Here goes my story, When I was about 3 years old my parents decided that it would be a good thing for me to grow up around dogs, they got a West Highland White Terrier, okay small but not the most ideal dog for a family with no dog experience. She took over the house and owned us. She was a wonderful dog, and was with us until she had to be put to sleep when she was 12 years old. During that period my mother fell in love. She wanted a Golden, that made us a two dog family, my father came across a mixed breed with too big ears and a sweet smile that needed adoption, so now we were a three dog family. When I was hmmmm think 11 years old, I met a person during a show jump event ( I used to show jump horses) who told me about this Dane, who was kept outdoors and the owner didnt care about it at all, and now it looked like she was super skinny and needed a vet visit. When we came home that day, I started the torture of my poor parents, and the very next day my father drove me to the address my friend had given me. My father and I took one look at the dog, and decided that we were not going to leave without her. The people who owned her couldn't care less about her, but did not want to give her up, said she was a good guard dog!!! yeah right, the poor dog was almost too weak to stand up. After a long discussion my dad ended up paying about 200 dollars for her. We loaded her into the car and went straight to our vet. She had to be on antibiotics and all kinds of different meds and supplements for a long time. She was an ugly, wrong colored harlequin girl with seperation anxiety, potty issues and a love for shoes. But she grew to be the most lovable, wonderful dog you can ever imagine. She went with me when I was training my horses, spent all day with me after I came home from school and that was when I realized I never again wanted to live without a giant dog.
Since then I have had several Danes, exept the first one we rescued I bought all of them from breeders and did conformation showing with them. I am swedish and lived there up till about 5 years ago, when I moved here. My husband who is american does not speak swedish, so it was natural for me to move here instead. I had had to put my old Dane girl to sleep about a year before I met him. She was very old and had to go to the bridge. I didnt get any more dogs then, because I knew that I was most likely going to move my life halfway across the world.
When my husband and I started to talk about what breed we were going to settle with. He said he did not feel too good about Danes!!!! Okay I know, he is a tad bit weird lol..... I guess I had told him too many stories about my babies and how I had to mop slobbers from the ceiling aswell as from everywhere else. He had a little mixed breed called Harley, but I just had to have a big dog. We decided that Bullmastiff was the breed we both wanted. So we got our first Bullmastiff, then another one, and now we are getting our OEM baby this monday. A wonderful boy, 10 weeks old, when we get him. He still doesn't have a name (we are working on that one).
During all these years with big dogs, I have always also had at least a couple of dogs I have rescued. Everything from min. schnauzer, Flat Coated Ret., Siberian Husky, Golden and German Shepherds. I also did quite a bit of obedience and competing with one of the GS that I rescued, he did very well and was a wonderful dog. But no matter what breed I have as rescues and how much I love them. I always just NEED to have at least one giant dog. I think we may be a special kind of people, all us who cant live without our giant family memebers. And every so often we have to defend having them (at least I have to) because people tend to think we are a bit weird for having these giant dogs in our houses, in our beds and on our couch.
But what would the day be like if you didnt have a wet and slobbery toy stuck up your face, or the evenings would be soooo lonely if you actually got to sit comfortably in you couch, or God forbid that you had to sleep in your own bed, having both a pillow and a blanket. That kind of life is way way too simple and clean lol...
Marit