Last weekend, I was this close to having a permanent Great Dane in my house. This close! It's no secret that I'm in love with the giant breed. Over Thanksgiving weekend, my husband and I attended an AKC dog show. It was the first time I'd been around Danes since turning Talos in. I was a little taken aback at the sting that came from just seeing a harlequin (the spotted ones) Dane. I thought I'd recovered enough from Talos' turn-in that I could handle it. After momentary panic, I collected myself and stepped into the middle of about six Danes.
One Dane in particular, though, really drew me in. She looked nothing like Talos, so it surprised me a little at how much I liked her and how quickly it all happened. Her name is Macy and she's a mantle (black and white) Great Dane. She is quite a bit smaller than Talos, but (1) she's a female and (2) she's only 11 months old.
We spent a little time with Macy, talking with her owner (who couldn't have been any nicer!). Compared to the other Danes at the show, Macy was very laid-back and very personable. Her tail wasn't tucked. She didn't appear stressed or scared or flighty. She was cool as a cucumber. And really, really silly. I'm a sucker for silly.
Talos had this habit of putting his head over my shoulder and sort of wrapping his head around mine. I loved it. I lived for it. I knelt down to see Macy eye-to-eye and guess what she did -- head over the shoulder and wrapped it around my kneck. I was in love!
Talos was a big lap-sitter, too. Even if there wasn't a lap to sit in, he'd still try to fit his 160 pound self into some semblance of a lap. After Macy wrapped her head around my neck, she also tried to sit in my non-existent lap. Oh dear, that was it! I was a lost cause.
Then, Macy's owner mentioned that she was looking for a good home for Macy, but would still need access to her to get her to shows and to potentially breed Macy (as long as she cleared all the health checks). Was this a dream? A Dane? For me? Are you kidding?!
There were a lot of things I liked about this breeder. Health and temperament were very important to her. She's also very interested in genetics (not all breeders are, believe it or not). She's involved with the pups she breeds, even after they are in their new homes. She's big into training and knew about the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (another biggie for me). It couldn't be any more perfect!
So where's the dilemma, you ask?
Here it is: we have four dogs in the house. Tango's my main main - and I don't want that position to change. He's my favorite, I love spending time with him, and he's the one who gets all the special treatment. Then there's the service pup in-training. Right now, it's Ike. But after Ike goes back to Hero Dogs, we'll get another service pup to raise. Lily and Nemo aren't chopped liver, either - they need time and attention and love, too.
If a Great Dane came into the house, I'm worried that all the other dogs would suffer because of it. I want to be able to focus on the Dane, without leaving anyone else out. Right now, with four dogs, that's not possible. Bringing in another dog would mean that all the dogs would get less attention, even the Dane.
The decision's not final, I'm still vascillating. But I was really happy to know that some of the characteristics I loved in Talos can be found in other Danes. They're "Dane things," not just "Talos things." And speaking of Talos, I'm planning to visit the big lug in just a couple of weeks! It'll be the first time I've seen him since the turn-in day. Here's hoping I don't break down in tears...
