Back in action

I'm back to posting. Work completely took over my life. The side effects of the slumping economy forced me to put everything on hold and scramble to hold on to my clients and add a few more.

Something really bothers me.. It seems like the challenging economy have given some people  a legitimate ( in their mind) reason to not pay for services rendered. I now have several clients owing me money for work I have done, but won't pay. Their excuse: The economy! They try to convince me that they can't pay because their revenues are down. And, they seem to find this OK and acceptable. I'm a one man business and depend on getting payed for what I do. I've lost several clients and my income is down over 50%. I get through this, but it would certainly help if people payed for their services.

Tom

One year a since Camelot passed

One year ago today I lost my dear Camelot to cancer. One of the worst days of my life. This gentle giant was such an ambassador for the Great Dane breed. I had never before been able to archive such a close connection with a dog.  I could read his mind based on his body language and was able to predict his next move. And he could pretty much do the same with me.I never understood how we were able to have this connection. He always had such a calming effect on me. Most dogs has this effect on me, but Camelot was able to create a stronger feeling of calmness and peace than any other dog I ever had.
I think about you every day my friend and I miss you very much. The picture above was taken the day I found out he had a large tumor inside his chest. He died a week later.

Heat gone

It's been rather hot here lately. Well, 90s is hot for me. I know some people like this. Now it's down into the 70s which I love and so do my dogs. A few thunderstorms are passing by. My dogs are not bothered by this. Camelot  was scared when he heard the thunder when I got him. I just ignored him when he started shivering and now he does not react other than lifting his head up a bit to listen. No shaking. He's such a quick learner.

Some people have email me and asked me to show picture of my dogs eating raw food. I will post this today or tomorrow.

Camelot and Rex Sketch

Painting. I had some time to create s small scetch of my boys. I'm using different software to create a sketch effect.

Rex struggling

Rex is not having a good day tody. His hinds legs are noticeable shaky and weak. This occur once in awhile and I don't know why. I have increased his pain medication a little and I'll see how this will affect him. It's all natural so I'm not too worried about any side effects.

Recover from illness

Rex my old buddy, got into some horse manure three days ago. That resulted in a really bad diarrhea that lasted until today. Every three hours he had to go so the last few nights I did not get much sleep. I fed him chicken wings only for the last two meals and his stool is now nice and firm again. Thank god.

This happens once or twice a year and I blame myself for not watching them closer. Deer dropping is their favorite and I really have to watch them when we are in areas where deer hang out.

The picture is from today's morning hike at sunrise.

Caring for an old dog

Rex is now 13 and that's pretty old for a Great Dane. I adopted Rex when he was 4 years old. I got him from Midatlantic Great Dane Rescue League. This is a fine organization that has helped thousands of Great Danes find a forever homes.

Rex had issues already at 4. His joints were starting to get affected by arthritis and he walked with stiff front legs. I switched him to a raw food diet the same day I got him. He eat it like he has never had anything else. Within a few weeks I saw great improvement. He gained much needed weight, his coat got shinier and fuller, he muscles become more developed and defined.

Now at 13 he can't run much anymore. His rear legs are weak and he sometimes falls down on his butt and have a hard time getting up. The look he gives me when he this position is priceless. He also sometimes sways back and forth when he walks on uneven terrain. I have him on several supplements that has benefited him greatly. I have listed them all here.

I wish I could ask him if he hurts. I try my best to figure out if he is in pain. I think the supplements are helpful in this area. It's mainly stiffness that slows him down. The vet can't find anything wrong other that the joint issues. His heart is very strong for a Dane his age. All important tests come out 100% OK. His eyesight and hearing is also great. So this old guy is healthy. If I can manage his arthritis he should live happily a few more years. He is such a good dog to have around. Never barks or whines, kind to everyone and very independent. Just a perfect dog to have around.

I had to build a ramp for him to get out of my the truck. I also had to make our morning walks a bit shorter. Camelot ll is so active anyways so he pretty much, by running around, double the distance Rex and I walk.

It's interesting to see how different a 2 year and a 13 year old Great Danes acts and are capable of doing. Camelot's agility makes him capable of jumping over obstacles twice his hight. Camelot is very aware of Rex's limited abilities to play and run and do not ever bother him.

I'm very fortunate to have two such amazing dogs.

Return to a favorite trail

This morning i decided it was time to return to a trail that I have not been to since Camelot l died. This was his favorite trail, we have walked this trail during fall, winter, spring and summer and it has a lot of fond memories. It was just to hard walking here without Camelot l. I know all his favorite spots he used to check out on every hike.

But, this morning it felt right to introduce Camelot ll to this trail. He loved it, so many smells to investigate and he was running back and forth the entire time with his tail wagging. It warms my heart to see him so happy.

This is a challenging trail and I was concerned that Rex would not make it all the way. This little trooper did so well and I'm so proud of him. He got so much stamina, not the fastest dog around but he throttle along at an even pace. We have to wait for him now and then when he come across something interesting to smell. Sometimes he stands and smell for several minutes. I'm being patient and wait for him. He does not have much time left on this earth so I want him to enjoy every minute of it. It gives me such pleasure just seeing him back on this trail that we have walked hundreds of times.

This trail is located at Canyon Ski Resort and has a great variety of vegetation. It goes from grassy ski slopes through thick aspen and pine forests which provides lots of shade and protection from the sun. Clear cold brooks with water from melting ice ensures plenty of clean water for the dogs.

Morning snack

I just posted some pics and information on what I feed my Great Danes in the morning. It is just a snack that gives me the opportunity to add supplements that are best given twice a day.

Food my dogs eat

4:00 pm

Camelot l and Camelot ll similarities.

When I adopted Camelot ll in November of 2008 he was named Dane. Whenever I called that name he seem to get nervous. I decided to rename him Camelot since he reminded me of him in some ways. He quickly took to that name and I actually felt good about someone carry the name of my favorite Great Dane of all times.

Camelot ll was 1 1/2 year old when I adopted him. He did not come with any papers at the time. I figured he was born in February which was the same month as Camelot l. Since I did not know the date I decided to pretend he was born on the 17th, same as Camelot l. It would easy to remember.

Two months later I finally got the paper on Camelot ll and his date of birth was February 17th!. My heart missed a beat and I could not believe what I read. Same date as Camelot ll, what are the odds of that happening? Well 1 out of 365 I guess, but still. So the adoption of Camelot ll was meant to happen.

Camelot ll is becoming more and more like Camelot l. One thing Camelot l often did was to come into the bathroom when I brushed my teeth to get one of his ears rubbed. . Early in his life I did this one time and he must have liked it so much that he never forgot. I liked this moment and never discouraged him from doing it. He sometimes drank water directly from the faucet too.

I tried to get Camelot ll to come into the bathroom so I could continue this tradition. He never wanted to, he was actually afraid of getting anywhere close to the bathroom. Then one day he came to the door opening and I scratched his ear a little and told him he was a good boy. Over the next days he kept coming when I brushed my teeth and became a little more brave each time. Then after about a week he decided to come all the way into the room and stand next to me while I rubbed his ear. Now he comes in every time. I like it very much. It's a special tender moment and another proof that he slowly getting more and more comfortable and secure in his new environment. He is such a great dog and I'm so glad he came to me.

Tuesday July 28th

6:00 pm.

Morning Snack

I feed my dogs once a day, with one small snack meal in the morning. The main reason for this meal is to provide them with supplements that are best taken twice a day. I mix these supplements into their snack.
This snack consist of:

5-6 ounces of ground beef.

I will complete this with pictures later tomorrow.


7:30

Morning walk.

Rex seems to have a good day today so we will go on a longer walk. The temperature in the mornings are comfortable compared to the midday and afternoons high 80s. Rex has some unidentified issue with his right front paw. It is very sensitive to small pebbles and rocks. If we go on a trail with gravel spots I put a booth on him so his paw has a some cushion. This seems to help a lot and he does not limp.


Camelot is much more active and curious about everything along the trails than Rex is. He runs upfront, but not very far. He actually has become much better at stopping and waiting for me. Before he sometimes ran too far ahead and I had to call him back. Now he runs just the right distance and stops and wait. He must have figured this out somehow.

We met a lot of bikers and a few other dogs today. My boys are so friendly and well behaved that I get compliments every time. Most people are fascinated by Great Danes and find it intriguing that I have two. When they hear that I adopt rescues they always compliment me for doing that. I often hear "I wish I could do that, but my house in too small". I reply "I'm sure it is not" and I tell them I live with my two in a RV. That produces some interesting looks and replies. It's not about the space inside, it's all about exercising them outside. And Great Danes really do not need much of it. Mine are getting way more than they need and I know that's why they are so good and never causes any problems.


After the morning walks, in true Great Dane fashion my Danes hit the couch and stay there until 3-4 in the afternoon. I don't know any dog owner that can't handle that. Want a perfect dane? Give him/her exercise, food and a good couch.

Monday July 27th

6:00
Last year today, Camelot l had one more month to live. Sadly, I had no idea. He must have had the tumor that eventually ended his life at that time. He did not give me any signs that he was sick. After looking back I remember him sometimes acting a bit differently. On one walk he stayed much closer to me than he normally would. I did not think any of it at the time since he was back to normal the day after. At the final stages of his life he did this again. The sicker he got the closer he stayed with me. Now I think this was a sign and in the future if any of my animals do this I will for sure take a much closer look. You can learn more about Camelot l here

Hello folks

6:00 am
It's Sunday July 26th and I just started this blog to test Blogger. I have always been a Word Press guy, but I'm curious to how Blogger works. I'm currently in Park City, Utah where I'm preparing for a 5 year journey with my two Great Danes Camelot ll and Rex.

In order to test this blog I will post daily. It may not be the most interesting posts since we are not traveling at the time. But, for my mom and family they're just happy to hear from me. I like to find the best method and software to use for my blogging before I take of on my journey.

3:30 pm

Afternoon walk. It's hot, 80 plus degrees and my Danes do not particularly like this warm weather. Rex slows down quite a bit. He is more active on his morning and evening walks. He likes to drink water from a bottle. I know when he is thirsty, he will lick himself around his mouth. I can tell he's thinking of water. If I don't pay attention he will bump his nose on my bottles.

Camelot ll did not know how to drink from a bottle when I got him. After watching Rex he figured out this new way of drinking.

They do this very differently. Rex is gentle and barely touches the bottle. Camelot drinks exactly like Camelot l. He attacks the bottle thinking the harder he licks the more he gets.

If it is really hot we only walk for 20 minutes. I have to pour water over Camelot's body to keep him cool. I'm amazed how hot his black coat gets. When he gets too hot he will seek out any shade he can find. It's very important to give dogs water when it is hot since they can't sweat like humans and can easily get heat stroke.