Doggie Post

So, KJ made it impossible for me not to show off my boy, the furry one. OK, so Jake has fur too, but I am talking about Max, our Great Dane.
He was rescued from a pet store that was killing and bagging sick animals and putting them in the dumpster to rot. When he came to us, he had no manners at all. He was taken from his pack way too early and showed no signs of proper socialization. If we were going to keep him, we would have to invest some time and teach him to be a well-mannered member of the family, which, at the time, was just Cindy and me.
He was underweight, had mange, and no idea what it was to be pet and loved, having lived in a cage for most of his existence. So the training began. He was a nipper. Some people thinks it's cute when puppies nip, but a nip from a 12 week old, 30-pound puppy is NOT cute, especially on the inner thigh. Now he is 120 pounds of pure, unadulterated love.
He is jet black, although his face is beginning to show signs of aging, his chin is getting white. Sweet doesn't even scratch the surface when we're talking about Max. He is not the smartest dog, but actually quite dopey. He has the innocence of a child in his eyes and is gentle as a lamb. He is a haunt. He follows Olivia wherever she goes. when he's not tracking her, his nose is up my butt until Cindy gets home, then his nose is up her butt. When we are all in one room, he is in heaven, and plants himself smack in the middle of the 5 of us. It's when 1 or more of us leaves the room that his anxiety level begins to rise. Then he begins to pace, looking up the stairs or out the door, depending on where we have gone. He walks in circles and looks out the window until whoever left returns. He insists on being as close to the babies as he can get without actually lying on top of them.
He does like to sit on us, though. He is not allowed on the furniture, but he will back up to us when we are sitting and drop his behind in our laps. I love when he does that. I also love getting hugs. He will, on command only, hop up and place his paws on our shoulders - he even dances with us. When he does this, I have to look up to him - he stands about 6'2" on his hind legs.
He is very protective and gets crazed when anyone approaches any of "his people" quickly. He lets out a stern warning - GRRRRRR! As soon as we tell him it's ok, then it love time. He gets in close, gives a good sniff and proceeds to take a load off and lean on his newfound friend.
Enough gushing - we love him! Here are some pics. Some are from over a year ago, but he hasn't changed much. The Bull Mastiff with Max is his buddy, Kasha, my brother's dog - what a MUSH!