Outside Adventures

The past couple days have been fill with outdoor exploring and adventures! Paige has been filled withway too much energy lately, and at this point she has become to big to have the zoomies in the house because my couch can't take the beating anymore!

When Joel got home from work yesterday we harness the kids up and took them to the dog park. We are so very lucky to have a dog park literally a mile from our home! I hate to say it, but it's true.... some days you just don't wanna walk the dog! And the dog park gives me that option not to! At this point, it's hard to walk both dogs. Since Raiden is just 12 weeks, he is still getting used to the leash. In fact, he still flips out about the collar and his name tag from time to time! I'll have to catch it on video next time!

So, yesterday we headed to the dog park. The excitement starts before we get out the door. We put the leashes on and the dogs chase each other around the house trying to catch the leashes. And we must have spoiled them at some point becasue Paige, even at 6 months, doesn't even consider jumping into the car. she waits for one of us to lift her in. Raiden feels the need to climb into the front and sit on my lap. that will obviously have to stop sometime soon!

Backseat Driver to the Dog Park

When we get out of the car, Joel has to walk Paige into the park, becasue she has started a new habit of excitement... we call it "The Charge!"  She will walk normally about halfway to the dog park gate, then all of a sudden she stops dead inher tracks and lets out a very small whimper (a whimper of excitement she just can't contain). And then.. she charges to the gate! We hold the leash tight enough that she can't actually charge at the gate, but she is strong enought to pull me over! We even use a harness! So, until we can control her excitement.... Joel must walk her in.

The dog park has become harder to enjoy for the moment. Becasue Raiden is so young, and becasue Raiden is deaf we have to keep a constant eye on him. I feel like an over-protective parent....WAIT....I am!
I am very impressed by Raiden though! He play well with dog his size and he ventures out on his own, but makes sure to check in! Paige has even grown to show a little bit of motherly love toward Raiden! If too many dogs crowd Raiden she comes and pushes them away, she also checks on him from time to time!

Raiden and Paige at the Dog Park

Raiden is an explorer. He's rather sniff his way around the perimeter than chase a ball. He's found this one particular spot at the dog park that is on the concrete, but covered in dirt. He always finds his way to this spot and all he does is stand there and SNIFF it! We've tried to pour water in it, we've tried to put a water bowl over top of it... but nothing works. He loves that spot! He has also found a spot underneath the picnic table  where another dog has begun to dig a hole. Raiden wants to help dig that hole!

Sniffing out the dirt spot, and Paige came to investigate too!

DIG DIG DIG!

 Needless to say, the dog park wore them both out completely! Raiden fell asleep in my lap on the way home and Paige crashed as soon as we got in the house! It was a wonderful trip to the Dog Park, and I look forward to many more as Raiden grows! We plan on  giving Raiden a vibrating collar when he gets bigger, so he knows when to come since he can't hear us. Oh the adventures ahead!

Today, Joel had classes at Columbus State so Dog Park was not an option. I took the pups out back and played fetch with Paige while Raiden was content munching on a stick. I got some super cute pictures to share!

Happy with a stick!

 Stick chewing is fun for everyone!

A House Becomes A Home For Raiden

It's been a week since Raiden unknowingly chose us as his people, and he is settling in nicely. Joel and I have had Paige since she was 9 weeks old. She was 6 months when we decided we wanted to get another Dane. We participate in the Columbus Great Dane Meetups on a monthly basis. When we took Paige to a meetup in July a few of the Dane owners had puppies, and I suddenly got the itch to have another Dane. It's contagious I think. Danes are so lovable and precious! That evening I went home and started looking for people who had adoptable Danes. I didn't want just any Dane though. I knew something about it had to be pretty special for me to take on another giant! ....And then there he was....

We got Raiden through a breeder, but not because we wanted to prettiest, biggest, most solid Dane. We got him because we knew that if we didn't.... they would probably "get rid" of him. Raiden was deaf. He was a product of backyard breeding. This particular family were breeding different Danes just to see what colors they could produce. They had no respect for the breed,and no respect for the well being of the puppies. We knew that they wanted to get rid of him and we wanted to be sure he had the life he deserved!

Raiden's adoption post picture

We contacted the breeder right away, and while we did not agree with their breeding techniques we bought Raiden from them and figured if we didn't pay for him... who would? We waited over a week to pick  him up because I wanted to research all I could on raising a deaf dog (Great Dane for that matter!) I read up on training techniques, inquired with deaf rescues in our area about what to expect and got tips from my trainer who helped up with Paige.

We've had Raiden now for a little over a week and we are learning as much about him as he is about us!

We know the following about Raiden:

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  Raiden sleeps through the night! YAY!
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  Even though he can't hear a darn thing, he sure knows how to use is vocal chords!
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  Raiden will protest when he wants something until he gets it!
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  At 12 weeks he already knows to sit before being fed!
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  He's a thief, and if you aren't watching he'll take anything! (last night he took Joel's HUGE flash light and drug it to the bedroom!)

What Raiden Knows About Us:

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  We are NOT OK with him terrorizing our cats
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  We have a feeding schedule, unlike the breeders he lived with
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  Mommy is the trainer, daddy is the spoiler.
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  Our noses are not for nibbling on.
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  The litter box is not a sandbox
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  When the dishwasher opens.... it's OK to prewash

Prewashing the dishes

Today we took Raiden and Paige to the local dog park. Raiden did very well. He tends to stay close by, but did venture off a few times to play with other doggies his size! We tried to get him in the water, but just like Paige..... he was having none of it! We stayed for about an hour and he was fast asleep before we even left the parking lot! I love a happy puppy!

Exploring the rocks.... and duck poop at the park

Paige is spoiled with her very own water bowl at the park!

 

  

Pooped After The Dog Park

You can't have just one...

I got my first Great Dane, Paige, 4 months ago. She is my BIG baby girl. She my perfect angel. I didn't understand what people ment when they said "you can't have just one dane. You fall in love with them and you just have to have another one." They were right.

My fiance and I got Paige when she was 3 months old. She is now 7 months old and we recently got the dane itch again. We brought home Raiden last week. He is 12 weeks old. While Paige is your typical couch potato lovable great dane..... Raiden brings something very special to our home. Raiden is deaf.  The breeders we got him from were bad backyard breeders and bred Great Danes just to see what colors they could make. It was awful. Because Raiden was born deaf the breeders wanted to "get rid" of him. We wanted to save him, and I think we did.

Paige has already gone through training class for basic commands, and we are planning on teaching sign language to raiden as he grows. It will be a very great adventure and I wanted to share my danes and their adventures with everyone else. If you have a dane, you know  how much they take over your heart, and you know even the most simplest things remind you of them and you can't control yourself from bringing them up in almost every conversation. This blog is about my danes and their people. I hop eyou enjoy!