courtesy of Shabrea Great Danes)

First night with a Great Dane pup

2008-07-13T16:10:00.001-07:00

Princeton likes to be a clown

We had braced ourselves for our new Great Dane puppy Princeton to cry all night long on his first night. After all, he’s just eight weeks old and away from his mom and littermates for the first time.

We were armed with a cloth with the scent of his littermates, a hot water bottle and a ticking watch. But he hardly cried at all! Maybe for one minute after I put him in his crate. Then he slept through until sunrise. I think it helped that the crate was right next to the bed (my side).

We got a Great Dane puppy!

2008-07-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Big, happy news: We got a Great Dane puppy!

His name is Princeton. He’s 8 weeks old and cuter than cute.

Princeton is an AKC-registered purebred Great Dane with many champions in his pedigree, including his grandfather, a big European champion from Poland.

His coloring is known as “merle mantle.”

We got him from a breeder who lives a couple of hours away. Today she brought some puppies to ship out of LAX airport, and we met her there and got Princeton.

He's very sweet and seems to be getting along with the kitty already, but he's afraid of the two Chihuahuas next door -- they bark every time we go out.

It’s amazing to spend time with a being who is so young… so small and everything is new to them. Our little prince.

Uh-oh, he woke up! Gotta go make sure he doesn't chew on something dangerous and take him out for a potty break.