Whitley is the newest addition to the household. She is a nine week old Great Dane puppy. We started taking about getting a puppy several months ago and started doing a ton of research... of course! I took a stroll through the local animal shelter. All of the dogs were so excited, jumping vertically into the air, barking at the top of their little lungs. Then in a kennel all by itself was this beautiful, black statue. He was so tall and striking... and so very quiet! He was a two year old Great Dane looking for a good home. Unfortunately, I had to walk away because I was on my lunch break and when I called later that afternoon he had already been adopted (which is awesome!). Brian's parents also have a Great Dane. The first time I went to Brian's house I knew there was a very large, calm, sweet dog that would walk around the house avoiding the hard wood floors. I quickly learned that Buffy is also a Great Dane. Ever since then I have been on the hunt.
When selecting a breed we had a pretty lengthy criteria. We wanted something big that could provide a little bit of protection, calm, low exercise level since we're gone a lot, low coat maintenance, good with children, lovable, and a couch potato. The description of a Great Dane seemed to fit perfectly. To learn more about the breed go to:
They are known as gentle giants!
Whitley was able to spend a little time with her new best friend, Punkie.
And she was able to meet Buffy... a heart to heart from one Dane to another!
Whitley actually came from a breeder in Brian's hometown and John and Pat were generous enough to bring her all the way to Illinois! We picked up a few toys for her. Being an Arkansas puppy we figured that a Hog would be the perfect toy. Initially she hated it!! She now attacks it full force.
Whitley came along in the middle of our roadtrip. This was the true test and she passed! She was so good. It is a lot to ask of a nine week old puppy to be a good puppy at the Hilton... she did just fine!
It seems like we have had her forever. I'm already pretty attached...and by pretty attached I mean VERY ATTACHED!
She had helped Brian puppy proof the fence.
And has learned to run full speed ahead...despite the size of her large paws.
She has also learned how to hold her own chew bones.
She is truly a joy!! We are having so much fun with her. Right now the days consist of the following: sleep, potty, treat, eat, play, potty, repeat. She is such great company and we are going to have lots of great years with her! She is spoiled rotten and she knows it. She is a lap dog...which is fine now. However, she is going to grow quickly and being a lap dog may be a bit of an issue when she weighs more than me! It is amazing how quickly you become attached to a puppy and how they become such a huge part of your life. I'm looking forward to lots of runs, visits to the farmers market, and visits to Asheville.
I'm sure you will be hearing a lot about Whitley. Wishing you a happy, belated St. Patricks Day!! Whit celebrated in style...of course!
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