The PR Gang

Pre Christmas Pics

2009-12-14T21:49:00.002-04:00

Just a couple of shots I took the other day while walking around town. Everyone has their homes beautifully decorated so we took advantage and posed in front of one of our neighbors' house.

Ear Ouchie

2009-11-06T14:39:00.004-04:00

Any breed with pendulous ears can be prone to ear problems. Cuts, scrapes, infection due to water or even hematomas from flapping their ears. Our dogs are flappers! They shake their heads and flap their ears when they wake up, before they lie down, when they want a scratch or even when they want something. It DOES get your attention.
Lilly got a scrape on her hear somehow and it just wasn't healing. Every time it would get a scab on it, she'd shake her head and flap those ears and there went the scab. It would start to bleed again, I'd clean it up and a couple days later the same thing would happen. It's not a bad cut and it's not the first time this has happened but this time we had to resort to extreme measures.
I cleaned up the cut for the billionth time, sprayed it with New Skin and covered it with a gauze pad. Then I taped her ears under her chin with Nexcare Flexible First Aid tape so she couldn't flap her ears. She's not very happy about it but the wound is finally healing.

Expressing her displeasure...

...and TELLING me all about it!

El Morro and The Big Fire

2009-10-27T21:52:00.012-04:00

El Morro is one of the big forts near us where we go lots of times to run around with the dogs. On Friday morning there was a big fire at a refinery across the bay. El Morro offered a spectacular view of this terrible fire. We live very close and we could see the horrible huge cloud of smoke but it wasn't until we were at the grounds of the fort that we saw the flames. They were HUGE!
This was what we could see from our roof deck...

And this was the view from El Morro....

There were lots of people just hanging around watching the fire but we decided after a few photos, it was time to get away from everyone and go for our stroll. Lilly had to stop and take one last look before we got down to the business of FUN!

So we headed up the hill. Roxy and her Dad got way ahead of Lilly and me. The grass was getting tall and very pretty.

Geez Mom, would ya hurry up!

Lilly kept running up towards Roxy and than back towards me. Silly girl, she confuses herself!

Aside from the big cloud hanging over us, we had a great time running around. I took some more shots of the clouds and smoke which luckily wasn't blowing in our direction, but was really interesting looking.

Luckily no one was injured in the fire and they have since put it out.

Thanks to Lindsay and Life with Big Dogs blog for naming us Blog of the week. They always have interesting stuff going on over there!

The Lovely Lilly

2009-10-21T20:31:00.003-04:00

A few shots of Lilly just being Lilly. She can be so silly and arrogant at the same time!

Friday Night at the Movies!

2009-10-09T19:46:00.004-04:00

If it's Friday, it must be movie night! Roxy is all ready with the popcorn.

Uh oh! Here comes Lilly...

Maybe I better open it for you Mom.

Aww, OK, I'll sit here and look cute for a while.

Mr. Darcy at the Rainbow Bridge

2009-10-06T13:02:00.003-04:00

Sadly, our friend Mr. Darcy lost in his struggle to overcome a difficult surgery today. Many, many blogger friends have been following his progress and are greatly saddened by this news.
We want to send our greatest condolences to his family. Stop by and give some love to them yourself too. He touched many lives and will be missed.

It's Still Summer Here!

2009-09-17T11:11:00.011-04:00

Here in the land of eternal summer, it's pretty much always a beach day. Lucky for us, it's been close to perfect weather recently with very calm seas. This is our usual beach which is only a 10 minute walk from our house.

Testing the water

The water was deliciously warm after the very hot weather we've had and even Lilly was quick to get right in. They strolled along the shore for a while cooling themselves off while I looked for sea glass.

Roxy tried fishing

...and pointing

She's fascinated by fish! I think she might actually catch one some day.

Then they started playing around with each other and Lilly had to have a massive shake to get the water out of her face. So silly!

Lilly had to do a little posing. She thinks she's such a princess!

Is this my good side?

Did you remember the sunscreen?

It was starting to get seriously hot and the dogs were looking tired so we decided to head home. I just want to mention sunscreen again for all you white and light colored dogs. It's very important to use it! We use the kids waterproof kind and rub it all over Lilly's face and neck when we're out in the sun for any length of time.

Heading up the hill towards our house. Aren't the colors of the houses beautiful?!

Almost home! Time for a quick rinse to get the salt water off and then....a SIESTA!

**for those of you wondering about sea glass, here's what we got on that short outing.

Ho hummmm....

2009-09-14T19:08:00.001-04:00

Is it Monday already?? I need another weekend!

Super Sabado!

2009-09-12T21:17:00.006-04:00

We had a bath today!

All the dogs are quite good about baths and especially on a particularly hot day like today, I think they quite enjoyed it. I don't bathe them really often, maybe about every two months or when Lilly has rolled in something really stinky! We brush first to get rid of all the loose hair. I then use a curry comb(actually made for horses) to rub the shampoo into a good lather. This also loosens more hair and gives them a great massage which they REALLY like. I use a whitening shampoo on Lilly and regular on the other two. We then towel dry. They love drying also. As soon as I say, "OK, let's dry", they're all shoving each other to be first. After that, I put on Show Sheen. This product is actually made for horses and I'm sure there's something similar for dogs but my background is horses so that's what I use. It's makes their coat VERY slick and shiny and also helps to repel dust and dirt. Plus, it smells good! After bathtime is treat time!

Roxy's looking for hers here. "Is it up there Mom?"

"We think we should get extra for our excellent "down, stay"!

Lilly has gone and rubbed her nose in the plants AGAIN and gotten dirty already! I had to wash her face yet again. Silly little slob that she is....

Sophie Howls

2009-07-22T20:16:00.004-04:00

We heard quite a few sirens the other day which got Sophie going. She almost always howls when she hears them. Unfortunately I was a little slow with the camera and only got her at the end. Roxy and Lilly came to check out the scene too. I wonder if the sirens hurt their ears or if they think they're singing in tune?!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-15T22:37:00.003-04:00

Summer wedding

2009-07-06T22:04:00.004-04:00

We have been gone way too long! Sorry 'bout that. We've been busy helping to plan our niece's wedding. Lilly and Roxy even got to be included! Pretty cool that the cavalry decided to go with Danes instead of horses!!

Dog Days of Summer

2009-06-22T22:15:00.003-04:00

Summer is HERE!

2009-06-02T21:12:00.002-04:00

YAY! Summer is here. That means longer days, no more school and lots more playtime! Unfortunately we, the humans, have had a lot of household chores to do. Mostly painting, which I'm not really fond of, not to mention the fact that the dogs always want to help. Lilly has ended up with paint on her more times than I can count! Anyway, there hasn't been much time for blogging. Sorry about that.
We have had some fun walks and have been playing lots of frisbee. Roxy is pretty good. Lilly really couldn't care less about the frisbee. She prefers balls if she has to exert herself at all!
Here's a couple of short clips of Roxy from the other day. Enjoy!

Another Wordless Wednesday!

2009-05-20T21:44:00.002-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Where we sleep

2009-05-08T20:40:00.008-04:00

We've been tagged by our friend, Honey, to play a game showing you where we sleep.
Great Danes LOVE to sleep. They're often referred to as couch potatoes. Roxy and Lilly are not allowed to sleep on the furniture but that doesn't deter them from one of their favorite pastimes, sleeping.

First, a few pics of how we USED to sleep...

Then, some of the places we sleep now...

in the driveway

on the deck

on the harlequin bed

on the leopard bed

And when it's really hot, on the tile.

We would like to pass this on to a couple of new friends, Cooper, Falkor, and Dakotah & Maika.

Now, after all that work, it's time for a nap!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Jueves Social

2009-04-30T13:08:00.006-04:00

It's social Thursday here in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Party time!
Lilly must be planning on going out tonight...
SOMEONE?? has started to give her a pedicure and not the kind she needs! LOL! At least it's a nice shade of blue.

Hahahahaha!

Honest Scrap!

2009-04-25T17:17:00.013-04:00

Last week we received the Honest Scrap Award from Jackson and then a couple of days later from Huey & Higgins. Thanks! We have to tell you 10 things about ourselves and then pass the award on.

10. YES, we really do speak Spanish and English. Not all commands, but lots.

9. Roxy always lays under the table when we eat. Lilly goes to her bed.

8. Roxy is a real tomboy and tries to act like a tough guy. Lilly tries to act like
princess but she can be a real pig!

7. Both Roxy and Lilly try to boss Sophie around but Sophie ALWAYS has the last word!

6. Roxy loves to swim. Lilly wades.

5. Lilly is the messiest eater you've ever seen!

4. Roxy stays up late with me. Lilly always goes to bed early with Dad.

3. Lilly can sling slobber all the way up to the ceiling. Roxy doesn't slobber...very much!

2. Our favorite place for a run is El Morro Fort.

1. We once fit 3 Danes plus Sophie and three people in a Ford Explorer! Take a look!

We would like to pass this award on to:

Behr Behr, Waldo & Gus and Jasmin & Moose.

Lilly turns 3!!

2009-04-15T21:14:00.006-04:00

6 weeks

7 weeks

3 months

10.5 months

1 year

2 years

2.5 years

last week

I can't believe it's been three years already!

Some things about Lilly...

Her registered name is GDM's Caribbean Carioca's Lilly
She loves to "talk"
Her favorite person is Sam
She turns her nose up at raw meat
She always sleeps with her head hanging off the bed
Her favorite treat is ice cream
She pretends she a princess but she's really quite a slob
She's a poser and is always right in front of the camera
She thinks little kids are a bit scary
She's always the first one in bed at night and the last to wake up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILLY!!

Tasty Treat

2009-04-12T13:15:00.004-04:00

The girls LOVE yogurt! Roxy shows the preferred eating method, drool and all!

Fort San Cristobal

2009-04-10T22:03:00.013-04:00

We have a couple of excellent National Parks literally right next to us in Old San Juan. Recently we have been exploring a bit more of San Cristobal. One of the fields in the fort is closed to the public most of the time. We're lucky to have access. It's full of iguanas! This is a small one.

Roxy actually caught one the other day! She's quite the hunter. I got her to let it go and luckily it was OK.

We took a breather part of the way up the hill. It was pretty windy as you can tell from Lilly's ears!

Here's a shot near the top....and one near the bottom.

We played around on the rocks and took some pics..............

and checked out the graffiti.....

and saw a cruise ship come in.

What do you mean?

2009-04-07T22:47:00.001-04:00

On the bed? Nah! I still have my feet on the floor!

Surely Not....

2009-04-01T23:16:00.003-04:00

Are you sure this is the last Bully Stick? I really hope that's a terrible April Fools Day joke!

Sweet!

2009-03-31T21:08:00.003-04:00

These photos show the remainder of the series that started with the "SECRET" photo. There is no secret, they were just playing with their "roadkill" toy. I thought it was so sweet the way they snugged up to each other to play.

We've got Secrets

2009-03-29T22:29:00.002-04:00

Back to Work

2009-03-24T09:05:00.005-04:00

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday was a holiday, so today is back to work, school and routine. I think Roxy is having a hard time getting it together!

Tag, you're it!

2009-03-22T21:34:00.004-04:00

We've been tagged by Jackson to play a game.

This is how the Fourth Picture Game works. You go to the fourth folder in your photo files and then choose the fourth photo and post it in your blog. Tag two more people/dogs and on and on it goes.

My fourth pic is of Roxy, taken just last week in El Morro. Can you tell she's a little excited about her stick?!

In trying to stay with Danes, we're tagging Honey and Behr. Hey, that's pretty cute, Honey Behr!!

OSJ Revisited

2009-03-18T22:14:00.003-04:00

A couple more Old San Juan shots that I snapped today. We have several of these "step streets" in town. They give a totally different feel to the normally congested cobblestone streets running on either end of them. Typically they're full of cats lounging in the sun which must have been what caught Roxy's eye in the second shot!

Thanks Addie & Lucie

2009-03-15T14:05:00.003-04:00

We received this awesome photo frame from Addie & Lucie a few days ago. The photo of Roxy and Lilly was chosen as one of the winners in their contest. We just wanted to thank them again.
Big slobbers from all of us!

Colors of Old San Juan

2009-03-12T21:56:00.005-04:00

Seems everyone has been painting lately. We have a beautiful new array of colors around town. Just a few shots I took walking around with the girls and my friend Brigitte.

No Bull

2009-03-07T22:14:00.005-04:00

The girls LOVE bully sticks! I bought some recently on eBay for a great price. They're quite big(12" or more) and curly. I guess the curliness makes for fun chewing. Interestingly enough, it doesn't seem to slow them down! They each scoffed one down in about 30 minutes. No bull!

Totally Tubular

2009-02-27T09:09:00.007-04:00

We've had some really wild weather here recently. Tons of big waves and some really awesome tubes. I was so busy taking photos of the waves I really didn't get many of the dogs! These pics were too amazing not to share.

A Winning Photo

2009-02-26T21:04:00.003-04:00

We got a prize for the photo contest over at Addie and Lucie's. Take a look and you can see all the entries. There were some really fabulous shots! Thanks once again to Addie and Lucie for hosting the event.

*Our entry(above)was taken when Roxy was 10.5 months and Lilly was just about 3 months.

Lazy Sunday

2009-02-22T22:50:00.003-04:00

Not too much going on today. Just another lazy Sunday for the girls. Sophie checked out the waves, Lilly posed for pics and Roxy soaked up some rays on the deck. As always, Livin' Large!

Just Lilly

2009-02-15T10:59:00.003-04:00

*sigh* Not "down, stay" again...

What ball?

New Look

2009-02-08T21:46:00.004-04:00

Sophie is bored. It's been raining and windy here for three days which means we haven't had all that much outdoor activity. She's pouting, but still cute!

You may have noticed that we have a new look. Actually we changed it a couple of times but think we're going to stick with this look for a while. Of course we need to give credit where credit is due. If you like it, or even if you don't lol, check out The Cutest Blog on the Block. They have TONS of backgrounds for your blog and they're FREE! We've noticed that quite a few people have changed their look recently and most of them visited Cutest Blog. They have several other types of accessories for your blog, as well as tips and how to's. Kind of like giving your blog a little face lift! Go ahead, take a peek. It's fun and really easy to change your look.

Photo Contests

2009-02-08T20:06:00.007-04:00

We just wanted to let you all know that there are a couple of photo contests going on right now.
One is at Addie & Lucie's place. Check it out to see how you can enter. You must have your photos in by the 21st of this month so get your cameras out and capture a LOVELY moment. February is the month of love! We haven't entered yet but we're working on it.
The Four Musketeers are holding a Sporty Dog photo contest. This is a fun one! Does your dog love to run, jump, swim, or maybe have an unusual trick? Check out their blog to get details and see the photos that have already been submitted. You have a little more time to enter on this one.

See ya there!

The Athlete

2009-02-04T22:12:00.003-04:00

Roxy is definitely the athlete of the two girls. Throw anything and she's airborn! You can just see the tennis ball at the top of the first shot.

Island Girl

2009-02-01T16:55:00.006-04:00

New Collars

2009-01-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

The girls received new collars from their friend Hermann yesterday. Hermann is a Great Dane also as well as a fabulous therapy dog here in Puerto Rico. His mom distributes Eagle Pack dog food which is what the girls eat. Great kibble by the way. OK, on to the collars. They're from a company called Rogz and are new here in PR, thanks to Hermann and his mom.

Snorkling doggies for Roxy

Bones for Lilly

Lilly says, "Don't we look COOOOOOOOOOL?!

**Just a reminder about collars. Especially if you have multiple dogs, it's not good practice to leave any type of collar on unattended dogs. There have been numerous stories of playing dogs getting collars wrapped around their jaws or hooked on teeth, leading to serious injuries.

Is it time yet?

2009-01-24T22:36:00.003-04:00

...for a cookie? to come in? for some belly rubs? all of the above?! PLEASE!

Cyber Friends

2009-01-20T18:44:00.005-04:00

We received a "Friends Award" from our cyber friend Sasha the Princess. Thanks a bunch! Here's what it said....

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

We're passing the Friends Award on to...

Behr Behr 'cause we think she's so funny.

Huey & Higgins since Huey is our bestest friend ever. We've never actually met Higgins since he was born in Hawaii but any brother of Huey's must be cool too.

Addie for being such a sweet girl and always leaving nice comments on our photos. She has a new little sis too.

Jackson who's a very clever Dane working on his UD title. You can follow his training and progress.

Shadrach the Neo has a great blog that I recently found. It's filled with all sorts of excellent links to natural dog care and welfare as well as some fun stories.

Amber the beautiful and very talented Golden Retriever.

The Zoo Crew is back after a short hiatus.

The Painter Pack a pretty amazing bunch from TN.

Happy Reading!

.

Great Toy

2009-01-14T10:04:00.004-04:00

Roxy received a really cool toy for Christmas. It's called Skinneeez. Skinneeez look a bit like roadkill but the girls love them. They're like plush toys without the filling. They also have a squeaker in both ends which Lilly finds endlessly amusing. The girls throw it around and play tug with it all the time and it's still going strong. Great toy!!

Playing tug

What? I'm playing nice!

Maybe if I bite her head...

Truce?!

Bathing Beauty

2009-01-11T22:15:00.002-04:00

Does this angle make my butt look big?

Really Yummy!

2009-01-08T22:41:00.004-04:00

Our friends Huey & Higgins sent us some yummy treats for Christmas and we just opened them today. They're called Shortbread Dog Treats made by Exclusively Pet, Inc When I opened them up they smelled soooo good! Just like shortbread, yummy! I just had to taste them and am happy to say, they're pretty good for a dog cookie. They do have some fructose in them but contain all natural, "real" ingredients. The girls approved in a big way!

Happy Three Kings Day

2009-01-05T17:23:00.004-04:00

From the Three Princesses

PLEASE.....

2009-01-05T17:12:00.004-04:00

...DO NOT DISTURB!

I think Lilly is a little worn out from all the holidays!

A Perfect Ending...

2009-01-04T19:32:00.003-04:00

...to the first week of 2009

Take a Seat...

2009-01-03T18:35:00.002-04:00

Roxy takes the best seat in the house. Not only is it on the couch but it's right next to Dad!
For those of you not familiar with Great Dane traits and behaviors, this is very common. We joke about telling them to sit and they have to back up to find the nearest chair, sofa or lap. The sitting and leaning are two things about Danes that I find so endearing. Roxy looks like she's falling asleep in this photo!

On the Lookout

2009-01-02T20:29:00.003-04:00

Lilly is always on the lookout for a camera! Here we are going off for a walk and she had to turn around to make sure she was in the shot. What a ham!

!Felicidades!

2009-01-01T21:04:00.004-04:00

Happy New Year! Here's to a happy, healthy 2009 for everyone.

If today is any indication of the year to come, it's going to be stellar! We had the most gorgeous day and spent a good portion of it at the beach. Lilly is still sporting her Christmas bandana from Huey and Higgins and clearly enjoying herself while watching her brother catch some waves.

More Christmas Fun!

2008-12-28T15:48:00.004-04:00

A couple shots of Roxy here. First helping to unwrap and then, sporting her new bandana from her bestest boyfriend Huey, who now lives in Hawaii. Read about Huey and his little brother Higgins in their blog Hawaiian Dane

Patience is a Virtue!

2008-12-26T22:28:00.003-04:00

OK! Can we open the presents yet??

Exercise is Good

2008-12-23T23:12:00.002-04:00

Walk, walk, walk...

We Love Christmas!!

2008-12-19T17:04:00.002-04:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Danedeer

2008-12-15T22:20:00.002-04:00

Do you think she knows she's adorable?!

Just Lilly

2008-12-11T18:53:00.004-04:00

A few shots of Lilly taken on the beach by our house. She had a great time posing. Lilly really loves the camera!

Christmas cookies

2008-12-07T21:40:00.008-04:00

Dogs need Christmas cookies too so we're trying out some new recipes so we can give them to friends. The recipe we tried today is from the Three Dog Bakery Cookbook. It's a really easy recipe and of course it's made from all natural ingredients. This one is for peanut butter cookies. YUM!

The girls had to test the peanut butter first to make sure it was OK. I think it's a go!

We added some garlic to the batter just in case there are any pesky fleas lurking about. Garlic apparently deters fleas. We've never had any problem but I add a little bit to their meals every once in a while. Roxy thinks it's a bit heavy on the garlic here!
Sophie gives it a paws up though. Pssst...she eats anything that seems like a treat!

We put a tropical twist on Christmas by making the cookies in the shapes of marine animals. Here are some seahorses cooling on a rack. We think they came out really pretty!

Rescue

2008-11-20T16:26:00.005-04:00

I rescued a human today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering
apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew
I had to help her. I wagged my tail, too exuberantly, so she
wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view
from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want
her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter
keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about
my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make
a difference in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made
little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head
up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my
neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her
cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I
instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I
would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do
everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her
eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many
more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to
be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

I'm not able to credit the author as it was sent to me without credit.

Sophie rescued our family over 10 years ago. She's the most wonderful girl with whom we expect to spend many more fun times.

Surf's UP!!

2008-11-12T22:11:00.005-04:00

That means more beach time for us since the skin kid is in the water all the time. Great fun for me and the dogs. Here are a few recent shots.

Nice ears Lilly!

Hey! What's takin' ya?

Wonder how far 'til I'm Down Under?

Hunting crabs...

Poser!

2008-11-11T21:01:00.003-04:00

Lilly is such a poser. She's always got her nose in the camera as soon as I turn it on. Luckily it was a bit windy today so she didn't hear the camera turn on. Still posing but at least a little further away!

Sisterly Love

2008-11-08T21:18:00.003-04:00

We call this "scritchin'". It's like scratching an itch...I guess. Roxy does it to Lilly fairly often. Lilly ends up sitting on her haunches while Roxy nibbles on her chest. Very funny! It usually ends with a game of bitey face.

All in good fun, they don't actually hurt each other even though it looks like Roxy's going for the jugular!

Caught in the Act!

2008-10-29T07:56:00.002-04:00

Rarely do any of the dogs sleep together. It's usually every girl for herself as far as choosing beds. A quick click of the camera phone this early this morning captured this image. Awwww....

Sleepy Lilly

2008-10-24T09:42:00.003-04:00

Lilly has a seriously hard time waking up in the morning!

I think she takes after me!

Finally!

2008-10-22T19:58:00.006-04:00

Yes, we now have a dog park in Puerto Rico. According to the Governor, it's not only the first dog park in Puerto Rico, but also the first in the Caribbean and Latin America. YAY!

I went over the other day to check it out. It's quite small, in fact I could pretty much fill it up with my 3, but it's well planned and the construction of the small scale agility equipment is excellent. Lilly and Sophie thought it was pretty cool.

There are a ton of rules(in Spanish), all pretty basic like picking up after your dog, no aggressive dogs, no prong or shock collars, etc. The one I didn't like was, only 2 dogs per person. Hey! What's that all about?!

Sophie was on high alert when we got there and then proceeded to spend the rest of the time with her nose to the ground. Lots of smells!

Lilly was kind of overwhelmed at first I think. She's never seen anything like this before.

She soon got the hang of it though and was checking out the sites from up high on the dog walk.

And check out this cool water fountain especially for dogs.

They even had a small baby pool where dogs can play around and get wet. Sorry, no pics. It was a fun outing and the girls enjoyed themselves. Can you believe the place was empty? Next time I might bring all 3!

Good for a Laugh!

2008-10-20T16:46:00.003-04:00

No offense to any of you small dog owners out there but we found this particularly funny! I won't get in to all the silly names we have for small dogs because I'm sure you all have some for the giant breeds and we don't want anyone to get their hackles up. Yep, we're easily amused!

GDCA National 2008

2008-10-13T21:58:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday was the start of the Great Dane Club of America National Specialty. It's all happening at the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center in Lousiville, Kentucky. You can see the program HERE and hopefully photos will be up soon.
Over the weekend they had Obedience, Rally and Agility. Today they started judging Futurity and regular classes will continue throughout the week. I've never been to Nationals but I have promised myself I'll go one year. It must be so exciting seeing so many Danes in one place, and all of them Champions or future champions. Pure bliss!

Life in Paradise

2008-10-12T11:32:00.004-04:00

A note from the girls.

Our Mom has been delinquent so we just wanted to let you all know that we're still here. Life is good although we know something is up with Mom. She's been getting all these weird clothes, called dresses, out of her closet and trying them on. We KNOW those are not fun doggy playtime clothes. What the heck is going on?? To avoid worrying about it, we just laid on the deck last night watching the sunset. We'll keep you posted.

'til later....
Sophie, Roxy and Lilly

Really!

2008-10-06T22:03:00.004-04:00

I swear I wasn't thinking about rolling in anything stinky!

Not yet anyways, but doesn't she look naughty?! Lilly gives the funniest looks sometimes.

Did you say....

2008-10-04T10:40:00.010-04:00

We've been having beautiful days recently. Still quite hot but with a much cooler northeasterly breeze, hopefully autumn is on it's way. This makes for ultra blue, clear skies which I was hoping to capture in the wide expanses of El Morro, our favorite playground. So off we went.

They're doing some work on the lighthouse and the garritas now so we decided to go and check out the progress. It's quite a ways up the hill to the top of the fort. You can just see it in the background. Roxy's got her own personal air conditioning going on! Ears flipped out and tongue fully extended!

We make it to the top and both the girls check out the progress

There was a pretty stiff wind blowing which I think made me underestimate the heat index. Dogs don't sweat the way we do and they seemed to really be seeking out some shade at this point. There's not much shade to be had so we took just a few minutes for a couple more shots before heading home.

I really like this shot of Roxy. The contrast of her color and the cerulean blue of the sky is so striking.

This last shot shows a terrific view of the Atlantic, the cemetery and a good portion of Old San Juan.

Thank You!

2008-09-30T19:52:00.004-04:00

Many thanks to The Zoo Crew for this recognition!

We are always happy to receive comments on our blog and hope you enjoy our photos and stories as much as we enjoy yours. We would like to pass it on to Mango and Savage.

The Joys of Rain...

2008-09-23T12:05:00.013-04:00

It's been raining for 3 days straight! Highly unusual for Puerto Rico. We generally get tropical showers that are really quick. During a break in the rain yesterday I decided to take advantage and head over to El Morro for a quick run with the dogs. There's a huge green expanse of lawn which is great for some off leash fun. Since there were no cruise ships in port and the weather was abominable, we had the place to ourselves. Seems no one knows what to do here when the weather is not the usual bright, sunny day! The girls started off with a game of catch me if you can...

...in which Lilly is constantly dodging because Roxy is by far much faster. I think she just lets Lilly run around until she decides it the right moment to POUNCE!

Everyone needs a good roll in the lovely rain soaked grass...

...except that Lilly always manages to find the most putrid pile of disgusting grossness to roll in. If you think it looks bad, you should SMELL it. Eeeewwwww!
and it was ALL over her.

At this point we figured we might as well carry on since we probably were just going to get dirtier and most likely wet as well. The stench was overwhelming but whatever...The next few shots are just various parts of the grounds of the fort.

We checked out the old stables...

and posed for pics...

and had time for one last roll in the grass.

Not bad for a rainy day! Now if we could just get a break in the rain today...

Pet O Bed

2008-09-21T16:14:00.011-04:00

As you may recall, last month I told you about the Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League's Dollars for Danes Auction. They had fabulous items donated and the auction raised $6972 with a total of 346 bids.

I was one of those bidders and I have to say. a very happy winner of a new bed for the girls. It's made by Pet O Bed. I was able to order any size with any cover and they even included the shipping! Diana was especially helpful in taking my order and even sent me an invoice for tax purposes, since it's considered a charitable donation for MAGDRL.

So let me tell you about the bed. It's made of very dense polyurethane foam which is about 6" thick. The foam has a dip in the middle so it's like a nest.

Then it has a cover which is like a fitted sheet, no zippers, no velcro. If you have a chewer, this is a GOOD thing. Thankfully, my girls have outgrown the bed chewing phase.

This is the bottom...

...and this is the top.

The cover is really easy to take off and put on and should be a breeze to wash. The cover of this one is made from acrylic fur.

Time for a test drive. We let Sophie try it first since it's really for her even though they switch beds all the time and it's pretty much first come, first serve.

mmmm....smells good

yep, I like it!

Then we let the Danes have a look. Lilly was on it in a flash!

But she had to fight to keep it!

Apparently they've agreed to share!

Needless to say the bed is a huge success and we're all happy! Big thanks to Pet O Bed and MAGDRL

*****One more thing. When you place your order with Pet O Bed, mention Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League(MAGDRL) and they will receive a 15% donation. How great is that? Your furkids get a new bed AND you're helping Danes in need.

Looky, Looky...

2008-09-19T22:36:00.003-04:00

...what we got from our new friend Addie It's like an award from your blogger friends, how cool is that. Make sure to check out Addie's blog, she's a beautiful Border Collie/Great Pyrenees girl.

Here are the rules for this award!! The winner can put the logo on his/her blog. Link to the person you received your award from..then nominate seven OTHER blogs! Put links of those blogs on yours and leave a message on those blogs you've nominated! So basically...keep passing it on!!

So here's our list of our very favorites:

Behr Behr
The Zoo Crew
Hawaiian Dane
MacKenzie
Savage
Danesview
Bel

Take a look around everyone's blogs and keep coming back!

Creature Comforts

2008-09-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

Let's face it, dogs cost money. Just think of all the $$ we spend to keep them happy and healthy. Food, vaccines, heartworm preventative, dog dishes, beds, toys, collars, leashes, etc. So we go through all of these mental contortions trying find the BEST of everything right?

Take water for instance. Basic staple of life for all living creatures. But what do we put it in to serve our four legged friend? Roxy, Lilly and Sophie have various dishes. LARGE-like 2 gallon sized dishes-raised off the floor so they don't have to strain to reach it. Being giant breeds, this is important. So what kind of dish do they prefer? Is it stainless steel? Plastic? No, no, no. How about cool, clean, white, porcelain!! Yep, you guessed it, they're just as happy drinking out of the toilet as any fancy raised dish you can buy. We do NOT encourage this and I'm constantly reminding the rest of the family to "Put the seat DOWN".

Then there's the hose, that's really a favorite.

Or even the hot tub! That's Lilly having a gulp from the tub.

Here I am worried about their water being cool enough and changing it all the time so it's not too warm and there goes the little bugger into what she must think is the largest, warmest dog dish ever!!

And then there's the sprayer. God forbid I put anything in it that's not water. It was originally for plant food but THAT'S not gonna happen.

And how about beds? These days it's lots easier to find extra, extra large beds but it didn't used to be that way. Even still, they're pretty expensive. But only the best for our doggies right? BUT, do they use these beds? Well, yes, but why only part of the bed?? I purposely had the beds made quite big so they could fit their WHOLE body on them. So why are their heads always hanging off??

To be perfectly fair, Roxy's pretty much ON the bed in the photo above. That paw is hanging off just in case she has to make a quick escape!

A Day in the Country

2008-09-16T10:09:00.008-04:00

Over the weekend we were up in the mountains of Central Puerto Rico. Mountains is a bit of a misnomer considering the highest peak in that area is about 1500 feet, but for us, they're mountains.

One of the best things about going up to our friends house in the mountains is that there's so much space for the dogs to run around. The whole property is fenced so it's safe to let the girls run around and do as they please. They do check in to see what's going on though. Roxy really wanted to have a dip in the pool...

...as did our friends' Westie, Travis.

After a fabulous lunch, we took a walk down to the barn to check on the horses. I especially wanted to see how their Paso Fino yearling was coming along. Since Roxy and Lilly aren't very accustomed to horses, we put them in an extra stall to keep them out of the way of flying hooves. They apparently wanted to see what was going on too!

The yearling, nicknamed 3 Spot, is coming along nicely and is a really nice mover. He was mighty happy to get out and show us what he's made of.

The girls were happy to get out and run around some more after that "horrible punishment" of being left in a stall. "How degrading Mom, we're not horses ya know!"
I think they're looking fairly horse-like here though!

Lilly, as usual, got into a fair bit of mud! She seems to get dirty no matter where she is!

Lilly and Sophie doing a little exploring...

...and then it was back to the house for a cool drink and a siesta!

But Mommy......

2008-09-10T10:00:00.002-04:00

...you can't LEAVE us

This is so not right!

The stair gate is working out just fine but it doesn't mean they're happy about it! Whenever I leave they stand up on the landing showing the most pitiful faces. Not that I'm ever gone for that long! Queens of guilt trips reign on...

Show us your Tongue!

2008-09-06T19:30:00.004-04:00

That's all folks!

Rain, rain, go AWAY!

2008-09-04T21:47:00.004-04:00

Look at that gray sky

OK, enough is enough! We've had rain now for about a week. It's all the hurricanes churning up the Atlantic and Caribbean. For the past 2 days it's been non-stop which is really unusual for here. The dogs are bonkers! They're used to getting a really good long romp as well as regular potty breaks outside on a daily basis. We've been limited to a quick runs out for necessities and then right back inside. They're totally bored as well.

I think I'll just stare at the floor

Hmmm, maybe over here

I am soooo bored

ME TOO!

...and I've got something to say about it!

Let's hope tomorrow is better!!!

Roxy's 3!

2008-09-02T10:10:00.004-04:00

WOW! Three already! Time flies. It's been quite an adventure and we're looking forward to many more healthy years of fun and excitement.

Scary!

2008-08-30T21:10:00.004-04:00

YIKES! What the heck is that?

Just testing out the new Dustbuster I bought today. Roxy has no problem with the regular vacuum but apparently this was a little confusing. She inspected it from a distance, circled it a few times and then barked at it.

Maybe I'm supposed to play with it?

or stare it down?

She ended up staying in her sphinx pose 'til I put it away! Notice that Lilly stayed in the background the whole time. Big sisters should take care of these thing you know!

We Miss You Huey!

2008-08-28T16:15:00.010-04:00

""

Look what time it is at Huey's house! Six whole hours earlier than here in Puerto Rico. Roxy and Lilly's best, best friend Huey moved to Honolulu earlier this year. We miss him and his family soooo much. Everyone got along great and we had a ton of fun during the 2 years they were here with us.

So here's to you Huey!! We took a photo today at the seaglass beach just so you won't forget what we look like. Look, just like old times!

If you want to catch up with Huey and see what's going on in Hawaii, you can visit his blog Hawaiian Dane

Wash on Wednesday

2008-08-27T10:53:00.019-04:00

The venue

The tools

Psst, we need a plan!

Nah! Let's just look cute!

Yup! Everybody got a bath today including Show Sheen and ear cleaning. Tomorrow we'd better get to those nails!

**************HAVE A WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!

Dollars for Danes

2008-08-26T14:14:00.007-04:00

According to Lilly, this is something you really need to check out!

Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League is holding a big on-line auction. Anyone can bid for the wide assortment of awesome items they have.

MAGDRL is a 9-state organization that rescues, rehabilitates and finds homes for abandoned, neglected and abused Great Danes. It is run completely by volunteers! They do a great job and really deserve to make some good money on this auction. You can jump on over there and start viewing and bidding right NOW! Auction site

THERE ARE LOTS OF DANES OUT THERE THAT NEED YOUR HELP!

Furniture Wars

2008-08-25T15:43:00.004-04:00

Hubby and the dogs are at war over a particular piece of furniture, namely the "new" sofa. OK, we've had the sofa for over a year, maybe two, but who's counting. The Danes have their own chaise which is big enough for the two of them. Sophie doesn't get on the furniture. She never was allowed to and so never took up the habit. However, I have my suspicions about this "new" sofa, but that will remain our secret. Anyway, the chaise finally has gotten so gross that it needed to be reupholstered which is being done now. So what's a dog to do? Well, duh! That great big champagne colored microfiber sectional was calling their names! Never, EVER will I buy light colored microfiber again. I've heard people rave about it but it sure doesn't work with my crew.
Its been maddening trying to catch them. Almost every time we'd come in, you could see paw prints or drool on the sofa but the little darlings would be standing by the door all happy to see you with tongues hanging out and bums furiously wagging.
Solution: baby gate, stair gate, whatever you want to call them. Ran off to Toys R Us this morning to pick one up. As soon as I got in line to pay, I remembered how much I used to hate this store. I'm sure every mother has experienced trying to carry a screaming child out of Toys R Us without attracting too much attention. Guess what? It still happens. Brought back some memories that did!
But I digress. I bought the tallest(36") gate they had and got it installed no problem, no tools required. This is what I bought.

Here's Roxy checking out the installation process and thinking, "You have GOT to be kidding!".

And the finished product with Sophie and Lilly "in jail". Poor kids!

Sophie showing her disgust at the new contraption.

Hopefully now, we can all live in peace and harmony and hubby can be happy that the dogs aren't on the sofa when they're home alone, which by the way is hardly ever!

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

2008-08-23T14:04:00.004-04:00

Poor abused dogs can hardly take a nap without having a camera shoved in their faces! Nothing better on a hot day than a siesta on the cool tile floor. Roxy, Lilly and Sophie show you just how it's done.

New Look, New Name

2008-08-17T15:08:00.003-04:00

A message from Roxy

I'm not competing in Rally very much since there aren't very many shows here in Puerto Rico. Because of this, Mom thought I should share my space a bit more with my sisters, Lilly and Sophie. Sooo, we're changing the title of MY blog to The PR Gang. The address will remain the same. Mom will still keep you updated of my progress in Rally but we'll also show you more pics of Lilly, she's the harl, and Sophie who really thinks she rules the kingdom. We do a ton of fun stuff here in PR and want to let you in on it too!

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

2008-08-13T08:25:00.004-04:00

Just hanging out by the bay of San Juan today and I was trying to get a few good shots of my guys and the dogs. Of course no one can cooperate all at the same time! Lilly seems to have something to say about her position in the first one and Roxy saw something much more interesting behind her in the second. Oh well, good effort and we had fun playing around.

It's a Hard Life!

2008-08-07T15:11:00.003-04:00

It's a real hard life around here for the dogs!
Lilly and Roxy are showing you a few of their activities during a typical day. Lounging is obviously high on the list!

Goofing Around

2008-08-01T20:58:00.003-04:00

All fun and games today with a run at Fort San Cristobal.

Gone to the Dogs

2008-07-31T11:40:00.004-04:00

I've been gone for the most part of a month but we're back. Even though I was away from my own dogs, you could still say I'd "gone to the dogs"
Here we are hanging out at the camp in Maine.

Bad Mommy

2008-06-12T12:39:00.003-04:00

Ouchie, sunburn!
Remember the sunscreen this summer. Even dogs can get sunburned. Here's Lilly after a morning at the beach when I forgot the sunscreen. BAD MOMMY!
Any light colored dog can get a sunburn. Most susceptible places are the nose and head. However, if you have a white dog, it's probably best not to be out during the midday sun. I use kids waterproof sunscreen and apply it(when I remember!!) before leaving the house. Lilly is pretty good about it and doesn't really bother once it's rubbed in. If you're out for a long time, you may have to reapply, just like with kids.
Enjoy your summer fun!

Friends

2008-05-20T10:30:00.007-04:00

1friend
Pronunciation:
\ˈfrend\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English frend, from Old English frēond; akin to Old High German friunt friend, Old English frēon to love, frēo free
Date:
before 12th century

1 a: one attached to another by affection or esteem b: acquaintance2 a: one that is not hostile b: one that is of the same nation, party, or group3: one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)4: a favored companion

We all have friends and we expect our dogs to have friends too. We organize play dates for them like children. I love to get together my "dog" friends so the pooches can run around and play and we can chat about our babies. Non dog owners tend to bored by these discussions rather quickly! That's why I like to get together at least once a week with my dog friends.
Yesterday, Beatriz and Hermann came over, as well as Selena who's missing Huey bigtime! She needed a dog fix. Hermann is a Great Dane(of course) and a Certified Therapy Dog. He's the most mellow, cool, casual, hunk o' burnin' love you ever met. He's definitely a good influence on my dogs too! So without further ado, a few more pics of us hanging at my house after the beach.

Summertime......

2008-05-14T10:13:00.004-04:00

and the livin' is easy!
Roxy, as well as Lilly and Sophie are exhausted from a weekend at the beach. We live right near the beach and go fairly often but we just spent a long weekend on the west coast where the kids didn't have to be leashed at all...not even to get to the beach. So it play time all the time. YAY!

Of course we did have to do a few "work" sessions but working on "recall", for example, on the beach is much more fun than in our usual training sites. They get to chase sticks and coconuts into the water, have wild zoomies and jump up and down off the banks of sand formed by the waves. Every once in a while I call them back and make them sit, down or finish and that's a quick training session that's fun for everyone.
We all had a blast!!

Halti's

2008-04-22T09:57:00.011-04:00

We've resurrected the Halti from the bottom drawer of my desk and I'm happy to say we're having some success. The Halti looks like a halter for a horse and is designed for the handler to be able to redirect the dogs head, hence reestablishing focus on the handler.
You can read about the Halti here:Halti info It's a UK site but gives an in depth explanation. You can purchase them in many pet shops.
Anyway, I bought it ages ago and never really worked much with it. She did actually get used to it by wearing it around the house for a few days. Acclimating the dog to the Halti is important, otherwise you'll spend the majority of your training session trying to stop the dog from rubbing it off. Roxy hated it at first!

We're dealing with some leash aggression and I'm always needing to get Roxy's attention when another dog is approaching. She tends to tune me out and either stand stock still scoping out the other dog OR wanting to haul me over there. NOT acceptable.
My inspiration came from watching some podcasts HERE I was directed to by a fellow Dane lover. Now these podcasts seem like a plug for the Gentle Leader to me, but overlook that and look at the method and how the handler redirects the dog.
I'm very excited by Roxy's progress. Of course we're going through treats like there's no tomorrow but we'll start phasing those out when the reaction is more consistent.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2008-04-07T10:07:00.005-04:00

We won!

It was not in the Advanced Class!

It was NOT pretty!

The second day of the Tropical Treat Cluster went better than the first but again I had to pull her out of the Advanced class. Half way through, the brain shut off. The frustration of repeating a command while Roxy was looking to see what that Whippet over there was doing proved too much for me. I hate to watch people dragging their dogs around any class and I certainly didn't want to be one of those people you see who's voice escalates with each wrong move by the dog. Back to work we go!!
We won the Novice B class but it was NOT a pretty round. We had one retry and she never really was totally focused on me until the end of the course. She scored an 84 which is a qualifying score but I know she can, and has done better.
I've realized we need a lot more ring time AND it's definitely a handler error in the ring. Outside the ring, and I mean right next to the ring she did everything perfectly. Sam is my witness and even he couldn't believe it. Back to work in class and around town with all sorts of distractions.
Since I always believe in finishing on a positive note, even while blogging, I'll just let you know that we have also started agility training. This is proving to be fun for both of us and also gives us another venue to practice with lots of dogs and people around. I think this will give both of us some more confidence and help us in the long run.

Rally Advanced

2008-04-04T10:52:00.002-04:00

YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT??

Yesterday was the start of the Tropical Treat Cluster sponsored by the Caribbean Kennel Club and the Ponce Kennel Club. It's a four day show with conformation, obedience and rally.
I have Roxy entered in Rally classes Advanced A and Novice B. Advanced is the second level of Rally and all stations are performed off leash. I've also entered her in Novice B(for dogs or handlers with previous titles)for some more show experience. If you'll recall, we were having some problems with distractions and the whole show experience being totally overwhelming for her.
Well, yesterday was still quite overwhelming. I ended up pulling her out of the Advanced class only 4 stations into the course. Being off leash wasn't necessarily the problem, it was just that there are so many other very interesting things to see that I was having to ask her to do things like 3 times. Rather than start a bad habit of ignoring me, I decided to retire.
Novice B is on leash. She did an OK job, not brilliant by any means but not awful. I know she was fed up by then since we'd already been at the show for close to 3 hours. I have learned in the past that it's not good to over work her or practice too much and that she doesn't like to hang around. She kind of shuts down.
Today we are back to the show this afternoon and entered in the same classes. I plan on getting there quite late!
On a positive note, I did notice that she was much more relaxed during the show. I might not have had her full attention but she was not nervous or freaking as she was at the first show. Slooooooow progress.
Next week, we'll be back in class and back to work.

Way Too Much Fun!

2008-03-12T12:50:00.005-04:00

We've just been having way to much fun lately to sit down at the laptop and write. Last week we celebrated Huey's 4th Birthday in fine style at El Morro.

The dogs had a great romp in the park and really wore themselves out. We've been having beautiful days with clear blue skies and a good stiff breeze. The temps are getting up there but it's still cool enough to run around during the day.
Everyone enjoyed pupcakes and cookies at our house and we opened presents too.

Roxy has been working hard getting ready for her next Rally show in which we will be competing in Advanced. This class is off leash so we're really trying to do a lot of proofing with distractions. She has attention issues still when other dogs are too close to her but she getting a lot better.
With all the nice weather we've been frequenting the beach and yesterday was the perfect day. The beach was empty and the water was calm and clear. Lilly was really wound up but took a break to show off for a moment.

Roxy spent most of her time investigating and retrieving coconuts.

They were all super energetic and really seemed jazzed up by the wind. Check out the ears flying!

Tomorrow, Roxy and Lilly are headed over to Huey's house to spend a few days while the humans jet off to Bocas del Toro, Panama for some sailing and diving. See ya next week and Happy Easter to you all.