I came to love Great Danes in early 2008, when our family took in an adult female named Liberty Bell. I had always dreamed of owning one of these regal, gentle giants, and Liberty exceeded our expectations. She was a goofball, full of love and devotion; she kept us laughing. Stubborn and smart, and loyal as the day is long. She was my first Great Dane, paving the way for me to love and worship thi
s breed for the rest of my life. One year later, I was approached by Nicole, the breeder that Liberty came from, asking if we would be interested in breeding her to their boy, Anselmo Moloseum. Lib and Sel had had one litter in the past, before Lib came to live with us. I took this unique opportunity to further the line of two wonderful dogs, and to secure a baby from my Liberty, as we knew these giants had a limited life span. In August of 2009, under the experience and tutelage of Nicole, I became a Dane mom... Quite literally... Liberty's heart stopped during the necessary c-section. We hand raised our 11 puppies, and kept one to live on with us, Hercules. Hercules had a rough start to life very early on. At about 6 months old, Herc was diagnosed with IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia), an immune disorder in which the body attacks its own red blood cells. Most dogs die from this disorder, but we were fortunate to catch it in its early stages. After immediate hospitalization, and years of constant medical management, Her'c blood count became regulated and normal. However, over the following year of treatment, he developed growth plate abnormalities in his front legs. We were never sure where or how this happened... it could have been from the IMHA, it could have been from the battery of immune suppressants... We will probably never know. His legs started turning out, kind of "easty-westy", and over the years have become progressively worse. In addition to his growth plate abnormalities, Herc's xrays also showed moderate hip and elbow dysplasia. Herc was not a candidate for surgery- there were too many orthopedic issues.. He would basically have to be completely re-engineered in order to be "normal". As time went on, Herc began developing a very abnormal gait. We initially thought it was due to the existing joint issues, but upon further diagnostics, it was determined that Herc also suffered from Wobblers Syndrome. Wobblers is is a condition of the cervical vertebrae that causes an unsteady (wobbly) gait and weakness in dogs and horses. It is especially common in giant breed dogs. Without surgery, it eventually becomes debilitating. Even WITH surgery, many dogs never actually recover; the success rate is not promising. And as we already knew, Herc had far too many orthopedic issues to undergo surgery. In the meantime, in March of 2011, I was once again approach by Nicole, asking us if we would take in Anselmo, as she was retiring him from her breeding program. Since he was Herc's father, and the mate to my Liberty, there was really no question. Sel was full European, he came from Poland when he was 14 weeks old. Regal, wise, calm, and protective.. yet goofy and loving, as all Danes are. Sel was 5 years old when he came to live with us. He lived until 8 1/2. He had a long and wonderful life. He was healthy as an ox, and we often remarked that he would probably long outlive his son. Unfortunately, we did not know that Sel had a tumor growing on top of his heart. It was found just this past week (August, 2014), after a rapidly developing illness. Sel was sent peacefully onto the next stage of his life while surrounded by his family. Hercules continues to degenerate. We've been through years of holistic treatments and various medicines and supplements, yet Herc is failing rapidly. I have been emotionally preparing to let him go before winter. I know that there is no way he will be able to navigate the snow and ice, since he can only barely get around now as it is. Although with the rate at which he is failing, I fear it will be much sooner than that. How painfully ironic that I will lose both my adult boys this year, within months of each other, perhaps even weeks. Earlier this summer, one of Herc's sisters, Ella, from my litter in 2009, had a litter of her own. Ella was the only pup in my litter that I let go with breeding rights. I knew this was my last chance to obtain a pup from my line, my legacy of Liberty, Anselmo, and Hercules. And so, after much negotiating with my husband, we brought home a boy from the litter. Grandson of my Liberty and Anselmo, and nephew to my Hercules- Phineus. Phineus is a beautiful harlequin, just like his uncle Herc. He is quickly learning how to behave like a good dog. He loved his grandpa Sel, for the short time he had with him. He also adores uncle Hercules. Although we do have to limit what Phin can do with his uncle, to protect Herc from injury, and keep him stress free in the last days of his life. Phineus is our legacy. This page is our legacy. A testament to my Liberty, Anselmo, Hercules, and Phineus. The absolute loves of my life.
