Six years ago, my husband, Steve, and I adopted two Great Danes. We had lost our previous dog, Coco, to cancer ten months prior and we were finally ready to welcome another dog to the family. Steve believed that Coco was always lonely by herself when we went to work, so this time he determined we should adopt two dogs at the same time. After having had a Great Dane before, I had my heart set on finding another one. I searched for awhile and found a lady in Kansas who had a litter of accidental puppies. She emailed us pictures and there was one fawn puppy in the bunch and I chose him immediately. We then picked the one black puppy that had the most boopable nose you have ever seen. They couldn’t be picked up for another month but the day after Thanksgiving, my sister and I set out on a road trip to pick them up.
We named the two new additions to the family Montgomery and Beauregard, Monty and Beau for short. Steve was right, in that they kept each other from being lonely but really it just gave them a partner in crime. I have lost count of the number of dog beds they have torn to shreds. I have become an expert at patching holes in drywall either from them eating a hole in it out of boredom or from running into a wall after chasing each other. Countless toys have been dismembered. Nothing is safe on a counter if they really want it. The amount of drool that gets on everything is astonishing. Every couple of months I have to get out the ladder and clean the ceiling of the dried drool that I find up there. There is a reason my nickname for them is The Monsters.
Along with all the destruction, comes an endless well of love. They are the most affectionate dogs, to the point where they would lay in your lap if you let them. Which at 150 pounds each, your legs go numb pretty quickly. Beau and Monty will gladly let you pet them all day and will paw you to tell you to keep going when you stop. They are adorably affectionate to each other as well with their cuddling or grooming of each other. Monty insists on sleeping on some piece of Beau’s body, usually his legs but has sometimes even been his head.
Not only do you get big messes and big love from big dogs but you also get big bills from them. Everything for them costs more. That starts with their food, because just from the amount they eat it is a large expense. All of the accessories for dogs of their size are more expensive such as collars, coats, durable toys, and beds big enough for their giant selves. Although to be honest we gave up on actual dog beds and went to real mattresses which they haven’t torn up, maybe because there isn’t any fluff to pull out. Then there are the vet bills. Beau had a couple surgeries as a puppy for cherry eye and I thought he was going to be our expensive one but then Monty ended up having bloat. Bloat, in case you don’t know of it, is the common term for gastric dilatation-volvulvus (GDV). Large dogs with their big chests are at a great risk of having air fill their stomach causing it to flip over. It’s fatal if they aren’t able to get to a vet immediately for surgery. Monty and Beau have also both gone to the vet a couple times after hurting each other fighting. Big dogs mean big hurts.
Yet I still would choose to do it again. Dogs bring something special to your life. They don’t ask for anything but food, love, and attention. Even as much as Steve grumbles about the Home Depot bucket of poop he had to pick up, he and the boys sure enjoy their cuddle time in the man cave watching TV. When you come home after having a bad day, they will make you feel better. Usually you have to feed them first because their stomachs come before anything else, but after that they will make you feel better.
Yes two Great Danes are alot! Every time we take them anywhere people ask us “What were you thinking?” And sometimes we ask ourselves that same question. However, for us, I think it is worth all the hassle. It wouldn’t be for everyone because yes giant breed dogs are alot of work and money. That should always be a consideration for anyone that wants these types of dogs because it is a huge commitment. The other factor should be that they have shorter life spans, with an average between 8 to 10 years.
There is a funny trait about Great Danes. They are huge but they are the biggest scaredy-cats. People are intimidated by them but at least for my monsters, they are more likely to either lick them or run away than to attack. When we take them on walks, the neighborhood kids always want to pet them and at first were scared by how big the boys were. They quickly learned the only thing they had to be scared about was the amount of drool they were going to be covered in.
Monty and Beau have made our lives interesting. They add both joy and frustration. But I wouldn’t change it. Because even when they make you angry, you just have to look at those little faces, ok giant faces, and all is forgiven.
