Kraven

December 1^st, 2023 was a very eventful day. It began with the last prep for my EGD/Colonoscopy and ended with getting a new family member.

After my procedure, the nurse gave me instructions to not drive for 24 hours, don’t use power tools and finally don’t make any legal decisions. Marcie took advantage of the last one.

We left the hospital; I had my first meal at Five Guys, then we drove home. At the hospital, the discharge nurse had mentioned she had owned many dogs and that her Great Dane was the best dog she ever had. That planted the seed.

Arriving home, Marcie, and I both began looking for Danes and breeders. At first, the closest one I could find was 2 hours away, and they had no puppies for sale. Then we found a place in Sellersburg, which is roughly a 30-minute drive from our home.

After reviewing the photos, we reached out to the breeder and set up a time to go ‘look’. I knew ‘looking’ would not be the only thing we would be doing.

When we arrived, the owner met us outside and brought us into a big room that showed signs of dog activity. Worn down floors, scratched up walls, and chewed up corners of benches. On the way in, we heard and saw many mighty beasts barking and staring at us from various windows in the house.

Rick asked us if we had ever owned a Great Dane, and we replied to no. He said, well hold on a second. In a few moments, 9 adult Great Danes filled the large room we were standing in. Suddenly, the room became tiny. Tails wagging, they circled us. Rubbing against us, getting loving, hopping, jumping. It was pure joy within the chaos. Rick pointed out the male and females circling us like a school of sharks. Marcie’s face lit up, and she had the largest grin I had ever seen.

What came next was even more overwhelming. We had mentioned 3 puppies we were interested in. He said, “I am going to bring all 8 in and not tell you names. I want you to choose the puppy based on how you feel and not the price.” One came in, then another, then another. Soon all 8 were doing the same things the adults had done just on a smaller scale. It was playtime for them. Some showed brief interest in us, but mostly acted like young kids let out at recess.

After 45 agonizing minutes, we narrowed it down to 3, then finally one. We chose Norman and Rick whisked him off to get a bath.

Signing the contract and handing over the money, we got last instructions on shots, food, bath rituals and when to get him neutered. Marcie carried Norman to the car, and since I could not drive, I carried him in my lap to Tractor Supply so we could get food and supplies. He was a hit at the store.

The heartbreaking loss of Kota and Copper within the past few years almost killed me. I swore to never get another dog again. I realized after these few years that Kota, especially, was a therapy dog for me.

I get anxiety leaving dogs alone for any length of time. Especially on long vacations. I, however, get pure joy having a ‘buddy’ to play with and someone to show me unconditional love. I have almost always owned large dogs. Kraven will be the largest. His father is 180lbs and his head was level with my shoulders when he stood next to me on all four feet. Rick said, “Norman could be as big as Bandit or even larger.”

I hope to train Kra
ven to hike with me and, of course, walk with me in the neighborhood. This breed has a brief life. The average is 8-10 years, with some living less and some more. I want to enjoy every moment with Kraven and will deal with it when it arrives.

The breeder named the puppies in each litter with the same letter. Norman, Noah, Nate, Natalie, Norma, etc. were part of this litter. We changed his name to Kraven. On October 5, 2023, Norman (now Kraven) joined the world. On December 1, 2023, he became part of our family.

Until next time,

Tim