Mayli the Labradane

Happy News: I'm on the Mend!

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:03:00 +0000

I would like to thank everyone who expressed concern about my long list of health troubles of late. How very thoughtful to send me (and a very worried Jeannie) your well-wishes! Here's a quick update on my long list of achey, virusy, and cystic party-poopers:

First, the kennel cough has been resolved - thank goodness! I just love to rub noses with other doggies, so being Typhoid Mary is no fun for me at all. :( Even though it hasn't been a full year since my last vaccine, Jeannie made sure that I got a Bordetella shot last week. So, I hope kennel cough will stay at bay for some time! Of course, anything is bound to happen with me.

The inter-digital cyst is slowly improving, though it doesn't seem to be bothering me one bit. I have at least 1 1/2 weeks left on special peanut buttery medication for this. Do your pills come topped with delicious peanut butter, too? YUM-MEEE!

Finally, the most recent issue: my mysterious limp. Dr. Metzler wasn't sure if the pain was in my foot, my elbow, or both. All Jeannie knows is that it happened sometime during the night. I went to bed perfectly fine, and woke up behaving as if I'd been struck my a car!

Here's a video taken that morning when Ben and Jeannie took me in to the vet. What do you think happened? Jeannie is betting that it was some ill-fated late night cat showdown. But, I don't remember a thing!

As you know, Jeannie and Ben decided to board me at the Alamo Heights Pet Clinic that night. They were very worried that I might hurt myself on the many stairs I have to climb to get inside our apartment.

Happy ending: On Saturday morning, Dr. Metzler called Jeannie to say that I had improved a great deal. So, I got to come home! Yay! Even though I'm feeling much better now, Dr. Metzler wants Jeannie to watch me very closely until Friday. There's a slight chance that I will need another special shot to prevent my foot and elbow aches. Can't wait to return to Camp Bow Wow and my beloved dog park -- I'll be sure to post once I've been released from house arrest. :)

Jeannie and my Vet are seeing an awful lot of each other lately...

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:04:00 +0000

Hello! I'm so sorry that it's been a long time since my last post. Jeannie is getting ready to graduate with a Master of Science degree in Justice Policy and the last thing she needs to do is also the biggest and most time consuming: the dreaded Master's Thesis. She really cares about low-income moms and minor kids living in these family structures, so she decided to do her project on moms of minor children in jail. Since this area is not very well-researched, she has to collect her own data. So, her thesis is a very, very big job AND she works full-time. She's so crazy busy that we haven't posted in 10 days! :(

Believe it or not, two more medical issues have sprung up since my post about kennel cough -- what terrible luck! On Saturday, I went to Camp Bow Wow to play with friends and had a grand time. Everything was great, until the staff clipped my toenails and found something scary in between the toes on my back left foot -- an inter-digital cyst! Jeannie didn't know what it was and it looked very icky -- almost like a sharp rock, or glass was surrounded by fluid and discharge. Jeannie has learned that if something could go wrong with me, it will. (I mean, good grief! What's the deal?!) So, she took me to after hours pet emergency. The vet on-call that night was nice, but it wasn't our regular vet. He told Ben and Jeannie just to soak my foot in epsom salts twice a day (no small feat with a big doggy like me) and promised a full recovery in 3 - 4 days. Well, on Wednesday the cyst didn't look any better and Jeannie took me to see my usual vet, Dr. Metzler at the Alamo Heights Pet Clinic. Dr. Metzler confirmed the emergency vet's diagnosis but suggested antibiotics to speed the healing process up.

All was fine in our house for a measly...30 hours? Then, this morning something very scary happened. At my usual wake up time (7:00 a.m.), I left my sleeping spot on the couch and stumbled into Jeannie and Ben's bedroom to sneak into bed with them. But, I was walking very strangely. My front left leg hurt very much, so I was barely putting it on the floor at all and teetering on my remaining three legs like a wobbly table. Jeannie said I was acting like I'd been hit by a car (imagine how very large I am and how off-balance I might walk without a working leg!). It was very scary. Jeannie woke Ben up and interrogated him about the walk the night before -- Jeannie was very tired from a very long and very early day at work that day, so she snoozed while we went out. Ben sleepily tried to remember. We walked together like we usually do, found an interesting ramp set up on some church steps, walked up the ramp (you know I love stairs!), then walked home. Ben noticed at some point during our walk that I was walking slightly funny. He thought he detected a hint of a limp, but I wasn't really obvious at that point. He thought nothing more of it until this morning.

Well, if you read my blog regularly, you know I love stairs because I live with Ben and Jeannie at the very top of a three story building. They had an awful time trying to support me (emotionally and physically!) down three flights of stairs. It was very hard, but we got through it as a team. They brought me across town to my vet's clinic for drop-off hours and left me there until 11:30 a.m. when Dr. Metzler called with the results of our exam. She told Jeannie that she wasn't sure if the pain was in my foot, my elbow, or both! During the exam, she checked my foot first and I didn't like that at all. I cried a bit, but it was nothing compared to how I reacted to her touching my elbow. She said I yowled and that if I could, I would have leapt right across the room! She had to sedate me just to get an x-ray! But, Dr. Metzler was stumped -- nothing showed up on my x-ray and I seemed to be in wonderful health otherwise. So, Jeannie and Ben will have to watch me closely for a week -- if I still have a limp, they will do a second x-ray. Hopefully, by then any possible hairline fractures, etc. will appear more clearly.

She and Jeannie talked about how difficult it might be for me to go up and down stairs with this type of pain, so Jeannie and Ben decided to board me at the clinic. This was very sad for them. Jeannie had so much information to share with them about me that she drafted this "Mayli Care Sheet" and brought it along with my food, favorite bone, and favorite orange squeaky toy. Do you have something like this all prepared and ready to go?

"Mayli" Hahl-Tidswell

Description -- Black Lab/Dane Mix

Commands/Phrases I know

Sit – release with “OK!”
Lay Down - say this while pointing one finger at the ground; release with “OK!”
Stay -- use during Lay Down or Sit; release with “OK!”
Back - say this while pointing to the wall behind me. I’ll walk backwards when I hear the back command, which is helpful when stuffing me into my crate.
Wait – I’ll stand still until I hear “OK!” I must do the wait command before crossing streets. I usually need a lot of help to do this consistently. So, take a handful of treats on our walks. Show the treats to me while you say the command, and I’ll do it without complaint.
IN! - say this while pointing at my crate. This is my most reliable command – I don’t need any treats to do this. If I’m standing within 6 feet of my crate, I’ll go right in when I hear this. Greater distances make this command more difficult.
Bed – This command tells me to lay down on a comfy bed (or couch!) until I hear my release word – “OK!"
Spin! – say this as you move your hand (with a treat!) in a small counterclockwise circle just above my head; I will walk around in a complete circle and end up facing you.
Touch – I will touch my nose to the back of your open left hand, but remember to: 1) give me a treat every single time I do this and 2) show me the hand you want me to touch when you say this command. This command is very, very helpful if you need to gain my focus (especially around other dogs), or get me to walk anywhere. I will follow the back of your hand (and therefore you! J) until I touch it with my nose.
Go poop!/Go pee! – Once I hear Mayli, go pee! I do it immediately, but Mayli, go poop! takes a little more effort – I need to walk around and around until it happens. Use go pee! to make sure my bladder is empty before you leave me in my crate. I WILL ONLY ELIMINATE ON GRASS.
Wanna go for a walk/ ride – You’ll notice my eyes get really wide when you say these phrases. I love to do these two things!

Feeding Routine:

Brand: Blue Buffalo Large Breed (dry dog food) – please don’t feed me other dog food. It might upset my tummy.
Amount: Daily total = 3 ½ cups. Feed me 1 ¾ cups at 8:00 a.m. and 1 ¾ cups at 5:00 p.m. Smaller meals help prevent bloat in big doggies like me.
Special instructions: I must do the lay down command before I eat. (This helps me remember that if I want food, I should lay down and not jump all over the person eating a sandwich!) Depending on time, you can: 1) hold a piece of the food, point to the ground and say lay down or 2) hold my food bowl patiently and wait for me to remember to do lay down. Jeannie and Ben do the second one. Always say “OK!” to let me know that I’m free to eat.

Helpful hints:

Dogs don’t generalize well. So, even though I know lots of commands in my house, I might not know them in the Vet’s office yet. Be patient and use lots of treats (check my bag!).
I will do nothing without the promise of food - Use my treats! Also, I’m a Dane, so I will probably need to hear these commands 2 – 3 times before I budge an inch. This will be especially true in these new surroundings.
If you show me a treat, I might start to perform lots of behaviors that you haven’t asked for – I know lots of commands and sometimes I get confused . Wait until I do the right behavior to feed me the treat.
I will do ANTHING - even get into the bathtub! - if you promise me a dollop of peanut butter (check my bag!) or a piece of bread. Also, if I don’t seem to enjoy my bone, put a bit of peanut butter on it and I’ll go nuts!
I love my squeaky, orange toy and always like to have it in my crate. Don’t forget, OK?
I don’t know how to “ask” to go potty like other dogs. Instead of walking to the door, I just get really lively! I chase cats, jump around, gnaw fingers, etc. If I start acting crazy, see if I need to Go pee!/Go poop! I typically Go poop! twice a day (morning and evening) and Go pee! as often as I go out.

Kennel Cough Strikes Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:12:00 +0000

Oh, no! I feel very icky today. At 6:30 a.m., I woke Jeannie up by walking all around the apartment -- from the bedroom to the bathroom, then ending up in the living room when the icky thing in my tummy started to happen. She was very scared -- ever since she fed me that Nylabone, she's been on the watch for signs of intestinal blockage. It doesn't help her that I will eat anything I can get my jowls on. :)

After I finished the icky thing, Jeannie was hoping it wouldn't happen again. She started her day. She fed the aquatic turtle and checked her work email and then took a shower. But, guess what. I did the icky thing again at around 8:00 a.m. -- and this time it was worse! Of course, since Jeannie is on edge about my digestive system, she immediately thought the worst. In fact, she was preparing herself for the worst possibility of all - bloat! Even though my tummy has been been tacked, bloat is still a very scary possibility!

So, she brought me to see one of my favorite people in the whole world -- Dr. Metzler at the Alamo Heights Pet Clinic! On the way, Jeannie had a thought. She remembered that when I had Kennel Cough before, I did something very similar. I would have the icky thing in my tummy, and then I would be fine. Two hours later, I would have the icky thing in my tummy again -- but again, I would be fine. Jeannie had no idea this was Kennel Cough at the time. She took me to the pet clinic and casually started describing my symptoms to reception. Dr. Metzler overheard Jeannie describing these symptoms and rushed us both out of the clinic like lightening! Once outside, she explained that my symptoms sounded like Kennel Cough and, if I stayed in the clinic, I might infect lots of their sick doggy clients.

Thankfully, this thought struck Jeannie before she went to the pet clinic and she was wise enough to keep me outside in the car when she got there. It took Dr. Metzler no time at all to confirm Jeannie's suspicions -- Kennel Cough strikes again! :( And just before April training classes begin at the San Antonio Dog Training Club. Sheesh! Will I ever get a chance to participate in training classes? We'll just have to wait and see...

Mayli's Oscar Night

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 04:15:00 +0000

I was very nervous for Natalie Portman early in the evening -- I'm a HUGE fan! Just look at me, I was a ball of nerves!

But, even though I was really rooting for the Best Actress category, I ended up falling asleep early. Just like every night...

Oh, I'll just catch up via goolge in the morning. :)

Backyard Breeder, or Accident?

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Jeannie really loves that I'm part Great Dane and part Labrador Retriever. She likes that I'm a bit smarter than most full-blooded Danes, but I also have a very low level of energy -- which matches her life just fine! But, she often gets irritated when she hears people say certain things about me. Sometimes strangers will compliment her on my coat and beauty and as she's thanking them for the compliment, they sneak in something like "There's a lot of money in her!" At first, she had to really think hard about what that meant. She was in disbelief about the cavalier way people seem to talk about "backyard breeding."

She has said before that she isn't sure where I came from. But, she has strong suspicions that my birth was no accident. Backyard breeding is so common and for so many reasons. Some people (she's even heard this from immediate family members, sadly) believe all animals have the right to have at least one litter of puppies. Jeannie is pretty sure this is another example of humans transferring human feelings and characteristics onto animals. Other people are simply lax about sexually altering their animals, then shrug their shoulders when their dog is pregnant. Of course, there are also those nefarious people who are really in it for the buck. These are the people most of us think of when we hear the term "backyard breeders" -- bad guys doing bad things without apology. But that's not a completely accurate description of backyard breeding. Really, it's anyone who allows animals to breed without the knowledge and commitment necessary to responsibly breed animals.

While she loves having a Labradane, she would not seek one out from a backyard breeder in a million years! When Ben and Jeannie are ready for another doggy, they will go directly to a trusted source. One who could never be called a "backyard breeder" - even during a semantics argument like she encountered via YouTube this weekend.

Now, she could have phrased her wording in a less confrontational way, but the issue really bothers her. It bothered her so much that she ran out and adopted a dog -- something she never thought she'd do before Ben and Jeannie moved back to San Antonio and saw the city's terrible stray dog problem. She posted the video that gave her cause for concern below. But, first this is the back and forth that Jeannie shared with the uploader. By the way, Jeannie's online identity is "inwhatway" -- a veiled reference to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. She really wants to know what our blog friends think about this. Please share your thoughts on this post -- she is always open to changing her viewpoint and if she's wrong, she'd like to know why.

The mother is a Labradane -- she's definitely not full-blooded Dane. Black Great Danes with a trace of white are considered flawed by the AKC. And why is it that you felt compelled to seek out a backyard breeder? There are an awful lot of people who make money off breeding animals and end up perpetuating personality and medical flaws in the breed. I urge to you consider the true danger of backyard breeders and I hope that you decide not to breed this puppy you adopted.

inwhatway 1 day ago
@inwhatway 1. It is possible for a pure bred Great Dane to be black w/ white on their chest, however not desirable by AKC standards. 2. We didn't feel "compelled to seek out a back yard breeder" as you presume. This was an accidental litter due to the neighbor's lab getting loose & coming to their farm. 3. He has had no medical or personality flaws & both parents were healthy as well. 4. The dog was $100. They probably lost money on food & shots @ that price. 5. Try not to be so presumptuous.

kcadams328 18 hours ago

Sorry if my comment upset you. Unfortunately, when you post material online for public consumption, it's also available for public scrutiny. I appreciate your taking the time to respond thoughtfully to my concern. But, I still have to disagree: an accidental litter (sic) is still a type of "backyard breeding." Call a local rescue group, or perform the following google search "Backyard breeder or accident" to educate yourself.

inwhatway 23 minutes ago

Guest Post: Sakura Says...

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 06:00:00 +0000

As promised, this Sunday I am allowing the toughest (according to me), meanest (also according to me) kitty who lives in my house. My humans LOVE her because she's so even-tempered and sweet. They also like those slow, vacuous eyes that don't seem to understand anything about the world she lives in. Before they got me, they assumed she was destined to be a pushover. Akuma bosses her around and dominates her every chance he gets. Little Kitty, who doesn't really like any animals, hates Sakura and loves to intimate her, since it's so easy. She outweighs Little Kitty by a good 15 lbs, but still can't stand up to her.

My humans have come to realize that Sakura is actually much more brave than those other kitties in certain respects. I mentioned this in passing before, but this kitty actually charges me like a wild rhino! It's gotten so bad that she isn't allowed in the kitchen while I'm eating or to be around me while I'm digesting -- we have to be very careful that I don't bloat from all the stress she creates. Still, they say she's a sweetie...

Sakura says...

*In a slow, soft, country voice* Hey, y'all. I was born in a barn on a farm in Chelsea, Michigan. Ben adopted me in 2004 when I was 8 weeks old. You wouldn't believe it to look at me now, but I was so very teeny, tiny back in those days. I never have been very smart and I never will be. You know what, that's alright with me! While Little Kitty is busy sharpening her wits and planning her escape, all I really want to do is nap in the sun and snuggle up with Akuma.

I can't believe that Mayli is afraid of me, because no one else is. But I definitely get a rush when I give chase and she cowers. What a baby! There's something very exciting about the power I have in that moment. Also, I hate her. Period. I just cannot stand that dog! Before I even knew what a dog was, I hated her. She tries to act nice to me and lays down to beg me for acceptance in this throaty moan, but that just makes me hate her more. You know what, maybe the days of "pushover Sakura" are coming an an end. Oh, who am I kidding...? *Yawn*

I'm so glad to tell you that you get to meet Akuma next week. His personality is very complex -- he's needy and then easily irritated. A lot of people don't care for him at all. But, I (and Mayli...) really love him. He takes care of me -- he knows I'm too big to properly mind my coat, so he cleans me every day. And when I get nervous and walk from room to room meowing, he's always close behind. He's a great friend, even if he is a bit skittish.

Thank you for reading about me in this week's guest post! I look forward to stopping in to give updates from time to time, even if this blog belongs to Mayli. ;)

My obsession: YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Have you ever seen a doggy watch TV? Well, I haven't really "clicked" with TV yet. But, Jeannie learned early on that if she went to YouTube and found videos of: 1) squirrels, 2) puppies; 3) kitties or 4) glorious birds, then I would become transfixed!

I know some of you may be horrified at the thought of letting a 90 lb Labradane "chase" virtual kitties through your computer screen. Even though Ben is a Genius at Apple and is always pressuring her to buy a new glamorous Mac, Jeannie has a very old PC that they found on craigslist in 2008. She doesn't have to worry when she drops it, which she does an awful lot. Also, she doesn't care if I paw at the keyboard (once I ripped the "w" clean off!) or drool on the screen.

Every once in a while when I'm least expecting it, she will queue up on of these videos and I really love it! Here I am losing my wits over all sorts of fantastic YouTube videos.

Now for the Saturday blog hop!

Its another edition of Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop brought to you by Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs, and Confessions of the Plume! Welcome to all of you joining us for the first time we are so excited to have you!
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* Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below. You only need to add you link once to be seen on all the Pet Blogger Blog Hop Linky Tools for that week.

** Grab the Pet Bloggers Blog Hop button that our friends over on Life with Dogs made for us and include it in your Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop post so that your readers will know what is going on.

*** Follow your co-hosts listed in the first 3 slots of the Linky Tool and comment on their blogs to say hello!

**** Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you'd like

***** Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from the Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop

****** Follow back when you get a new follower through the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop

A Day in My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:54:00 +0000

6:00 a.m. Every morning around 6:00 a.m., I wake up on the couch (I love that couch!) or in my crate. Then, I walk across the apartment to Ben and Jeannie's bed. I ask for permission, then I curl up at her feet. Then, we all sleep together for a little while- the cats and all.
7:00 am. Jeannie likes to do a quick lap around the block in the morning. There are lots of schools in my neighborhood, so I get to see lots of kiddos on this quick walk. This morning started off with a dewy walk. I met a man who works at the Montessori School right across the street from where we live. It might look like I know him very well, but I've never seen him before! This is how I greet everyone (animals and people) for the first time. Isn't that odd?
7:45:00 - 7:45:02 - Breakfast! It never lasts long! Ben and Jeannie have me on Blue Buffalo Large Breed dog food -- I like it very much. But, when she puts it in my Kong treat dispenser, I always avoid the "life source" bits.
7:45:03 - Back in bed! This morning Ben slept in and Jeannie went to work for a long, boring budget retreat. Yuck!
1:00 p.m. - Jeannie swung by the house on her lunch break and brought me to Camp Bow Wow. Here I am "playing" after just an hour -- man, those doggies tucker me out! Do I look like a troublemaker to you? Hmm...
5:40 p.m. - Jeannie picked me up from camp! Sheesh, I'm tired! Jeannie loves my "Elvis Lip" -- I do this a lot. Maybe my teeth are sticky...
6:00 p.m. Then, we went to Petco to buy luscious treats and I talked to my favorite lady who works at Petco. She really helps me and Jeannie a lot. The one day we didn't see her, Jeannie bought me the wrong kind of Nylabone and I ate it! Then, I got very, very sick. Ben and Jeannie had to rush me to the Vet and they gave me lots of antibiotics and shots and sentenced me to house arrest for 5 - 7 days! Thank goodness she was there today! :)
7:00:01 p.m. - 7:00:02 p.m. DINNER!
7:00:03 p.m. Good night!

Wordless Wednesday: An Interesting Compromise

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:09:00 +0000

San Antonio's Famous Riverwalk

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 01:21:00 +0000

I'm so pleased that Jeannie finally brought me to the San Antonio Riverwalk. Ben and Jeannie have been talking a lot about their move to Chicago, Illinois in August 2011. They worry about how I'll react to downtown life in a very busy city, so they plan to take me on some downtown San Antonio walks before the move to get me used to the hustle and bustle of city life.

It's very easy to live in San Antonio and never encounter any tall buildings, crowded sidewalks or noisy traffic. In fact, I've been doing a pretty good job of avoiding downtown San Antonio my entire life. Today we finally ventured to the San Antonio Riverwalk where lots of SA residents go jogging. I have been known to tackle joggers like a powerful Linebacker! Jeannie has to grip my leash very tightly to keep me from springing up to give a friendly, yet terrifying hello to neighborhood joggers. Like I've said before, she has A LOT to learn about handling doggies. Up until now, she's been a bit too worried to encounter joggers on the Riverwalk. There's a good chance that I might knock them right into the water if I'm not careful. She got lucky -- there were no joggers around this afternoon when we went down those wonderful stairs and onto the San Antonio Riverwalk between St. Mary's and E. Martin St.

Here's a map of the route we took:

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Once we got to E. Martin, we retraced our steps all the way back to the downtown dog park at the intersection of Camden and Dallas. I actually started our afternoon outing here at the dog park, but Jeannie thought I was behaving too crazy to stay. In fact, the last few times I went to Camp Bow Wow, the counselors have said the same thing. They say that I play so aggressively (mouthy, not growly) and rough that they're nervous I might start a dog fight. Here's a terrible secret I've been keeping from my blog friends -- on Friday when Ben's daddy was here, I actually got kicked out of Camp Bow Wow for this! Jeannie was so shocked that she kept asking the staff member who called her "We're taking about Mayli, right? The big black dog -- Mayli? The impossibly sweet black dog?" It was definitely me they were talking about. And until this afternoon, Jeannie had been one of those owners who was in denial about my naughty habits. She hates running into these owners at the dog park, by the way, and feels like a huge hypocrite.

She asked me to stop twice and even put my leash on me once after a particularly chomp-tastic doggy came into the park. After the second time she had to chase me around wildly yelling my name, we left. Wham bam. Jeannie had had it! Since she'd bought about an hour on the parking meter, we ventured into downtown San Antonio. A lot of my bad habits have been on Jeannie's mind today. I can't wait for April to roll around and for training classes to begin -- she could really use some help!

Here's a video of me walking nicely along the Riverwalk. Jeannie was trying this technique of stopping dead in her tracks every time I put tension on the leash and waiting until I gave slack before proceeding. What do you guys think? Is it working?

My Naughty Habit: Pulling on the Leash

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:23:00 +0000

Since I haven't been able to get to a proper training class yet (c'mon, Jeannie -- you adopted me in July!), Jeannie has been relying on written resources - how-to blogs, how-to videos, etc. You name an online resource and she's been there. The whole reason she started a blog for me (What? My cuteness isn't reason enough?!) was to develop a community of dog enthusiasts and then to pick that communal brain for tips. I do not mean to say that she is substituting online resources for training classes -- she's actually worked very hard to get me into training classes. But, invariably, I have come down with illnesses and injuries that prevented my participation. First, there was Kennel Cough. Then it was Dog Warts (take my word for it - you do not want to google image search this one!). Then I played too hard and got a very big cut on my elbow that required a staple! Then, Jeannie in classic rookie form gave me the wrong type of Nylabone -- and I ate it. :( There has been one thing after the next. The prescriptions change, but the medical recommendation is always "Don't bring her around other dogs for about 2 to 3 weeks." Uh! Jeannie has schedule and rescheduled training classes ad nauseam.

Hopefully, all of this waiting will come to an end when we join (and I remain healthy enough to participate) the San Antonio Dog Training Club's Beginner/Clicker I training class, which starts up in April. Just because we aren't in formal classes doesn't mean that Jeannie is shirking her pack leader duties. This brings me to the topic of this post. Jeannie would like to thank my new blog friends Summer, Hawk, Sage, and especially E. A. for the training support and ideas. She immediately started asking me to do a "Down Stay" for dinner -- wait, should I be thanking you? Or telling you off? ;) - and has already noticed a big difference in my behavior. She and Ben have also had a terrible time with my leach pulling. It was a bit embarrassing for me when Ben's daddy patiently watched all the tricks I know (sit, wait, stand, back, bed, spin) and then said that I wasn't trained at all when he took me out for a walk. I hope that my blog friends can point Jeannie in the right direction with respect to walking politely on a leash -- she wants to have as much control over me as possible and the sooner the better! Jeannie and I look forward to hearing what has worked for all of you very soon! :)

A Visit from Ben's Daddy

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:06:00 +0000

A lot of you noticed that I mentioned Ben's daddy's visit in passing throughout the weekend. I finally got Jeannie to post a longer post about all the things we did together. This was a very important visit for all of us -- Ben and Jeannie had not seen Ben's daddy in a very long time and this was my very first time to meet him! And guess what! He liked me very, very much! :) I hope you enjoy this post about our weekend visit.

On Thursday of last week, Ben's daddy took an airplane all the way from Ann Arbor, Michigan to San Antonio, Texas.

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What a long distance to travel! Thankfully, it only took about 3 hours by plane. I was born in San Antonio and then lived at the San Antonio Great Dane Rescue in Helotes (pronounced "hello-tiss"), Texas. Every once in a while, Ben and Jeannie will take me on a trip to Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, Texas, the beautiful countryside in Gruene, Texas and once we went to the Cibolo Nature Center in Cibolo (pronounced "see-bowl-oh") , Texas. But, I've never really been beyond the Texas Hill Country.

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I can't imagine what it might be like in places like "the midwest" where Ben's family lives or "the south" where Jeannie's family is. Yes, I know that Texas is technically in "the south," but Jeannie thinks it's much more appropriately categorized as the "southwest." To her, Texas is much more like New Mexico than Alabama, where her family lives.

Remember when I told you that Ben's daddy came up with a very funny game of Hide-N-Seek? On the first night of his visit, we played the game with my green squeaky ball. Then, on his last night in town, he surprised me with the Froggy Game!

You know, I was surprised that they did so many things without me on this trip. Every time they picked up the car keys and walked toward the door, I was so certain that I would be going along for the ride. But, I was wrong. I just can't figure out why that was. I've heard Jeannie talk about how dog-friendly Austin is as opposed to San Antonio - I wonder if that had something to do with it...Well, even though I'm not in all of these pictures, I still want to share where they went and what they did.

My humans LOVE sampling different restaurants and Ben's daddy really likes a well-cooked meal, too. So, they spent a lot of time sharing conversation over meals.

On the first night of Ben's daddy's visit, they all went to one of my favorite places, Tycoon Flats.

I've been there once before, though I really should convince them to bring me more often! It's very dog-friendly there. Lots of families go to Tycoon Flats and it's designed a bit like a beer garden, so my humans don't have to worry about finding a nice open place for me to lay down. The only problem is that there are so many young kids who don't really understand doggy boundaries. Don't get me wrong! I LOVE kids and my humans are very comfortable allowing me to interact with them. But, sometimes outsiders don't understand that I'm working hard in a "down stay" when they come up to say hello. I wish the parents would check-in to make sure they aren't interrupting before unleashing their kiddos. I get so confused when that happens and I stop listening to my humans altogether. That's one of the reasons my humans have been hesitant to tote me along as often as they would like. :(

Since Ben's daddy lives far from the coast, Jeannie insisted that they go to Pappadeaux's (pronounced "papa-does") for Friday's dinner. Poor Ben isn't too crazy about seafood, but Jeannie reminded them that make pretty good steak. Oh, man! You should have seen my jowls watering when they had that conversation!

On Saturday morning, they just had to go to Guenther House in the King William district of San Antonio for brunch.

After brunch, they stopped by the Witte (pronounced "witty") Museum for the Amazon exhibit. Yes, it was geared toward kiddos, but they still had fun and learned some interesting facts. They showed me how doggies in the Amazon live -- this made me very glad to live in a walk-up apartment in the Monte Vista neighborhood of San Antonio!

I wonder how long I could last on the banks of the Amazon River...

Those doggies are doing a great job of guarding their family! Tough work on the Amazon!

I hope you enjoyed reading about Ben's daddy's visit as much as we enjoyed having him! It was very sad to say goodbye, but I'm so glad that he'll be returning in May for Jeannie's commencement ceremony.

A fun (and Yummy) Training Session with Jeannie

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:58:00 +0000

This is a video that Jeannie made back in October of 2010. She spent a long time reading online and found one of her most treasured resources, Honey the Great Dane's blog! She followed the video instructions and taught me how to perform the "bed command." This is the third time we practiced "bed" - Jeannie wanted to practice giving the command from a seated position. Of course, I'm an old pro at the command now and all Jeannie has to do is point at my couch or bed, but back then I was still trying to figure all these strange English words out! I am awfully cute, aren't I?

Guest Post: Little Kitty Says...

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:32:00 +0000

On Sundays, I plan to invite the the other animals who live in my house to guest post on my blog. The first up is one of the pushiest, yet tiniest little kitties you'll ever meet. Her alias is Little Kitty, but was originally named "Oreo" because Jeannie's niece, Megan, thought one of the spots on her back looked like a cookie. To be honest, Jeannie was not crazy about the name, but also didn't want to officially rename her and hurt Megan's feelings. So, Little Kitty she became, unofficially.

Little Kitty says...

Alright, I'm small and I don't really meow -- it's more of a chirp - but I have it on good authority that I'm the smartest animal in the house. I know what I like and I don't settle for anything less.

If I could only have three things on a deserted island, the first would be baskets. They're amazing and oh so comfy. Somehow, no matter how open or narrow, every basket seems to fit my body perfectly.

The second thing would be food. Ironically, I'm the tiniest kitty in this house, but my humans think my appetite is the biggest. I've been known to forget myself altogether when Jeannie even thinks about picking up a can opener. I don't know what comes over me - I go nuts, or maybe a little psychotic. Sometimes I black out and just fling my body at her from the top of the refrigerator. I've tried to explain that this is a medical condition -- it's like a physical expression of Tourette Syndrome, but she doesn't buy it.

The third and final thing would be the ability to eat food directly from the comfort of a basket. One glorious day in 2010, I actually made this wish come true...

Next week, we'll hear from the scariest (according to Mayli and only Mayli) kitty who lives in my house, Sakura. If one picture could sum up all of Sakura's qualities at once, it would definitely be this one:

Thanks for reading!

Dinner Etiquette

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 02:54:00 +0000

You know, I've really got it all -- brawn and brains. Jeannie likes to make excuses for my short attention span by reminding others (and herself) that I'm part Great Dane. But, look at me tackle this sit command under grueling circumstances.

You can't see this, but two very distracting things happened off camera while I remained seated. First, Akuma, my BFF-against-his-wishes, showed up to see if Jeannie was planning to add fresh kibble to his food dish. Then, Jeannie dropped the scoop for my kibble onto the ground. And through all of this, I did not stand, nor did I give up and lay down (my signature move). Impressed?

A weekend full of "Hellos!"

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:07:00 +0000

Ben's daddy is still here visiting with my humans, Ben and Jeannie. I'm so glad that I got to meet him! He's slated to leave tomorrow in the late morning and I know that I'm going to miss him terribly when he goes.

When he first got here, we played this very confusing, but exhilarating game of ball. I have this green squeaky ball that drives me nuts. It squeaks. It bounces. It does it all! Just after meeting me, Ben's daddy grabbed the green squeaky ball up and hid it behind his back. After a moment, he pretended to throw it very hard into the next room. Being a typical doggy, I fall for this trick every time. Ben's daddy is very clever with doggies and used this weakness of mine to create a variant of "hide-n-seek." Once I was convinced that the ball had been thrown, he squeaked it from behind his back. What a prankster! This made me so excited! I danced and pranced and leaned against Ben's daddy with glee until he let me chomp the ball again. After a moment of chomping bliss, he grabbed it up and started the whole game over again!

While Ben and his daddy spent some time together, Jeannie and I took a few walks. There are two Great Danes who live in my neighborhood and we are very good friends. Since they're a bit older than me, they're often napping when I walk by their yard. But, every once in a while, I hear a friendly, slow, deep bark like mine and they come running to their fence line to say hello. I hope their humans done mind me stomping through their flower beds...I promise I don't do it too often!

Don't I look an awful lot like the black Dane? Maybe I'm a bit closer to 90% Dane after all...

My First Saturday Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Hello, everyone! I'm super excited that I found this thing called a "Blog Hop." There's a very good chance that I will get all of this wrong, but here goes my attempt to define the obscure concept of blog hopping. A list that contains many different blog links is posted on all participating blogs. When you join, your name is magically (well, how else do you explain it?!) added to every occurrence of this list. That way our visitors can "hop" from blog to blog. One last thing: you must visit the first three blogs on the list and leave an introductory comment. These three blogs actually started the entire thing - I can't wait to meet them!

Whew! I'm pooped after that description! Also, it's very late in Texas and we've been up visiting with Ben's daddy for most of the night. I can't wait to review the blogs on this list! Enjoy your Saturday blog hop! :)

7 Things About Me

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Oh, what great fun! My very first blog friend, Honey the Great Dane, gave me the Stylish Blogger Award (How stylish is this? The award perfectly matches my coat!). Thank you for thinking of me, Honey! I am very flattered, especially since you're my primary source of dog blog inspiration.

Recipients of this award are asked to share 7 things about themselves. Since I started this blog, I've been trying to figure out an interesting way to talk about my life in delicious detail, and here's my chance!

1) I once answered to "Mikki"

Yep, that's right. They used to call me Mikki -- but not for very long. I came to the San Antonio Great Dane Rescue in the summer of 2010 with an interesting story. I had been abandoned in the parking lot of a McDonald's in San Antonio, Texas! This left quite an impression on the clever rescue workers and they began to call me the feminine form of "Micky" a la Micky D's. Read more about my life before my humans here!

2) I am not the only animal member of my forever family
This fact is much to my delight! I am so very lucky that my humans (and, therefore, I) have three kitties! When Ben and Jeannie met, they both had kitties and identified as cat people. Hmm...Jeannie says that she didn't know that she was a dog person before she met me, but Ben has consistently avoided me on the topic. I don't mind -- Ben still loves me even though he likes kitties best.

Jeannie's kitty was an intra-family rescue named Oreo. Her sister's family needed a new home for Oreo after they moved unexpectedly in 2003 and the little stinker has been terrorizing Jeannie's heart ever since! :) Jeannie doesn't call her Oreo, though. To us, she's simply "Little Kitty." Here's a picture of Little Kitty curled up on some paper plate holders that she claimed as her bed long ago -- what do you think? Does the name fit?

Ben's kitties are called Akuma and Sakura. The male, Akuma, is my best friend, whether he realizes it or not. But, Sakura (the black and white kitty below) is very nasty to me. I wonder if she'll ever figure out that I love her...

3) My favorite toy is a squeaker!

It's always with me. Ben and Jeannie always remember to put it in my crate with me while they're out and about. When they return and unlock my crate, first I take a victory lap around the bedroom, then I return to break my old, orange buddy out of the pen!

4) My most reliable command is "In!"

I'm not sure how most doggies feel about their crates, but I love mine! If Ben and Jeannie go out and leave me on the living room couch, I get very scared and bark until they come home. This is very unusual behavior for me, because I rarely bark. My humans didn't know what I my voice sounded like until I lived with them for a week. Jeannie couldn't believe what a slow, deep, and (relatively) quiet bark I had! At night when I try to sneak into bed with them, Jeannie gives me a very firm "In!" command from a sleeping position and she was very shocked the first time I listened! As long as I'm no further than 15 steps from my crate, I immediately respond every time I hear that command.

5) I'm a loyal member of Camp Bow Wow San Antonio

And boy do I love it! Here I am playing with a young Fawn Great Dane. Jeannie thinks this Dane is a "formidable opponent" for a big gal like me.

6) I love the water (and have webbed feet!), but I'm still very afraid of bath-time

I just can't explain it -- I do not like baths. Hate them with a purple passion. But, when Ben and Jeannie took me to Gruene, Texas (pronounced "green" for you non-German doggies), I waded into the Medina River and for the first time heard my inner water dog barking. Maybe this is an indication of things to come....I hope this bath-time nonsense can be quelled as effectively as my stair demon.

Me and Ben in Gruene, Texas -- looks like my fashion sense runs in the family...:)

7) I love to relax on my back

I wish Jeannie wouldn't make me talk about this fact -- it seems so embarrassing. OK. At the end of the day, I like to let my hair down and get comfy in a peculiar way. Oh, just see for yourself...

Do you see my favorite toy in this pic? It's never too far from my reach...

Well, look at that...I guess this trait runs in the family, too! :)

Now, it's my turn to pass out the Stylish Blogger Awards. My reading list is limited, since I'm so very new to blogging. But, each doggy below was carefully selected and very deserving! I look forward to learning more about each of you! Happy blogging! :)

Jet's Furkid Palace

Southernmost Moose Lodge

Randi the Lab/Newf

Angus the Labradane

A walk through the Japanese Tea Gardens and a bit beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Stairs -- you know, the kind you walk up and down? Most of you probably don't give stairs a second thought, but I LOVE them. Wide, or narrow. Curved, or straight. I just can't get enough. Whenever I discover a new set of stairs, I absolutely lose my mind. I just have to find out where those stairs go! Here are some of the things I think are at the top of every set of stairs: a squirrel, a kitty, a new person, some dog food, or something new to sniff and crunch with my teeth. When you think of stairs the way I think of stairs, you have to admit -- they are really something!

I haven't always been this interested in stairs. Before I met my humans, Ben and Jeannie, I had never even seen a single stair, much less a whole set! The night they brought me home, I took one look at those stairs, dug my heels deep in the floor and let out a terrible "Whaaaaaaa??" Or, was it more of a "ssssaaaaaaa!!!" Either way, it took Ben the better part of an hour to coax me all the way up three sets of stairs. They didn't know anything about dogs then, so they had no idea what would happen when they tried to take me back down. As you may have guessed, I freaked! These stairs that went so high into the sky on the way up, seemed also to go so far into the ground on the way back down.

Jeannie has always been afraid of dogs -- she still is even though I'm pretty much the greatest dog she's ever met. I think she's nuts, personally. I try to explain that dogs are the best thing in the world, but she thinks the best things in the world are chocolate and summertime. Because she's so afraid of dogs, she wanted to get a dog whose personality was very trustworthy with all kinds of situations and people. Before she picked me, I had to pass some pretty weird tests: 1) the kitty test (I passed when I tried to run from an angry baby kitty - so embarrassing); 2) the hug test (Jeannie was too scared, so Ben conducted this test) and 3) the scariest test for Jeannie -- the hands in my food test. Even though I went through all those tests and passed with flying colors, she was still a little nervous that I had a dark side. (Me?! Oh, come on!)

So, that first night, when I got so afraid of the stairs that went into the ground, Jeannie got scared of me! She actually thought I might bite her -- which is ridiculous! I would never bite a person -- I love people! Finally, Ben told her that I couldn't just stay inside the apartment for the rest of my life, so this stair thing had to be addressed. He scooped up the front part of my body and set my front legs on the first step. Then, with a lot of encouragement, I was able to go down into the ground and all the way out the front door.

I've come a very long way since that night and I'm quite the stair aficionado these days. Guess where there are lots and lots of stairs in San Antonio. At the Japanese Tea Gardens!

View Larger Map

Jeannie surprised me with a trip there for the first time last weekend. It was too hot to stay very long, so we went back for a second time this afternoon.This place is amazing! Tons of stairs go up, down and all around! I could play on those stairs for hours -- or at least until I sensed that a kitty might be nearby...

Get a load of this place -- isn't it the perfect place for a stair-loving doggy?

The best stairs in town!

After I got a good dose of the stair action, I was ready to travel into Brackenridge Park proper.

What a thrill! When we got there, we saw these gigantic water birds. I couldn't believe my eyes!

We couldn't stay out and about for too long -- Ben's daddy is coming in for a visit tonight, so they have to finish preparing before his flight arrives. I was a good sport about leaving and didn't give Jeannie too much grief when she asked me to hop in the Subaru. But, it was pretty obvious that I wasn't quite ready to go...

Being strong for Jeannie's sake...

Wait a second, Jeannie -- maybe I'm not so ready to go after all...

You definitely owe me one...

Thanks for reading about my trip to the best stair collection in San Antonio! I can't wait to tell you guys about my next adventure! :)

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:19:00 +0000

A fitting introduction...

noreply@blogger.com (Mayli the Labradane) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:09:00 +0000

Mayli the Labradane lives with her humans, Ben and Jeannie, in San Antonio, Texas. Dumped by her original owners in a McDonald's parking lot, the San Antonio Great Dane rescue dubbed her "Mikki." When we met, her elbows were dry and hairless, her coat dull and bleached brown from prolonged sun exposure, her ears were infected with yeast, and her teeth were covered in tartar -- I swear I saw our veterinarian nefariously rubbing her palms together as we returned each week. In the last two and a half months, we have done enough reading about Great Danes to consider ourselves Dane trivia hobbyists.

I must tell you a secret before I go any further -- I'm terrified of dogs. Well, maybe not the little ones -- but any dog larger than average gives me the willies! Think an 85 lb Labradane an odd choice for a dog-aphobe? Not at all. I had established several criteria when I began my hunt for the perfect dog:

1) MUST pass the hug test (I'm a chicken, so I made Ben perform this test)
2) MUST have zero food aggression ( Ben also braved her happy slobber-lips to meet this criterion)
3) MUST NOT show an ounce of protective behavior -- not even a smidgen (I did not adopt a weapon, I adopted a companion.)
4) MUST have a glimmer of personality behind the eyes (Great Danes are wonderfully tempered, but many seem downright vacuous -- sorry to the Dane lovers who may be reading this).

It didn't take long to find her and we agree that she fits into our life perfectly. Since first adopting her 2 1/2 months ago, I have looked forward to starting a blog. I hope that the information presented herein is educational -- especially to those living in San Antonio where the stray dog problem is overwhelming, to say the least.

Thanks for visiting!