We are sad tonight

This is my grand-dog, Titan, not even a year old, with his bestie, Heather.  She is my oldest grandson's girl friend.  If you follow my blog, you know how much we all love this dog.  
A week ago he started limping and favoring a back leg.  We think he probably has hip dysplasia.  It's a common problem among the larger breeds of dogs, and the outlook is not good.  Monday we will find out for sure if that's the problem.  
There is a surgery that can be performed, but the chances of it helping the dog are slim, and the cost of the surgery is high.    
Heather and I had a long talk tonight, and we agreed that the best course of action would probably be to spoil that dog rotten and fulfill his every dream in the next few weeks.  
Does anybody have a large female dog in heat?  I'm pretty sure that would be on Titan's bucket list.  No, he isn't neutered.  
Meanwhile, if the diagnosis confirms our fears, we plan to feed him steak and hamburger and whatever else might appeal to him.  
I'm so sad tonight.  I sure hope we are wrong about what ails him.

Titan and Iris

The grandson has been working on his Jeep in our shop before he goes to work each day, and he brings Titan along.  Iris hates most dogs, but she really does like Titan, even if she has to worry about his huge feet crushing her from time to time.  Here's a video I took of them playing yesterday.  Watch how Iris stands on her head when she is playing with him.  That cracks me up.





My little Crimson King maple tree has been listing toward the east lately, and Cliff decided to put a stake with a rope out there to pull it toward the west.  Titan supervised closely.

Iris finally has a real doggie friend

Shortly after bringing Iris home from the shelter we found out she hates other dogs.  Especially small dogs, although she once attacked Hawkeye, my daughter's dog who is far bigger than she, to the point where he didn't want to come and visit us for a long time.  
It was really frightening when she attacked Cliff's sister's miniature dachshund, Angel, because that sweet little dog always submits to other dogs and loves everybody.  Honestly, it was downright scary when Iris attacked her.  We're not just talking about a grumpy old dog that snaps at others; Iris obviously meant to kill, and we had to tear them apart.  
She finally stopped attacking Angel, although I'd still be hesitant to leave them alone.  She has never accepted the other dog that lives with Angel, and went viciously after her not too long ago; once again, if someone had not been there to intervene, I don't know what might have happened.   
So, my grandson has been working lots of overtime, and he's been having his girl friend bring their Great Dane pup out here to spend the day.  He's no problem at all.  He stays near our house, spending lots of time sleeping on the porch.  I let him in a few times a day and he does well, mostly just following me from room to room; no accidents so far.  
Iris has never shown her usual bad attitude with Titan.  He's big and clumsy, and tries to force her to play; you'd think if she was going to attack anybody, it would be him.  But after two weeks being forced to put up with Titan, the most she has done is snap at him when he stumbles over her.  
Maybe she realizes he's just a puppy.  

Not only that, but I've seen her outside playing with him.  Yes, she likes the big oaf.  

Puppy playing with grumpy old dog

Iris isn't fond of other dogs, and Titan is no exception.  She does growl at him a little, but considering that she has attacked dogs in the past, she's showing a lot of restraint.  For her, that is.  Titan is fourteen weeks old; perhaps she realizes he's only a puppy, even if he is far bigger than she is.

I fell in love yesterday

I didn't take a picture of my new love interest, but I wasn't expecting to fall in love with him; I was just along for the ride.  
My oldest grandson and his girl friend have been looking for a Great Dane puppy.  We were discussing this with them out in the shop Sunday, and Cliff said, "Phil's boy had some Great Dane puppies for sale a while back."  
Phil is Cliff's brother.  His son, Jeremy, indeed had been selling some puppies, although I figured by this time they were all gone.  So I went to his Facebook wall and asked if he still had puppies.  
"I'll message you," he said.  
He had one black, eleven-week-old puppy left.  I got him connected with Heather, and they made a date for her to see the pup after work yesterday.  
Because Cliff's brother lives in a rather isolated location, Heather asked me to ride along and show her where they lived.  Her car is small, and I wondered if I'd be in charge of controlling a moose-sized pup for the twenty-mile trip home, but I agreed.  
When we arrived at their farmhouse, Jeremy and his girl friend were in the yard with the pup running freely around their feet.  OK, so he hadn't gotten to moose-size yet, but his feet had!  I got out of the car prepared to fend off a jumping puppy, but he didn't jump on us.  When we walked, he'd follow along beside somebody's (anybody's) feet.  
Heather and Jeremy sealed the deal and discussed shots and wormings and dog food and ear surgeries, and we went to load Titan into Heather's little car.  I volunteered to sit in the back seat with him and restrain him; I started to lift him in, but he was heavier than I realized, so Jeremy got him loaded, and I followed.  This back seat was tiny, so I stretched my legs across the back floorboard toward the other door and the pup immediately nestled onto my lap.  Well, he nestled as much of his growing body as would fit on me, anyhow.  And for the whole trip to my house, he stayed right there, every once in awhile trying to snuggle in a little deeper.  Several times he lifted his head, looked me in the eyes, and doggie-smiled, as if to say, "I really like you." 
But he never once licked me.  I don't like licking dogs, so that was another plus. 
Yes, by the time I got out of the back seat with my newfound love, I was hooked.  I never saw that one coming.  

Here's a picture Heather took of him on her way home from here.