Odin and Camelot bonding with play

Camelot has shown incredible patience with Odin and tolerate his constant desire for playing.

Odin is 5 months old

Odin has reached the age of 5 months. He's growing up too fast! He's such a great puppy! Potty trained in 2 days, have not destroyed anything.... yet! Plays with my big Dane Camelot all day long. Eats his raw food with no issues.

Camelot and Odin

My two current Danes Camelot (5 yrs) and Odin (5 mos) are developing a strong bond and friendship. It has been interesting to see how Camelot have changed. First he could not really figure out how to interact with little Odin when he wanted to play. Odin immediatley took to Camelot as his big brother and friend. Camelot not sure what this new guy was all about tried to avoid him. Slowly Camelot accepted Odin's presence and understood that all little Odin wanted was to play. Now Odin can lay on top of Camelot and they play tug of war, play bite and wrestle. Out on our walks when we meet other dogs Camelot will keep an eye on Odin and if other dogs play too rough with his little brother he will separate them with a short growl and use his big body to protect Odin.

Rex moving into 2nd. gear!

This afternoon Rex was unusual peppy and much quicker on his feet. He was almost running. Something is working! I apologize for the shaky video.

Waking up on a cold morning

Both my dogs know when there is a cold windy storm outside, somehow they feel it and just want to sleep in. Rex always digs is nose under a pillow or blanked. When he is comfortable he makes purring noises.

Camelot likes part of his body covered under a blanket in the winter. He shares the king size bed with me at night these days so Rex can have the space he needs. He gets up and changes position a few times during the night.

I normally would not have a dog in my bed, but Rex sort of takes priority these days. I don't mind since Camelot is very quiet and hardly moves all night.

Rex's progress

Rex is doing quite well on his new supplements (Cosequine DS). The dragging and limping is for sure less noticeable. One would think that his arthritis would slow him down in thsese frigid temperatures, but he is actually quicker than he's been in a long time.

Winter has arrived

Winter is here.... and my Danes really enjoy the snow. Even Rex seems to move quicker when it's cold.

Camelot is just have a grand time running in the white stuff. The picture is from yesterday, before a blizzard arrived. The temp dropped from 30F to 0 overnight.
The walk this morning will be very short. When the temp drops below 10, the snow that gather in Rex's paws are too cold for his comfort. He will stop and try to lift all legs.... tripping, waiting for me to dig it out. The interesting thing is that when he  starts walking again the new snow that gathers in his paws does not bother him as much.

Rex did not make it to the acupuncture sessions we had scheduled.   I completely messed up my back and was not able to move much the last few days. Feeling much better today, so we will make a new appointment.

Long time no post

It's been a long time since my last post. I had to put everything on hold in order to secure my finances. The bad economy hit me real hard. But, I'm not complaining, many got hit worse than I did.

I still have a roof over my head (my RV) and my two Great Danes. Rex is still holding up pretty good. He has good days and not so good days. But, that is expected considering his high age. He is approaching 12 now.

Camelot my young Dane has become a total sweetheart. He has such a great attitude towards everyone, dogs and humans. I think he will become my oldest Dane.

I'm thinking of getting more involved in informing people about big dogs and their expected life span. I truly believe big dogs can live much longer than many do today.  The key is the food. Commercial dog food is the main problem dogs face. Large dogs need more nutrients, much more than found in so called "dog food" sold in stores. I hope to educate dog owners about the right food to feed their dogs. The right food is the type of food a dog's digestive system is designed for.

Rex's age of almost 12 is considered high for a large breed like Great Danes. I will monitor Rex very carefully and document everything I give him on a daily basis and share is here.  His diet is very simple and easy to implement. I consist of raw natural food including bones plus supplements. I have tested a lot of supplements over the last 4-5 years and narrowed it down to a few that seem very helpful to Rex and his old age.

Resting like a Dane on the couch

I got Rex when he was 4 and already at that time he showed signs of joint problems. This is definitely his biggest challenge. His hips and rear legs are weak and uncoordinated. He often falls backward and have a hard time getting up and sometimes he can't. He also trips himself and falls down that way.
When I walk him I have to make sure I know where he is at all times. He loves being off leash and explore the terrain by himself. It's bushy here and he can easily get lost if he falls down. In the evening I use a collar that is lit bright red to prevent him from getting lost.