Gramma Gale's Goodies
Most of my puppies, when I get emails from them (most of them have a little help from Mom or Dad), call me Gramma Gale. I am honored and privileged to be a Great Dane Gramma and do so enjoy keeping up with my extended Dynamite Danes family! Over the last 20+ years, we have placed our beloved fur babies in 46 of the United States and so enjoy visiting with our families from near and far.
I just wanted to share a bit about the why's and wherefore's of my love affair with the Great Dane Breed!
Great Danes are Sensitive Souls!
I have been privileged to be able to share my life with a wonderful and diverse group of great Danes over the last twenty-five or so years. The Danes have been fantastic ambassadors for their breed, one and all! The diversity in color has been overshadowed by a common thread that makes the breed one that I can not imagine living without…Danes are such sensitive souls! Every Dane that I have ever met has been a gentle, soulful personality…some are just goofier than othersJ From the day I met our first fawn Dane, Shotzi, who was a rescue and who hooked me on the breed, I have been continually surprised and amazed at the depth of feeling that a great Dane can convey with their eyes. If the “eyes are the window to the soul”, if you have ever met a Dane, you will agree that they are sensitive souls!
Whenever anyone asks me about the breed, I tell them that the best thing and the worst thing about Danes is that they think they are full fledged family members and are entitled to the same rights and privileges, such as lap time, couch time and lots of loving in general. That is what makes them such amazing companions! Each one is a sensitive and intelligent individual with some very Dane specific character traits. If a Dane is corrected in a manner, which they deem to be too harsh or inappropriate, they will usually retreat to their bed or a corner and pout, ignore you and give “dirty looks”.
When potential puppy parents are screened for the adoption process, this is one of the things that I tell them. Many times, this information is met with a strange look, like “this lady spends way too much time with her dogs!” I always get a chuckle out of these looks of disbelief when, invariably, after living with their puppy for a few weeks, these same puppy parents call and tell me, “Boy, does this dog pout and give me ‘the look’ when he/she is corrected.”
Danes are eager to please their people and are always happy to know when they have done something that pleases their people! Positive reinforcement of desired behaviors works splendidly with these sensitive souls!
Whenever anyone asks me about the breed, I tell them that the best thing and the worst thing about Danes is that they think they are full fledged family members and are entitled to the same rights and privileges, such as lap time, couch time and lots of loving in general. That is what makes them such amazing companions! Each one is a sensitive and intelligent individual with some very Dane specific character traits. If a Dane is corrected in a manner, which they deem to be too harsh or inappropriate, they will usually retreat to their bed or a corner and pout, ignore you and give “dirty looks”.
When potential puppy parents are screened for the adoption process, this is one of the things that I tell them. Many times, this information is met with a strange look, like “this lady spends way too much time with her dogs!” I always get a chuckle out of these looks of disbelief when, invariably, after living with their puppy for a few weeks, these same puppy parents call and tell me, “Boy, does this dog pout and give me ‘the look’ when he/she is corrected.”
Danes are eager to please their people and are always happy to know when they have done something that pleases their people! Positive reinforcement of desired behaviors works splendidly with these sensitive souls!
When I am Old
This is my all time favorite “Dog Lady” poem…it is definitely who I am…
I shall wear Turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts
and a bandana over my silver hair
and I shall spend my Social Security Checks
on Sweet Wine and My Dogs
and sit in my house on my well-worn chair, and listen to my dog's breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm Summer night
and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow
and when people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs
and talk of them and about them...
The Ones so Beloved of the Past and the Ones so Beloved of Today
I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping
and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft, loving way.
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel,
and I will be an embarrassment to my friends my family
who have not yet found the peace in being free
to have dogs as your Best Friends...
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall
and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep,
to greet you as if you are a God.
With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope
that you will stay and hug their big, strong necks
and kiss their dear sweet heads and whisper to them of your love
and the beautiful pleasure of their very special company...
I look in the mirror and see I am getting old.
this is the kind of woman I am and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me, accept me for who I am,
my dogs appreciate my presence in their lives
when I am old this will be important to me
you will understand when you are old...and if you have dogs to love too.
I shall wear Turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts
and a bandana over my silver hair
and I shall spend my Social Security Checks
on Sweet Wine and My Dogs
and sit in my house on my well-worn chair, and listen to my dog's breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm Summer night
and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow
and when people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs
and talk of them and about them...
The Ones so Beloved of the Past and the Ones so Beloved of Today
I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping
and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft, loving way.
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel,
and I will be an embarrassment to my friends my family
who have not yet found the peace in being free
to have dogs as your Best Friends...
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall
and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep,
to greet you as if you are a God.
With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope
that you will stay and hug their big, strong necks
and kiss their dear sweet heads and whisper to them of your love
and the beautiful pleasure of their very special company...
I look in the mirror and see I am getting old.
this is the kind of woman I am and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me, accept me for who I am,
my dogs appreciate my presence in their lives
when I am old this will be important to me
you will understand when you are old...and if you have dogs to love too.
A Dog's Prayer
Every Dog Owner Needs to Keep this in Mind!
Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.
Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.
When it is cold and wet, please take me inside... for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements... and I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth... though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land... for you are my god... and I am your devoted worshiper.
Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger.
And, beloved master, should the Great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest...and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.
Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.
Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.
When it is cold and wet, please take me inside... for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements... and I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth... though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land... for you are my god... and I am your devoted worshiper.
Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger.
And, beloved master, should the Great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest...and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.
Dog Owner's Prayer
O Lord don't let me once forget
how I love my trusty pet.
Help me learn to disregard
canine craters in my yard.
Show me how to be a buddy
even when my sofa's muddy.
Don't allow my pooch to munch
postal carriers for lunch.
Shield my neighbor's cat from view—
guide my steps around the doo.
Train me not to curse and scowl
when it's puppy's night to howl.
Grant I shan't awake in fear
with a cold nose in my ear.
Give me patience without end—
Help me be 'A Dog's Best Friend'!
how I love my trusty pet.
Help me learn to disregard
canine craters in my yard.
Show me how to be a buddy
even when my sofa's muddy.
Don't allow my pooch to munch
postal carriers for lunch.
Shield my neighbor's cat from view—
guide my steps around the doo.
Train me not to curse and scowl
when it's puppy's night to howl.
Grant I shan't awake in fear
with a cold nose in my ear.
Give me patience without end—
Help me be 'A Dog's Best Friend'!
Subject: The Dog
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
-Anonymous
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
-Ann Landers
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
-Will Rogers
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
-Josh Billings
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
-Andy Rooney
We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.
-M. Acklam
Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.
-Sigmund Freud
I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
-Rita Rudner
A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.
-Robert Benchley
Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones
If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.
-James Thurber
If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise.
-Unknown
My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money.
-Joe Weinstein
Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul -- chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!
-Anne Tyler
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
-Robert A. Heinlein
Speak softly and own a big, mean Doberman.
-Dave Miliman
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you;
that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
-Mark Twain
You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'
- Dave Barry
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
-Roger Caras
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.
-Phil Pastoret
My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.
-Anonymous
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
-Ann Landers
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
-Will Rogers
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
-Josh Billings
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
-Andy Rooney
We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.
-M. Acklam
Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.
-Sigmund Freud
I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
-Rita Rudner
A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.
-Robert Benchley
Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones
If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.
-James Thurber
If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise.
-Unknown
My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money.
-Joe Weinstein
Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul -- chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!
-Anne Tyler
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
-Robert A. Heinlein
Speak softly and own a big, mean Doberman.
-Dave Miliman
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you;
that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
-Mark Twain
You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'
- Dave Barry
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
-Roger Caras
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.
-Phil Pastoret
My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.
The Gift-Please Read!
THE GIFT
You're giving me a special gift,
So sorrowfully endowed,
And through these last few cherished days,
Your courage makes me proud.
But really, love is knowing
When your best friend is in pain,
And understanding earthly acts
Will only be in vain.
So looking deep into your eyes,
Beyond, into your soul,
I see in you the magic, that will
Once more make me whole.
The strength that you possess,
Is why I look to you today,
To do this thing that must be done,
For it's the only way.
That strength is why I've followed you,
And chose you as my friend,
And why I've loved you all these years...
My partner 'til the end.
Please, understand just what this gift,
You're giving, means to me,
It gives me back the strength I've lost,
And all my dignity.
You take a stand on my behalf,
For that is what friends do.
And know that what you do is right,
For I believe it too.
So one last time, I breathe your scent,
And through your hand I feel,
The courage that's within you,
To now grant me this appeal.
Cut the leash that holds me here,
Dear friend, and let me run,
Once more a strong and steady dog,
My pain and struggle done.
And don't despair my passing,
For I won't be far away,
Forever here, within your heart,
And memory I'll stay.
I'll be there watching over you,
Your ever faithful friend,
And in your memories I'll run,
...a young dog once again.
You're giving me a special gift,
So sorrowfully endowed,
And through these last few cherished days,
Your courage makes me proud.
But really, love is knowing
When your best friend is in pain,
And understanding earthly acts
Will only be in vain.
So looking deep into your eyes,
Beyond, into your soul,
I see in you the magic, that will
Once more make me whole.
The strength that you possess,
Is why I look to you today,
To do this thing that must be done,
For it's the only way.
That strength is why I've followed you,
And chose you as my friend,
And why I've loved you all these years...
My partner 'til the end.
Please, understand just what this gift,
You're giving, means to me,
It gives me back the strength I've lost,
And all my dignity.
You take a stand on my behalf,
For that is what friends do.
And know that what you do is right,
For I believe it too.
So one last time, I breathe your scent,
And through your hand I feel,
The courage that's within you,
To now grant me this appeal.
Cut the leash that holds me here,
Dear friend, and let me run,
Once more a strong and steady dog,
My pain and struggle done.
And don't despair my passing,
For I won't be far away,
Forever here, within your heart,
And memory I'll stay.
I'll be there watching over you,
Your ever faithful friend,
And in your memories I'll run,
...a young dog once again.