Great Dane Archives - Smart Dog University

Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Great Danes

December 4, 2017

Schooner, our Great Dane, was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Apparently, dilated cardiomyopathy in Great Danes isn’t uncommon.

It was quite a blow to us.

He’s relatively young (not yet 5 years old) and until very recently has been healthy and athletic. I run with Schooner and I’d noticed that on the last two runs he’d been slower than normal.

In hindsight, I think he’d been having the problem since at least June, but I chalked it up to heat intolerance, not heart trouble. But when Schoons’ lethargy expanded to his daily routine — not just our runs — I got worried.

I was sure he had some kind of doggie flu — bronchitis or pneumonia — but he certainly wasn’t seriously ill. The veterinarian seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time listening to his heart, which seemed odd. We have been in the veterinary office fairly frequently due to a pesky toe infection and his heart hadn’t caused the veterinarians any concern previously. You could have knocked me over with a feather when the veterinarian said “I’m concerned” and “arrhythmia” and gave us a referral to a cardiologist.

Like a good little Dane owner, I trotted Schoons off to the cardiologist the very next day.

That veterinarian repeated some of the same tests, along with some new ones, and dealt the blow: advanced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with the complication of arrhythmia. The DCM is bad enough — it’s fatal for cripes sake — but the arrhythmia is the scariest piece because it increases the likelihood of sudden death.

We experienced sudden death with Nemo almost exactly a year ago and, to be honest, I’d rather not go through that ordeal again. We didn’t know there was anything wrong with Nemo when he died, but now, learning about Schooner’s condition, I wonder if that’s why Nemo died suddenly. Looking back, I remember Nemo having some of the same symptoms. They were so subtle, though, that I chalked them up to the normal aging process. Neems had just turned 11 when he died — I thought he was simply slowing down due to his age.

Anyway, I digress. Schooner is now not allowed (nor is he capable) of running with me.

I am surprised at how much I grieve this single thing. He was so fun to run with. His pace matched mine exactly. His leash manners were impeccable — he always ran next to me with a loose leash.

I run the roads, so it’s important for me to be able to get onto the shoulder quickly if a car is approaching. As you might imagine, with a giant dog, it’s even more crucial that I (1) get out of the way and (2) do it quickly. Schooner and I had developed a really nice silent communication system over the year or so that we ran together. When a car was approaching, I simply laid the leash on his right shoulder to move off the road. He was as elegant as a dressage horse, moving onto the shoulder without ever breaking stride. After the car passed, we silently moved back up onto the road as easy as you please.

Running solo carries a bit of a risk, especially for a woman on country roads. When I had Schooner as my running partner, I never worried about my safety. He’s a friendly chap, but his size alone is enough to deter anyone from getting too close. Cyclists would often cross our path and I loved Schooner’s steadiness. If they stopped to talk to us, Schoons was happy to accept some ear rubs and kind words. But if the cyclists were on a mission and only gave us a “hello,” Schooner never tried to visit or pull away from the pack of cyclists.

I ra n a couple of races with Schooner.

Our first was a turkey trot on Thanksgiving day in 2016. It was a dog-friendly race and I admit I was a little nervous. I’d never had Schooner in a crowd of 2,000 people. Who were running. At the same time in the same direction. Some with their own dogs.

He did great! After that first race, I was hooked on running with Schoons. If he could handle that race, he could handle anything! We trained together a lot that winter and spring. But by summer, he was intolerant of the heat, so he stayed home while I ran. Then, when fall brought cooler temperatures, I took him out again. But that’s of course when I noticed his lethargy.

And so here we are.

Schooner is still allowed to walk. And while he’s technically not allowed to chase squirrels in the backyard, he still does. Yes, the “burst activity” could kill him. But honestly: what dog would be sad if he died chasing a squirrel!?

We don’t have a prognosis for Schooner, but the (many) medications he’s on have helped considerably. He’s playing again — throwing around toys, more energetic, looks like he’s feeling peppy again. So, while this is not what I’d hoped for, it’s certainly better to know about it and help him live longer and happier. We will have regular check-ins with our veterinarians and with the cardiologist. Hopefully, we’ll have a prognosis in about three months after the cardiologist evaluates Schooner’s improvement with medication.

I hope it’s obvious, but I’m not a veterinarian and nothing you read here or on this blog constitutes veterinary advice or recommendations. Jeez, I thought Schooner had the flu when it turned out he had a fatal heart ailment, for goodness sake. Always see your veterinarian for advice on the health of your pet.

Veterinarians are doing some really specific research on Great Danes and dilated cardiomyopathy.

And you can help! If you have a Great Dane — pedigreed or rescued — researchers at NC State need your dog’s DNA to help build their database. Samples are needed from healthy Danes as well as those diagnosed with DCM. It’s easy to contribute a sample, all the details are here.

Service Dog Training: Schooner’s Adjustment to Career Change

May 12, 2015

Changing careers is hard, for people as well as dogs.

Schooner, the Great Dane pup we raised for service work was recently released from service dog training. The transition has taken some time, but I think Schooner is settling into the new lifestyle of stay-at-home dog.

Big changes.

Great Dane, Laurie at Frederick Keys baseball game. — Service dogs get to go everywhere.

Service dogs in training get to go everywhere with their trainer. When I put my shoes on and grab my keys, the service dog in training knows what’s next: he gets leashed up, vested, and hops in the car with me to head out on an adventure. The routine is pretty familiar and the dogs get used to it.

The first time I left Schooner with the other dogs, I hadn’t given my departure a second thought: it was errand day and I had to get on the road, as there were lots of stops in front of me. I gave our three stay-at-home dogs their frozen stuffed Kongs and they happily trotted off to start to work. Schooner looked at me as if I’d given him something disgusting. Surely I had this wrong: surely I meant to take him.

After watching him fret while I was gone, I knew I had to come up with a plan to help him transition from working dog to his new role of stay-at-home dog.

Transition plan.

My first goal was to get him conditioned to eating Kongs again. He wasn’t interested in the stuffed frozen Kongs I hand out as I leave. He needed something a little more immediately reinforcing. He was worried when I left and working on something frozen wasn’t paying off quickly enough for him so I began leaving him with a Kong stuffed with just regular old peanut butter — not frozen. “Mmmmm,” he appeared to say, “now you’re talking!” as he took his Kong over to his bed to investigate it more thoroughly.

I ran into a problem a couple days later: Schooner associated Kong delivery with my departure. He wouldn’t eat the Kong (even with just plain, unfrozen peanut butter) because he was onto me: I was trying to distract him with a Kong so I could sneak out the door without him. It was clear I had to deliver those Kongs at random and unpredictable times. Times when I wasn’t going to leave. Over the next several days, I’d give the dogs Kongs at various times — the only constant was that I wasn’t leaving after the Kong delivery.

After I convinced Schooner that Kongs didn’t always predict my departure, we could move along to the next goal which was uncoupling keys/shoes with running to the door in anticipation of coming with me. I actually worked this one at the same time as the random delivery of Kongs mentioned earlier. I would pick up my keys, deliver a Kong, and sit at my computer. Or I’d put my shoes on, deliver a Kong, and return phone calls. Regardless of what else was happening, gathering my shoes and keys did not go together with my leaving. I got smart and left my shoes on for the day and put my keys in the car long before I needed to leave in order to uncouple those clues, too.

Minor changes.

Forgetting how massive he is and how much room he takes up on the couch, I hadn’t moved a dog bed into the living room. As I watched the dogs on our Dropcam, I could see that part of Schoons’ distress was in the fact that he didn’t have a comfy place to sleep while I was gone if the other dogs got up on the couch before he did. There was a big, fat, smooshy bed about 15 feet away from him in my office (easily accessible for any of the dogs, including Schoons), but he didn’t want to use it because then he’d be the only dog sleeping in the other room. Heaven forbid. I began leaving a big bed in the living room and now there’s always a comfy sleeping spot for whoever doesn’t get couch seating.

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I’ve also started taking Schooner along on my early morning exercise jaunts. He and Lily go about 3 – 3.5 miles every morning with ease. He’s quite athletic and in very good condition so while the distance isn’t strenuous, he’s a tired dog when we get back thanks to the physical exercise, but mainly due to the mental stimulation — all the sniffing opportunities, new sights and sounds, and the brain power required to process it all. So when I have errands, I tire him out, leave him with a Kong, and I’m confident he’ll finish the Kong and then start napping. The exercise is good for him and it serves several purposes for us both.

Current status.

Our daytime routine is now fairly well set. Recently, Schooner turned his nose up at his unfrozen peanut butter Kong and instead wanted the frozen (yogurt, pumpkin, peanut butter) Kongs that the other three dogs get, so now we’re even closer to our regular routine — all the dogs are getting the same thing. He no longer rushes to the door when I grab my keys and instead is now running to his bed where the Kong has been consistently delivered. Next week, I’m starting on a training plan for our dear giant boy — my goal is to get him certified as a therapy dog and maybe think about some competitive obedience.

New problem.

Schooner is huge. He’s also a bed hog. Who’s really hard to move when he’s dead-asleep lying diagonally across the bed, leaving me no space. Actually, compared to the other transition issues, this one’s not at all hard to deal with. We’ll get it all sorted out, of that I’m sure.

Holiday Stress Relief – Crazy Great Dane Video

December 24, 2013

Christmas stress relief brought to you by Schooner, the Great Dane service dog in-training.

Ever wonder how much fun a Great Dane can have all by himself, with a little recycled plastic lid?

The setup.

I’m trying to find a stuffed Kong that’s rolled under the bed for Lily (not on screen). Tango, yellow Labrador, is doing a fine job supervising the project. Watch the Great Dane amuse himself by flinging the plastic, then get ready for the Crazy, Spinning Great Dane Whirling Dervish. (It’s not your computer, the audio and video don’t quite match.)

Take a look:

If that doesn’t de-stress you, even momentarily, I don’t know what to tell you.

Service Dog Training: The Things A Dog Trainer Learns from Her Dogs

October 25, 2013

One of the reasons I love dogs is because they’re all different. We’re on service pup #15, Schooner, and oh, the things he’s teaching me!

One might think that dog training consists of the dog trainer teaching the dog. And yes, that’s true for the most part. My job is to help the dog learn. Opening up to learning from the dog, though, is when things get really cool. That’s where I am with Schooner in our training journey.

He’s teaching me. And he’s a pretty darn good teacher.

I’m learning:

to keep training sessions short
that training sessions better be fun
the dog can (and will) quit a training session if it isn’t fun
that not all dogs find chicken delightful and to keep searching and trying new treats until a I find one for which Schooner goes nutty
when I deliver a treat matters — slow is not acceptable (even when my click is perfectly timed)
dog brains develop on their own schedule and I need to modify my training schedule to match the dog’s schedule
keep training, even if it seems like the dog isn’t getting it
don’t be afraid to take a break from training for a few days, though if things feel like they’re not fun anymore
if you’re not smiling when you’re training, definitely take a break
some dogs are bottomless pits, while others walk away when they’re full — and that’s ok
clicker training conquers just about any training issue you throw at it AND the dog loves the solution

Schooner is 10-months old and he’s just now starting to really learn. I won’t lie: I was panicked for a couple of months because his progress was s o s l o w. The Labradors I’ve trained have always been ahead of me in the training game — I couldn’t teach them new things fast enough! Schooner, on the other hand, had a decidedly different path. He’s a “stop and smell the roses” kinda dog when it comes to learning.

His message in a nutshell: Don’t rush him, be patient, and his brains will eventually kick in. When I surrendered my need for progress, progress, progress, and let the dog dictate the pace, I was happily surprised with progress!

That, to me, is what dog training is all about. It’s a journey taken together with a little bit of give-and-take. It’s listening to one another, striving to create the opportunity for learning so that when the dog is ready to learn, I’m ready to teach.

Dog training is not about “making the dog” do anything. It’s not about shutting off behavior (jumping, barking, pulling etc.), it’s about getting lots more behavior and then rewarding only the good stuff that you want to see more of (sitting, chewing a toy, walking politely, etc.). If you hear someone say “just make him do it!” walk away. Quickly. That ain’t what dog training’s about. Not at all.

In the end, Schooner will have learned how to be a top-notch dog who can provide his human partner with the help she needs to get through life every single day. He’ll do it happily. He’ll do it eagerly. And together they’ll be a terrific working team, and — better still — a terrific team…period.

Your turn: What have you learned from your dog? Is your dog a good teacher? Are you a good learner? Let us know and leave a comment below!

Dogs Make Good Cheer Uppers

August 23, 2013

It’s the end of my first week back from vacation. It was a pretty bad week and I’m glad it’s Friday.

I have to work all weekend, sadly. Which was a little depressing when I realized it.

I happened to be looking through some recent video and this made me smile.

So I thought I’d share. I hope this gives you a smile, too, and the start to a good weekend.

Do your dogs do silly stuff like this? Does it cheer you up when they’re silly and you’re sad, mad, frustrated? Let me know what they do by leaving a comment below!

We’re God Parents!

July 29, 2013

I’ve never yearned to be a god parent. I don’t have brothers or sisters, so the chance of me being one was slim to none anyway, but I’m just not the kind of person to be voted god parent.

I mean, I guess I could do it if the kid was like 17 years old, gainfully employed, and going off to college in the fall. Other than that, I’m not god parent material.

At least to a kid.

But I’m not a kid’s god parent. I’m a dog’s god parent! Technically, my husband and I are the god parents to this particular dog, but this is my blog and my story. So we’ll leave him out of it for the purposes of this post.

Go ahead, laugh if you will. And then leave. Because this blog’s not for you, for I am very serious about my excitement and seriousness of god parenthood for dogs.

I think everyone should have plans in place for their dog if the inevitable happens and your dog is left people-less. Ideally, this will be put in a legal document like a will or a living trust or some other official document. I’m not an attorney, so don’t rely on me for advice on how to do this — consult your favorite legal eagle, I’m a dead end in that department.

Back to the real story — god parenthood. We were asked to be god parents to a dog we’ve helped raise. Quite a few pups have come through our house (we’re on #15 to be exact), and this is the first time we’ve been tapped to be the alternative if the worst should happen.

When we were asked, the asker said “take your time, talk it over with Dana, and get back to us. No pressure.” I was at the airport picking up my luggage from a recent trip and immediately wrote back on my phone “Yes.”

I didn’t have to think about it. I didn’t have to talk it over with Dana. The answer is YES. Thinking about it would only confirm my answer, and talking about it with my husband would only confirm his answer: YES.

This is what’s known as a no-brainer. Of course we’ll be god parents. There’s no way we wouldn’t be god parents. My life is now complete. I am a god parent.

It’s funny how something you never ever thought about and never expected can make you feel so good.

Your Turn: Are you a god parent to a dog? Do you have provisions made for your pets — just in case? Please leave a comment and let us know!

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