4 1/2 Months

The pup is growing up! Ky is now at 60 pounds and about 25 inches. He doesn't realize he's as big as he is, which can be dangerous when playing with little dogs. The one protection that those little dogs have is that they are faster than him in the shortrun. Ky, although from an athletic family, is not exactly speedy. Hopefully, speed will come with age and less heat! In regard to Chloe, Ky's philosophy is, "Why run after her? She's a retriever and come back in just a moment. I'll just stand here and wait for her."

One game I've been playing with Ky lately is hide and seek. I hide; he seeks. I hid behind our bathroom door the other day. I could have hidden across the country for as long as it took him to find me! But it was really cute when he came down the hall. I could see his refection in the mirror. He moved just like Scooby Doo. Whoever drew that cartoon knew Danes! Scooby-dooby-doo!

We started our puppy agility class a few weeks ago. We're learning contact points (thanks, Carrie, for the tips!). Ky's biggest problem is that class is at 7:45 and he's usually put himself to bed around that time. He's not focused for the last 30 minutes. BUT, I've seen signs that he thinks agility is WAY cool (as he watched another dog jumping) and he absolutely loves going up and down his board here at home. Things seem to be moving very slowly, but I need to be more patient!

Off to practice!

Seeing Spots

I am related to a harlequin. I am, I am, I am!!! (Tummy shot)

New Puppy = Busy!!

Wow! It's amazing how much having a new puppy is like having a new baby! Maybe it's because I've been a mama before and motherhood just kicks into high gear again, but I do find myself listening for every little squeak that comes out of the room he's sleeping in. I've also taken a shower at 5 a.m., knowing that he's asleep now, but won't be for long! I also cried at work on my first day back last Monday. Sheesh. Talk about separation anxiety!

Something that IS positive (at least in my opinion) is that I find myself spending a lot less time doing email or killing time on Facebook. I had a bad habit of checking my work email at home. My boss used to gently get after me about that, not wanting me to be doing work on off-work time. Well, getting an active puppy took care of that little problem!

Ky is doing so well. We are all bonding nicely....even Chloe...somewhat. There are times when Chloe does so well with him, like this morning when Ky jumped up to try to get at something I was preparing on the counter, only to come crashing down on her head. I expected Chloe turn into a Tasmanian Devil, but she just let it slide by. Those are the good times. We suspect, though, that occasionally he tries to nurse off of her. Those are the times she becomes a mad woman! (And seriously, I don't blame her!)

Paul, Ky and I have gone to two weeks of "Manners" class now. We practice daily and he seems to be catching on very quickly. With treats, he sits, downs, comes, stays (very short time), and touches my hand. He's by far the youngest dog in the class, but is progressing as well as any of the others. I think our next series of classes after we finish this one will be puppy agility. If he likes it, we'll go further. If not, we'll concentrate on obedience work (what his breeder believes he'll be best at). I also want to work on getting his therapy dog certification. He's extremely gentle, so I think he'd be a great therapy dog.

Potty training seems not to be an issue. I can't say that he's going to the door when he wants to go out, but he's only had a couple of in-house boo-boos. I'm very well trained to watch him like a hawk. I don't like cleaning up accidents is what it comes down to!

Oh, I almost forgot--Ky weighed in at 29 pounds this morning (about 3 pounds in a week). That amazes me, as he look SO skinny right now. It's a little embarrassing when I take him out. I want to say, "Yes, I really do feed my puppy!!"

What's With the Name?

SR Chroma Yah Yamin Chayil Asah. Quite a handle for a little black pup, huh? What does it mean? Well, first of all, SR stands for Susan Robinson, who is Ky's breeder. She is an amazingly energetic veterinarian in Texas who has a heart of gold. She is incredibly devoted to all she does.

Chroma is the kennel name of JP Yousha, dog breeder/handler/trainer extraordinaire. She's the one that got me hooked up with Susan and has been a great source of encouragement and knowledge in dog handling. Her website is http://www.chromadane.com/ . JP is a prolific writer and has a vast amount of information about the Dane breed at her site.

Yah Yamin Chayil Asah (The right hand of the Lord does valiantly). This is from Psalm 118, verse 16. This is my testimony of how God has worked in my life. He has proven Himself a strong warrior on my family's behalf. Two years ago this past week, our then 25-year-old son was diagnosed with a very rare, aggressive form of cancer called Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors. Ben was given a 17% chance of survival and placed on a rigorous regime of chemotherapy, surgery, then radiation. All that lasted nine months. On the very worst day of Ben's first chemo treatment, the Lord laid a verse on my heart for Ben. It says, "I will not die, but live, and tell the works of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death." This is Psalm 118, verses 17 & 18. We believe that God does allow pain in our lives sometimes to teach us more about His character and His care for us. We grow through it and have a greater compassion for others who are suffering. Anyway, this was God's promise to me for Ben's life--he would survive the treatment to tell of God's wonderful works. If you notice, Ky's name is the verse before Ben's verse. God has worked valiantly in Ben's life and ours by restoring Ben's health. The Lord has proven Himself to be One who keeps His promise.

An interesting side note is that Yamin (right hand) is in both Ben(jamin) and Ky's names. I believe that when God refers to His right hand in the Bible, He is referring to Jesus. Ben's name means Son of the Right Hand. Ky's name means that Jesus does valiantly. He is our strong warrior.

So, there you have it! My Great Dane puppy bears the reminder that my God is my valiant keeper.

My Baby

I arrived in Texas pretty sure which pup I was going to come home with, but thinking I'd have somewhat of a choice. As things often go, I believe the choice was pre-ordained as this little black and white pup that I thought I'd come home with crawled into my lap and looked into my eyes. It didn't really matter that he wasn't the most agile of the pups from this agility dog breeding, he was my baby.

Ky did amazingly well on the plane from Dallas to Seattle. Many of those in the seats around me didn't even realize there was a nearly 24 pound puppy under the seat in front of me! I will admit that lugging a pup that large on and off a plane and through the airport was not an easy task. But I will always remember the look of adoration on the face of Paul, my husband, and my daughter, Beth's, face has Ky and I came up the escalator in the airport. Our baby was home.

Chloe, our 7-year-old Labrador Retriever, had to wait until morning to meet Ky. As JP Yousha, Ky's grandsire's owner said, "Who greets new visitors at 10 o'clock at night?" Wisdom taken. In the morning, we brought Chloe into our room to meet Ky, who was still in his crate. Chloe looked at Paul, she looked at Beth, she looked at me...but she wouldn't even look at Ky. Nope--didn't exist in her mind. Don't see it, it must not be there. Eventually, we brought Ky out, but Chloe still didn't want much to do with him.

Later that day, my son, Adam, and his wife, Sheli, came over to celebrate a belated Mother's Day and have a puppy party! Adam took wonderful photos of Ky which we will enjoy for years to come. Lots of ooo'ing and aww'ing over feet size and cuteness, plus a wonderful dinner provided by my local kids!

Oops! I hear a puppy whining!! I'll have to continue with the story of our week, so far, later. It has had a lot of adventures for a baby dog!

One Week from Today

Next Saturday I become a mother again. This should not be new to me. I've given birth to three children, have seen them grow to adulthood, and fly from my nest (for the most part). But this is different. I will become the mother of a 9 week old Great Dane puppy. This blog will be the stories of my life with SR Chroma Yah Yamin Chayil Asah...or just Ky.

We will see what the days ahead hold!