Relaxing after a meal

That was a nice meal.

Rex has this habit of sitting on the couch after a meal. It's on of these rituals Rex has always done. This is the only time he will do this. He sits there for about 5 minutes, watching TV. Then he gets down, turn around and gets up on the couch.

Water breaks - keeping Camelot cool

Ahhh this is great stuff!

It's hot here and Camelot's black coat is cooking! I''m amazed how hot Camelot's body gets when he is exposed to the sun! I can't image feeling that intense heat on my body. So, to help him cool off I bring several bottles of cold water. I hose his body down often, I can tell he likes it since he stands all still and let me soak him. He's not a fan of water and will not go swimming, so this is the only way I can get him wet. He also drinks from a bottle. First time I tried this he had no clue what I was trying to make him do. Rex has been drinking from a bottle since I got him, so by seeing this Camelot quickly picked it up too.

Rex likes to dig in

Tell me when we're ready to go out

Rex has always liked to cover himself on a chilly morning. If the temperature drops below 68 inside he likes to cover his nose and part of his body under a blanket.

He actually re-arrange pillows and blankets to make a comfy nest type area to sleep in. He has done this since I got him. He is the only Dane that display this odd behavior.

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.

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.