The Year According to Talos

One year ago today, a little Great Dane appeared. He was but a wee thing. He could actually fit on my lap quite comfortably.

One year later, that itty bitty Dane is a giant. He's 150 pounds of goofy. And he still likes to sit in my lap. 

He's come a long way in one year. Three weeks after coming to live with us, he attended his first public event: a social media conference at the Frederick Chamber of Commerce. A little wee pup then, he slept through most of it (thankfully). As he grew, it became clear he was fond of public events so we attended another conference together. We were also brave enough to actually present at a social media conference. He was the ultimate professional – he laid quietly while I gave my part of the presentation.

I'd always wanted a Dane so when the service dog agency mentioned trying a couple out, I signed on immediately. I knew I'd love a Dane, but it's one thing to love a breed of dog and whole other thing to actually live with a dog that large.

He's messy – his mouth leaks when he drinks. And drool flies when he shakes his head. He's a furniture hog: he takes up 3/4 of the couch and an entire half of the bed (sometimes more). He's big, he's clumsy. He's absolutely goofy. He's a leaner and will knock you over if you're not careful.

And oh how I love him. I love his big-ness. I love his blue eyes. I love his crazy brown spots. I love when he lays his gigantic head on my hand when I'm scratching his chin. I love the one tail thump when he hears me come into the room. (Danes, unlike Labs, dole out tail wags much more judiciously, as if they're very expensive.)

And as I celebrate Talos' one year anniversary, I must also acknowledge that every day we get closer to the date when I must take him back into the service dog agency. It's a bittersweet job. One one hand, there's thrill of seeing a pup grow into a well-behaved dog. There's also the absolute joy of being able to enjoy taking him everywhere I go: to the doctor, grocery store, conferences, everywhere.

But on the other hand, well, that's where I fall apart. I won't dwell on that side of things here. This is a celebration of Talos' one year anniversary with us.