The Tripawd Times of Nova the Great Dane

Don't Worry, Mommy, I'm Not Going Anywhere!

HA!  Mom calls ME a drama queen, but I have to say, this past week it is MOM who is the drama queen.  I’m sure a lot of my Tripawd friends out there have been reading Mom’s freak out on the forum these past few days.  Geesh!  Come on, Mom. You are supposed to think PAWSITIVE!

For those of you that don’t know what went on these last few days, let me fill you in.  I haven’t been feeling all that great lately, and last weekend I started to cough. I couldn’t help it, I just felt so icky. Mom was studying for exams on Wednesday and Thursday, and she was reallllllyy stressed.  She jumped to conclusions and made the silly assumption that the nasty cancer that was once in my body decided to move on to my lungs.  COME ON!  Can you believe she would think that?  She decided that once her exams were over on Thursday, she was going to take me to the Doctor to get the chest x-rays that she has been putting off for a long time because she is so afraid that the cancer has spread.  Again, isn’t it ridiculous for her to just assume the worst?  What is with people!?!

I was pretty sure that cancer was not the problem, since in my dreams lately I have met some of my Tripawd friends like Jerry, Caira Sue, and Cherry, Max and Tika (my fellow “November Five” buddies in Heaven) who told me that I will not be joining them any time soon. I have a kingdom to rule, you know.  So I decided to send Mom a sign to make her think for a minute that maybe what was wrong with me was not such a big deal.  When she got home from her last exam, I greeted her with a big green booger dripping from my nose.  I hopped up to her to give her the usual head butt, and wiped it on her pants, and she didn’t even care.  She just went “hmmmmmmm” and went running to her computer to talk to this friend named Google.  Google told her that maybe I just had an infection.  That Google is pretty smart!

Well, you know Mom. She took me to the V-E-T anyway, and found out right away that Google was RIGHT!  All I needed was an antibiotic. Yuck. I hate swallowing pills. But Mom sneaks them into yummy stuff like salmon and buffalo, and I don’t even notice them. Mom did not quite believe the Doctor when he said I just had an infection, so she decided to pay him even more money to take some pictures of my lungs.  Geesh. People just love to throw money away! Well, I really wanted Mom to calm down so I was a big girl and let Dr. Osmun put me up on a table to take a bunch of pictures of my chest. Whatever calms Mom down, you know? Sometimes you just have to humor these people.

I thought that Mom was going to give Dr. Osmun a big kiss when he showed her the pictures of my lungs. I don’t think Dad would have appreciated that! Of course, there was nothing goofy on the pictures, but I knew that already! Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to get these drama queen humans to take a chill pill.

Now, I’d have to say that this really worked out to my advantage here.  You know how I love to work it. Mom made me a great buffalo dinner last night, and I got some beef trachea. Plus, lots of lovin’ and kisses and attention. You know how I love that! Nothing like a little drama to bring on the treats and attention. You guys have gotta try this on your pawrents.  It really works!

It IS pretty cool that I continue to beat that stupid cancer beast.  It’s been over 16 months since I told cancer to take a hike, and it HAS!  I am living proof that big dogs CAN survive this.  I hope I am here on this earth for a long time, so that I can show other Tripawds that there is hope.

Gotta run now, Mom just grilled some cheeseburgers tonight and my brother doesn’t want his, so it looks like she is going to give it to ME!!

Queen Nova of Tripawds, Cancer Butt-Kicker

I Want My Mommy!

Hey Tripawd friends!  Don’t tell my Mom, but I have been a little sneaky with her these days. Since I know Mom will do anything to keep me hoppy and healthy (she is my “Lady-in-Waiting” you know), I have to admit that I’ve been kinda working it a little more than usual. I’ve always been a drama queen, very outspoken and opinionated.  Mom tells me that I even talk like a person sometimes when I am trying to communicate (I don’t think I do, I think that Mom just understands my language).  Well, in the past few months I have been waking Mom up a couple times during the night by whining.  When she hears me whine, she jumps right up because she thinks I might be sick, or in pain. (Hee, hee)  I really have to try hard to stifle a tail wag when I do this.

At first, I was doing it because I really needed something. Like to go outside, or maybe I needed my water dish filled.  Well, once I realized that I could get Mom to jump up and come to me any time during the night when I did the drama queen bit, I started to whine for other reasons. Like maybe I couldn’t find my favorite stuffy, or maybe Emmy stole my bed and I was irritated. I think those are legitimate reasons to wake up Mom at 3:30 a.m., don’t you?

Well, my plan kept working so I decided to keep pushing it even more. Now I’ve got Mom right where I want her.  Lately I’ve been waking her up, sometimes several times a night, and I don’t have to go outside, my water dish is full, and I have my favorite stuffy. But I stand there and pant a little (and keep my butt away from her so she can’t see my tail wagging), and Mom gets impatient and decides to come and join me on the sectional couch here in her office. PERFECT. This is exactly what I am after.  Mom will go in there and fall sleep on the couch, and I will get on the other end and rest my head on her feet, and all is well again.  I don’t need to pee, drink, eat, etc. I just need to snuggle with Mom.

Before Mom and Dad got married in 2007, Emmy and I got to sleep in the king-size bed every night with Mom. Back then, every night was a “two-dog” night!  The good ol’ days! But then once our new Dad came on the scene, Emmy and I were relegated to our dog beds (or the couch). Can you imagine? That is no place for the Queen! I think two adults and 2 Great Danes would have fit just fine in a King size bed, don’t you? Dad didn’t think so. So I get lonely for  Mom sometimes because I miss the old days when we could snuggle up together at night.

I think she might be catching on to my plan though.  The past few nights I haven’t been able to control my wagging tail when I wake her up.  I’m just so excited!  But she still seems to be falling for it, because she is so tired, so I am going to work it as long as I can.  You know, it can’t hurt to throw a little drama out there every once and awhile to keep the love, treats, etc. coming. About a week ago I had a high white count in a blood test at the vet that I was really able to cash in on. (Hee hee) Mom got all snuggly with me, and just poured on the treats and love. So Tripawd pals, let’s just make it our little secret….  if you need a little lovin’ just get a little drama going and you will have your pawrent wrapped around your finger! Believe me, you’ve got to try this!

(Drama) Queen Nova of Tripawds

Today Mom brought some rat-looking thing into our house.

Ok, so it wasn’t a rat, I am told it is a DOG, although I am having a hard time believing it.  Wow, I didn’t think dogs came in this size.  I don’t even think I was this small when I was a newborn puppy.  No, don’t worry, Mom didn’t get a new puppy, it is our neighbor’s dog.  They had to go to a funeral today, so they asked Mom to take care of her while they were gone.  They know Mom is a world-class dog spoiler. 

150 lbs of Great Dane meets 5 lbs of rat, I mean Chihuahua.  Oh yeah, the rat has a name.  It’s “Bella”.  I am so glad to hear that she is not staying forever.  Not that there was anything wrong with her, she wasn’t mean to us at all. I just don’t like her stealing Mom’s attention. All afternoon Mom has been snuggling and petting and sweet-talking this little rat.  Walking around like Paris Hilton and her little Fifi dogs. HRRMMMPPPHH!  Can you believe the NERVE?  I thought I was her little snugglebunny.  She is even letting Bella sit on her LAP, of all places.  That’s MY spot!!!  ARGH!!!

Check this out.  I could squash this thing with my Power Paw.  But of course I would never do anything like that.

She wasn’t even scared of me even though I am so huge.  But how could ANYONE be scared of a face as lovely as mine!?

Bella and I got along great.

Emmy was a little more intimidated.

Thanks for a fun day, Bella!  I can’t wait to get Mom all to myself tonight.  I sure hope her pawrents get here soon!

I’m sure every day most of us get forwarded dog-related emails that have been forwarded over and over.  Some we’ve seen before, some are new to us. The one about Faith the 2-legged dog always brings a smile to my face no matter how many times people forward it to me.  Tonight, I came home from late-night classes, weary, achy, and tired from driving in drifting snow, and stressed from slippery roads.  I sat down to my computer and found this forwarded email from a friend, the mom of Nova’s mastiff friend Annie.  I thought it was worth sharing.  My apologies to those who have seen it before, I never have.

(cut and paste)

“Just A Dog”

From time to time, people tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a dog,” or, “that’s a lot of money for just a dog.”

They don’t understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for “just a dog.”

Some of my proudest moments have come about with “just a dog.”

Many hours have passed and my only company was “just a dog,”  but I did not once
feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a dog,” and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of  ”just a dog” gave me comfort and reason
to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it’s “just a dog,” then you will probably understand phrases like
“just a friend,” “just a sunrise,” or “just a promise.”

“Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust,  and pure
unbridled joy.

“Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of “just a dog”, I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it’s not “just a dog” but an embodiment of all the hopes
and dreams of the future,  the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

“Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself
and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it’s not “just a dog”, but the thing
that gives me humanity and keeps me from being “just a man or just as woman.”

So the next time you hear the phrase “just a dog” just smile…  because they
“just don’t understand.”

 (end cut and paste)

Each one of us Tripawd pawrents have at some point in our journey come across people with this “just a dog” attitude. Over the course of Nova’s 15-month journey (thus far…. wow…. I can’t believe tomorrow is her 15-month ampuversary already) I have come across many people who are incredulous at the lengths I go to to love, nurture, and protect my dogs. More than one person has told me that in their next life they want to come back as one of my dogs. It’s funny, sure, and yes it’s a complement, but it makes me a little sad that there are plenty of dog owners out there with that “Just a Dog” attitude.  Every dog deserves a pawrent like us. 

That is what makes coming to Tripawds so special. It’s my refuge. Every pawrent in this entire community “gets” the fact that it’s not “Just a Dog”.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for all being here.

As I walked into the house tonight at 10:30 pm, my entire family was asleep.  But my precious dogs got up from their comatose, couch-potato state (as they always do without fail) to greet me.  We went out for a few moments to jump in the snow.  As sedentary as Nova is, she was dancing around the yard, like she was celebrating the fact that Mommy was finally home. Now I guarantee you, I will never see my husband or my sons celebrating my arrival in this manner! As I write this, my big goofy Nova is burying her big ‘ol head in my lap demanding ear scratches and licking the tears of joy from my face.  She knows how loved she is.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy 15-month ampuversary, my sweet Nova.  You will never be “Just a Dog” to me.

Anyway, she got together all sorts of pictures of my first year, but realized that there were not any from when I was about 3-8 months old.  She can’t figure out why.  I guess we were just so busy together that she forgot to take pictures.  One thing she does remember is taking me to puppy obedience class.  I passed with flying colors, but got a lot of attention because I was so much bigger than the other “puppies”.

I guess the first year with a Great Dane puppy is pretty amazing.  I went from 0-120 lbs in only one year!  That’s how much a typical 13-year-old teenage boy (my brother is now 13 years/120 lbs.) grows in 13 YEARS!  I did all that growing in only ONE.  Mom said that every day with a Great Dane puppy was a new adventure because I really DID grow overnight.  She said I went through a bunch of collars.  And I finally grew into my big feet.  But I STILL had a sweet little puppy face.

Big Puppy

I may have been big, but I was still a puppy inside! (This was me at about 7-8 months).

Our Usual Spot

I was just as big as Emmy by now and we loved to lounge on Mom’s bed.

Beautiful Nova

This was at our town “Peach Festival” parade, when I was about 8-9 months old.  I loved all the attention I got from people in the crowd.  When you are a Great Dane, EVERYONE always wants to stop and pet you.  People also make silly comments like “Hey, that’s a BIG dog! and “Do you have a saddle for that thing?” and “How much does HE eat?” (people automatically assume you’re a guy when you’re big).  Mom and my brothers came up with all sorts of snappy comebacks when people would ask these questions.  One of my favorites when people would ask how much I ate, Mom would say “About 2 kids a day!”  Haha

Big Tongue

Mom always said I had a REALLY long Gene Simmons-type tongue.  I tend to be very sensitive to the heat in the summer, so when it was hot I would pant alot.  My tongue is like a big long red carpet that rolls out. Can’t help it.

Ferry Ride

Back then my family really didn’t go on vacation that much.  But one fall they decided to go to Mackinac Island (in the Straits of Mackinac in between Michigan’s lower and upper peninsula).  Mom did not want to leave us, so she found a hotel on the island that allowed dogs.  There are no cars allowed on the island, and you have to take a ferry to get there.  I really did not like the boat ride, but my brother snuggled with me.  Emmy was off doing the rounds on the ferry letting everyone pet her while I was a big chicken.  I get seasick, I am definitely not one of those seafaring hounds.

Cruising the Island

I REALLY got a ton of attention on the island.  They don’t really get a lot of dog visitors there, I guess, especially dogs that are closer in size to the horses that work on the island, than they are to the other dogs there!  We walked to our hotel, which was a mile from the ferry, rather than take a horse taxi.

Sweet Digs

The hotel was great, and perfectly equipped for Great Danes.  Check out this awesome built-in elevated dog dish that they had, right there in the room.  Plus there were cushy beds and couches everywhere.  This place was called the Mission Point resort, and they were totally dog-friendly, with no weight restrictions for pets.  Emmy and I loved going on vacation, except when we were left behind when the family would go out to dinner.

Talk About BIG

Wow, this was the first place I had ever been where there were 4-legged creatures that were WAY bigger than me.  Mom said that they were horses.  So THIS was what people were calling me.  I was impressed.  Although I was happy I did not have to work as hard as these horses, who had to pull horse taxis full of people around the island.

Fort Michilimackinac

Emmy and I even got to go to all the tourist places on the island, well MOST of them.  This was at Fort Michilimackinac.

Still a Puppy

I still very much had that puppy face!

Still Fit

That was the last time, though, that I was able to fit sitting up in the back of an SUV.  After this point, Mom had to buy minivans so I could fit comfortably in the car.

Snuggle Buddies

Emmy and I were still snuggle buddies, but now I was much, much bigger than I was a few short months ago.  She didn’t seem to mind!

Can't Quite Fit

Loveseats don’t work for Great Danes.  There’s just not enough room, although we would try to make it work.

This Works Better

The key with a loveseat is to get there first!

First Halloween

Mom dressed me in silly outfits and hats, just like a William Wegman Weimaraner, from the very beginning.  This was my first Halloween, where my brother’s dressed me in a business suit.  Emmy and I went as Mr and Mrs. Great Dane.  Emmy got to be the Mrs.

Hey Mon

Here’s one of my first hats, where I was “Rasta Dog”.  Yeah mon.  I didn’t really like it that much.

Reindane

And here I am at the Rochester Christmas Parade in 2004, about 10 1/2 months, with my first (pretty dorky if you ask me) pair of reindeer antlers. I much prefer the antlers Mom makes me wear now.

So you can see… I haven’t been a TOTAL couch potato forever.  I have had adventures like other dogs, although Mom says I am still more like a cat than a dog.  Guess that’s why Dad calls me the “Housecat”. It IS a little harder to do things now that I am blind.  I am a little more scared and skittish when I go places.

Well, that’s it for Year 1.  I had lots more adventures in Year 2 that we will share with you soon.

Dog Save the Queen!

Yesterday, on January 26th, my big hunka Great Dane love turned 6 years old.  It’s hard to believe it’s only been 6 years.  She has definitely had a tremendous life full of many ups, and a couple of (really big) downs.  To many pawrents, 6 doesn’t sound like very old for a dog, but for a Dane, it is.  That is what is so heartbreaking about Danes.  I have occasionally heard of a Dane who lived to 10, and there may be a handful who exceeded 10.  But I was always told that the “typical” life expectancy of a Dane is 6-8 years.  Such a short time on this earth for such a precious animal.  I guess that’s why Dane have such endearing, loving traits.  They try to pack a lifetime of love into fewer years.

Well, I’d have to say that her birthday was not quite as big as a blowout as the Ampuversary.  Not that it isn’t as important, I have just been in school most days of the week and haven’t had the time to go overboard like usual.  But Nova didn’t complain when her birthday meal came from a can, unlike my boys who were squawking all night about how Mom is not home to “feed” them anymore.

Birthday Girl with the Power Paw

Don’tcha just love the party hat?  I can’t believe I found it at Party City.  I wish it said “All Hail the Birthday QUEEN”, but Nova was willing to settle for Princess. I love to take pictures of Nova and her Tripawd Paw, which I refer to as her Power Paw, because now does the work of two legs.  It may seem silly to some, but sometimes I just sit with Nova, bury my face in her neck, and stroke this awesome leg and paw.  I am so thankful Nova had the strength to handle life as a Tripawd.  For giant breeds, it can be more of a challenge, but I am so proud of my girl being such a role model for other giant breed Tripawds.

Presents

The birthday girl had a relaxing dinner of canned Taste of the Wild “Wetlands”…. duck, quail, turkey and a host of other yummy ingredients.  Of course there was beef trachea, Caira Sue’s Mom insisted there be, but that was devoured before I could get my camera out.  There was an array of organic, wheat and corn-free dog cookies. The boys set out to buy Nova a hot pink Snuggie, however came back empty-handed because they didn’t make them big enough.  The “Large” said it would fit a dog 20+ lbs!   Duh.  I would not consider a 20-lb dog LARGE.  Oh well, we are used to there being a lack of clothing for Great Danes.  So we have to settle for hats.

The Crown of Pawesomeness

Speaking of hats, one of Nova’s presents was a “formal” crown.  Her tiara is still appropriate, but she saw a picture of Queen Elizabeth II with a crown like this, so she wanted to be big-time with her.  I know all of the pictures are of her sleeping, but it really is what Nova does best, so I thought it would be a most appropriate time for her to wear it.  Plus, trying to balance it on her head with her hopping all over was not an easy task.

Crown Swiper

Emmy just had to try on Nova’s crown while she was sleeping.  Admit it, you would do it too.

The Sleeping Beauty

My sleeping beauty turned into a Queen!  Oh wait, that’s right, she already WAS one!

Queen Big Butt

My kids call Nova “Queen Big Butt”.  Can’t argue with that.  Oh well, that one song does say the guys “Like Big Butts”, right?

Ok, time to go to school again today.  We’ll try to get the older puppy photos up soon for the next installment of “Nova Through the Years”.  But it won’t be tonight, I’m in class until 10 pm.

So lets hear a round of “ALL HAIL QUEEN NOVA…… DOG SAVE THE QUEEN!”

Sorry it’s been taking so long for Mom to get more pictures on of me.  She has been studying like crazy for her first Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology tests.  She says she had learned a lot already just from all of my health issues.  Glad I could help!  haha  Anyway, I’ve giving her the head butt every time she is on the computer and she FINALLY got the message.  So here is the next batch of pictures.  These were taken once I came home to my new family.

Settling In

I took charge of the house in no time.  Isn’t it funny how much bigger Emmy was than me back then?  That was back when I could walk under her legs.  That lasted for about, uh, 2 months!  Now she has to walk under mine!

Lovin' Life

As you can see, I just loved my new family.  There were two wonderful leather couches to lounge on, and people all around to spoil me.  I was so glad that they chose me to to join their pack.

Loving Sisters

Emmy and i were the best of friends from the very beginning.  She took me under her wing as a little sister, and showed me the ropes. Emmy was very well-behaved, and I learned a lot from her.  I didn’t chew on the furniture or steal underwear like a Lab that Mom once had would do.  I graduated with honors from my puppy socialization class.  Emmy did agility for awhile, but I never really got the hang of that.  I was a little too uncoordinated, and was  much more interested in snuggling with and leaning on people.  That led my brothers to give me a few nicknames.  One being the McDoofus.  I am definitely very Marmaduke-esque, that’s for sure.  Let’s see… other nicknames included “Bossy Nova” (I have a big mouth and speak my mind, the “Golden Turd” (because I like to lay around like a, uh, turd), Oaf, Wildebeest, oh and get this… “Grape Brain” (as opposed to Great Dane, because my brothers said my brain was the size of a GRAPE.)  Brothers can be a pain!

Me and Sissy

 Oh how I loved my sissy!  We would always nap together (and still do!) and she would always lay a protective paw over me (and still does!)  I have always been able to count on her to be by helping paw.  Especially when I went blind last year, Emmy became even more of my protector, helping me find my way to all my favorite places around the house.  I don’t know what I would do without her!

Growing Fast

Mom always said that growing up I was so funny because I had so much extra skin, but then the next day I would have grown into it.  And of course I had huge feet that I would trip over all the time because they were growing so fast.  Nearly every week we were going to the pet store to get a new collar.  Mom decided that she was just going to buy the cheap nylon collars for me until I was full grown, THEN I could get a leather collar.  Same with my crate.  My puppy crate lasted about a month, then I moved into the “colossal” crate.  Luckily, Mom trusted me pretty quickly and it didn’t take me long to get free run of the house.

Lap Dog

Here you can see how fast I was growing, napping on my Uncle Bryan’s lap.  You can still see all the loose skin, I guarantee you a week after this picture I was 10-20 pounds heavier!  As I got bigger it was hard to understand that people did not always want me on their laps anymore.  I really wish I could still be a lap dog!  I remember just a few years ago when I was in the hospital right before my bloat surgery.  I was so scared that I jumped up in Mom’s lap in the waiting room (all fours up in her lap, shaking like a leaf).  All the people there thought it was so funny to see such a big dog be such a big baby.  I was lucky that Mom did not care that I was making big bruises all over her legs from all the weight, she just cuddled me like a little chihuahua.

Can't Fit

It was hard to grow so fast because I couldn’t always understand why I couldn’t fit in places where I could just a few days before.  Here I am inside the crate of my cousin Stella, a weiner dog.  I didn’t get why Stella’s crate had shrunk.  Today, I don’t think I could even fit my head in there.

Love, Licks and Leans,

Nova

While Mom and I get together the pictures from my first year (you are going to be BLOWN AWAY when you see how fast a Great Dane grows in one year!!!), we thought you might want to see a couple of pictures of my predecessor, Zira, formerly known as Goldie Fawn.  Even though I never knew Zira, she is very special in my heart because she was the one who made Mom fall in love with Great Danes.

Introducing Goldie Fawn Zira

Zira was a little different than me.  First, she was a little bigger.  Second, she did not have floppy ears like me, she had cropped ears.  Mom said that she had a botched crop job on her ears and they got all infected.  So her ears were really small and only one of them stood up (only sometimes).

Skin and Bones

Zira was also really, really bony.  Her previous family did not feed her very well.  They would just put out a bowl of (bad quality) food for all 12 of the dogs in the house to fight over.  Since Zira was so sweet she usually got pushed around by the other dogs.  As you can imagine, she got a the food she wanted at our house and was beefed up in no time.

Lazybones

Look familiar?  Ha ha…. here Zira looks just like me!

Zira Loves Fluffy

Another thing we had in common is that we both love stuffed animals.  Zira liked them a little smaller then I did, though.  She loved Beanie Babies, but Mom was worried about her having them because she was afraid she would swallow the beans inside. This is Zira with Fluffy, the 3-headed dog from Harry Potter.  It was actually my brother’s, but when Zira moved in she claimed it as her own.

Swiping Fluffy

My brother kept trying to get Fluffy back, but Zira kept barging in his room to steal him.

Zira and Pikachu

This is Zira with her very favorite stuffy, Pikachu.  This was the stuffy that Mom took to her when she was in the hospital.  To this day, Mom keeps this Pikachu along with Zira’s enormous collar (even bigger than mine!) in a special box.

Well, I hope you like these pictures.  Mom also wants to show you some pictures of her first Tripawd (Milhouse, a Dalmatian, a rear-leg Tripawd), although she wants to see if she can find some pictures of him when he was a Tripawd.  He was only a Tripawd for 4 months, so there weren’t many taken… I guess they didn’t have digital cameras then! But for Halloween that year he dressed up as a Pirate, with an eye patch, peg leg and all.  There are a lot of pictures to go through, so hopefully she can find them, I heard it was really funny!

Ok…. we will get to work on the other pictures, but they probably won’t be posted until Thursday night.  Mom has 8 hours of school today, and another 4 tomorrow.  Looks like I am going to get in some excellent naps!

Love, Licks, and Leans,

Nova

I was not Mom’s first Great Dane.  Mom had many dogs over her lifetime, but she always wanted a Great Dane ever since she was a little girl. Everyone thinks we are a lot of work (because we are so big) but few people realize that we are generally pretty low-maintenance.  Of course, if we get sick it’s a different story because the vet charges by the pound for surgeries and such!  Anyway… Mom had various mutts, a Cocker Spaniel, white Lab, Dalmatian (actually her first Tripawd… Milhouse had a rear leg amp from Osteosarcoma 7 years ago… no chemo… survived 4 months after amp) but really wanted a Dane, especially a BROWN (which we call “fawn”) Great Dane.  She began shopping for a Great Dane puppy back in 2003. 

During the course of her “shopping” she came across an ad in the paper for a 2-year-old adult Dane for sale.  She responded to the ad and found out that the lady was a hoarder, she had over a dozen Danes living in her home.  The Dane for sale had her first litter when she was just over 1 year old.  Mom really wanted to save her from that place, so she decided to go visit her.  Goldie (Mom renamed her Zira) was the gentlest sweetheart of a dog that Mom ever met.  But the poor sweetie lived in a cramped, trailer-like house with all sorts of Danes and it smelled horrible.  But Zira was so sweet, when she met Mom she kept bringing her her Beanie Babies, that she kept with her all the time and tended to like they were her babies.  Mom wrote a check on the spot and got Zira out of there, and took her home to her new life.

Zira was enormous for a female Dane.  She was over 160 lbs., even bigger boned and taller than me!  Mom took her to the vet for a checkup and found out that Zira had heartworm.  She was bummed, but didn’t think for a minute to return her to the lady and demand a refund.  It really sucked that those people had all those dogs but weren’t willing to get heartworm preventative.  Mom wanted to get Zira spayed, but that would have to wait until she went through the grueling heartworm treatment.

Even though Mom had to pay a lot of money to care for Zira, she fell in love with the Great Dane.  Mom says Zira was very sweet, polite, and obedient, the best dog you could ask for.  She loved stuffed animals (just like me!) and treated them like her babies.  My brothers thought she was the greatest dog ever, and all the neighbors flocked to their house to see their “gentle giant”.  Zira was famous! After the heartworm treatment was complete, Mom scheduled Zira for spay surgery.  But there was a problem with the surgery.  Zira was bleeding internally uncontrollably, and a few days after her surgery she died.  The vet said she had Von Willebrand’s disease, which is some sort of blood clotting disorder.  They tried everything to save her, numerous blood transfusions, but Zira died in Mom’s arms at the vet, right in front of my brothers, who were all there to try to cheer her up with her favorite stuffed Pokemon “Pikachu” and her favorite raspberry oatbran muffins.  Mom was devastated.

When Mom went home that night she checked her email and found a message from a lady who was responding to her request for a Great Dane puppy that Mom had sent months before.  Mom did not feel ready for a puppy so soon, but the picture tore at her heart.  It was my big sister Emmy, a Blue Great Dane.  A few weeks later Mom brought home Emmy.  Emmy’s presence in the house helped ease the pain from Zira’s passing, although Zira’s passing left a big hole in Mom’s heart, especially since she was with her for such a short time (3 months).  After 6 months with Emmy, Mom thought it would be nice for Emmy to have a sister.  She was in a pet store one day and met a man with a beautiful fawn Dane, and asked him where he got her.  The Dane reminded her of her sweet Zira, very big-boned and gentle. He gave Mom a business card for Blue Diamond Danes, in Charlotte, MI.  Mom called the breeder and found out that there was a litter due soon.

I was born on January 26, 2004 in the kennels of Blue Diamond Danes in Charlotte, MI.  I had 7 brothers and sisters.  My (dog) Mom was named Morgan.  She was a very gentle, sweet fawn Dane, and about 140 lbs.  My Dad’s name was Juno.  He was a Brindle Dane (they are brown with black tiger pattern) and very big and strong (180 lbs.).  Mom emailed Tamra (the breeder) for a few weeks to decide which puppy to choose.  She decided on me, which Tamra described at the “verbal drama queen”.  Mom came to visit me when I was a baby to hold me and tell me she was going to be my new Mommy.  Mom decided to name me Zira’s Champagne Supernova.  First, since I resembled Zira, she wanted her name as part of my official AKC name, to honor her.  She had come up with the name Nova because she liked the way it sounded, and on the way to meet me she kept hearing the song “Champagne Supernova” on the radio (I guess it was played all the time then).  It just kind of clicked to her that I was a Champagne color, and of course I was “super”, and I was already “Nova” so the official AKC name was decided!

Suddenly Shy

 When Mom first met me I was really, really shy.  I knew I was the mouthy dog with all my brothers and sisters, but I was a little scared when Mom first came to visit me.  I hid behind my dogmom’s feet at first.

Baby Nova

My dogmom told me it was ok, that this lady was going to be my new Mommy and that she was going to take excellent care of me when it was time for me to go home.  That’s my birthmother on the left, Morgan, and on the right, that is the breeder, Tamra, holding me.

Dinner Time

Here is my birthmother feeding me dinner.  I know it’s hard to see me, I am so small!  If you notice, my dogmom had cropped ears, which my Mom decided she did not want for me.  My Mom believed that it was cruel to crop my ears just to meet a breed standard, and decided that she wanted my ears to stay natural, like a European Dane.  So that was cool I did not have to go through that surgery.

 This is my birthfather, Juno.  He was HUGE, his head was almost as thick as a Mastiff head, Mom says.

The Ride Home

Several weeks later it was time for me to go to my new home.  This was me in the car on the ride home from Charlotte, which was a couple of hours from the house.  I was a little nervous to leave my dogmom, but I had a towel in the car with me with her smell on it, so it helped me to not miss her so much.

Getting to Know My Brothers

As we started to drive I started to get more comfortable with my new humans.  My brothers sat on each side of me, comforting me on the ride home.

Loosening Up

I was starting to like my new brothers, so I started to relax and snuggle with them.

My Den

When I got to my new home I had a lot of room to explore.  What was really cool was that I had my own private den where i could hang out with the towel that smelled like my dogmom.  It really helped me to adjust to my new surroundings and I was really starting to like it.

Pretty Puppy

It didn’t take me long to find the best spot in the house, which was on the nice leather couch!  When Mom saw me up there she thought I looked so pretty she didn’t have to heart to tell me to get off.  So from then on, I was a couch potato!

This Is The Life

After a few days I did not miss my dogmom so much and was starting to really love my new life of luxury.

Snuggling with My Brother

It didn’t take long for me to feel like one of the family!

Ok…. now Mom and I are going to gather up pictures of my first year.  I think you are going to be reeeeeaaaallllllyyy surprised how fast Great Danes grow that first year.  Check back in a day or two!

Love, Licks and Leans,

Nova

Barney and the Queen

As you have probably seen by now on the Blog of Killbarney http://killbarney.tripawds.com/ Barney came to see me in snowy Michigan after Caira Sue “ripped him a new one” on the beach in California.  You know me, though, I am a “gentle giant”, so was very loving with Barney.  I don’t want to see him go, but he has a mission to accomplish.  Mom and I have chosen the next Tripawd to receive him (sssshhhhh…… it’s a BIG secret).  She has not sent him on quite yet, because she had to spend the day chasing me around the house trying to get my Tripawd paw print for the journal that Caira Sue’s mom put in there.  I don’t like my feet touched, ESPECIALLY my Tripawd foot because it is very important to me and I don’t want to lose it!  Let just call it my “Staff of Life”!  But Mom says Barney will go out in the mail tomorrow or Thursday.  So keep watching the Killbarney blog to see where he turns up next.

Mom and I were checking out Cemil’s blog the other day and saw some puppy pictures of him.  They were pawesome, it was so great to see a fellow big dog as a pup.  So we got the idea to do a few blog posts of “Nova through the years”.  Since my 6th birthday is coming up in a week (January 26th) Mom thought it would be a fun way to celebrate.  So watch shortly for a new blog post of me as a baby, with my birthpawrents.