OK! We have an adoption date. BHRR’s Lil Linus shall go to his new forever adoptive home on Sunday November 15th.

BHRR’s Lil Linus is being officially put under ADOPTED at this time. Some logistical details remain to be worked out yet if all goes well, BHRR’s Lil Linus will be in his new forever loving home for XMAS 2009! This is another one that is just going to make me well up. He has become such a ‘Gwennie’s boy’ (for those that attended the April 7th, Guest Speaker Day at St. Lawrence College; they can attest to that! LOL) yet at the same time, I am so happy for him and his new family. 🙂

At this time, I am going to put BHRR’s Lil Linus adoptatble status ‘on hold’ for inquiries and applications until such time as it has been determined if he shall or shall not be adopted.

POSSIBLE PENDING ADOPTION!!!! POSSIBLE PENDING ADOPTION!!!!

Here is a picture of BHRR’s Lil Linus at our September 2009 BHRR’s Mini Open House.

BHRR’s Lil Linus – September 26th, 2009 – BHRR’s Mini Open House
*Photo Courtesy of C. Desjardins

I am adding two new slides of BHRR’s Lil Linus #77 & #78 from June 18th, 2009. On Monday August 3rd, BHRR’s Lil Linus accompanied me to Ottawa’s Byward Market while I did some training with Clients of mine. He and my ‘Big Blue’ Bronson along with the other 2 Danes we were with; caused quite a stir! The only way I could sum it up was ‘crazy’ for there were just thousands and thousands of people out enjoying a day in The Market! 😉 BHRR’s Lil Linus took all in stride as his his style and it was also amazing how many people recognized ‘him’ as being from BHRR and/or that we were BHRR. So many could not believe his story and how far he has clearly come since his arrival to BHRR. I am hoping that with the added exposure; we might draw in that ‘right’ inquiry on BHRR’s Lil Linus for he is so ready for his new forever loving home. It is so clear how much he has bonded to me yet he really does not ‘need’ much of me anymore. We are still working on some ‘trust’ things and making slow progress yet those are things that his new home can also work on with him. His leash manners were just divine in the Market. When he became tired; he did attempt to pull some yet nothing that cannot continue to be worked on in his new adoptive home. I really should get a new weight on him for it is deceiving on just how ‘big’ this boy is. That head of his is just stunning and I could smooch those flews/jowls all day long. YET, now with BHRR’s Potter here; I am sure that Lil Linus enjoys seeing us love on Potters lips plus face just as much as his now! 😛 I am going to add one of his slide pictures below of Lil Linus in the newly fenced in doggie yard for I JUST love it!

BHRR’s Lil Linus – ‘Can U SEE Me Now?’ – June 18th, 2009

I have many new pictures to also add of BHRR’s Lil Linus. I am going to add two below from our Limerick Forest GD Hike on April 5th for they are just so indicative of his personality+. Thank you to Suzanne & Chuck for the ‘candid’ shots! He is doing just wonderful. So happy and as clownish as always and man, does he still love his food and if you are ‘late’ with his supper; he is quick to race to you, the race to the food bin then race to his crate and back to you and the food bin and his crate and back to you and…… 😛 He other favourite game of late is how many times he can get people to open the door to let him out and then he just turns around and wants back in again and then he wants out again and then he wants in….. 🙄 😛 He is still the same that after a certain time of night; he WILL not go outside by himself to pee and after an even later time at night; he will not even go outside; he will ‘hold’ it until morning. He remains very receptive to his ‘light’ training of me flicking the lights on and off for him to come in and he is just so proud of himself that he ‘gets’ it now! Everyone that meets him just wants to pull those jowls and kiss them and he still gets that very ‘tolerant’ look on his face and you can almost hear him ‘sighing’ on the inside in embarrassment! LOL He truly does not realise just how beyond cute he is!!!!! I am still amazed by how tall he has gotten and with that conformation and head; he is one very striking boy. I need to get a new Panache Pooch collar for him for his balloons have faded off and I think he would like a ‘bigger’ boy collar now. 😛 Little does he know that I am thinking toy cars and toy trucks for him!!!!! He just remains that little ‘boy’ in so many ways and is all puppy! What I love most is that he is now even comfortable sleeping on a Kuranda bed or a dog bed or even for a period of time on my bed at night. If he is ‘startled’ or ‘stepped’ on by another dog; he will often then just go to his open crate and lie down but more and more, he is getting a larger comfort zone. The other thing that I am really enjoying(as cold as his nose is) is when he will come up to me when I am sleeping and nudge me for some loving and kisses(he has not yet learned to let sleeping moms lie! LOL) and I cannot deny him for we have worked so hard to get him to ‘ask’ for attention and affection on his terms!!!!! Linus has no concept of time most often, I find. LOL Day could be night and vice versus. All he really knows is ‘breakfast’ and ‘dinner’ time and ‘treat’ time and more ‘treat’ time and the world just blends into having wonderful walks, hikes, love, new friends, new toys, play and more play and car rides and joy and playdates and the occassional bath, nails, ear cleaning etc. thrown in. WHAT a world he has. He is so worry free and stress free about most things now and I am so enjoying this. He has also taken to wanting to be very close to me when I am walking and my heels have paid the price with his heavy shuffling clodhoppers bumping them and tripping me. He has also discovered the joy of being a Dane and not allowing one to use the bathroom in private and thinks this it is just grand to accompany me when I have to go. ANOTHER momma`s boy here. He will often race to the bathoom and seems almost disappointed if I pass it by. 🙄 It is quite a feat to try and use the facilities when 5 or 6 Danes wish to be part of one’s entourage….I thought my kids were bad! LOL If I am in the bathroom and the door is closed; he will snuffle under the door and will now scratch at the door and bump his head against it to get in and the few sounds of absolute despair that he will almost wail out; one would think he was dying….sigh….we are working on his being a bit more independent from me. When I do come out of the bathroom, the look on his face is just priceless. He acts like he has not seen me in years and is so relieved and also a bit ‘put’ out(if Linus had a put out expression, that would be it) and he also MOST pleased with himself as if he has solved some complex puzzle `I FOUND GWEN` `DID I DO GOOD OR WHAT!` is like he is saying….he is a HUGE cause of smiles this one!!!! What a character!!! Sadly, no right matched homes have inquired about Lil Linus and I know that he would be thrilled to be here for the rest of his life yet I know that Dyce and Bronson would be very happy to see him adopted some days for Lil Linus is similar to BHRR’s Boba in that he is almost constantly nose to nose with them; asking them ‘do you like me now?’….’do you still like me?’….’how about now; do you like me now?’ or ‘do you want to play?’….’how about now?’….’now? now? NOW?’ LOL Dyce just will go to a crate and lie down with his back to the open door and Bronson; who has the patience of a saint; will just leave the room. Yet, most days; the three of them are the closest of pals, roughing it up outside and doing their thing…like digging…ugh! I know that I have said this many times; BUT I just love the dynamics in action. I could sit for hours, just observing what is going on with the dogs here!  Slides 68 – 76 have now been added to his gallery!

BHRR’s Lil Linus – April 5th, 2009 – Limerick Forest GD Hike – Almost 17 months old

Lil Linus’s HWT came back negative. 🙂

I brought Lil Linus in for his annual tonight and he weighted 59.2 KGs(130.24 pounds); which I am not convinced of. He was almost 136 pounds in January and I know he is a bit bigger than that now. What is MOST important is that he is nice and ribby and looking ‘strong like bull’ as one staff member said! LOL I showed one of the staff(who just finished up her 1st year in the Tech program) how to draw blood and she took the bw on Lil Linus for his HWT! YAY! FOR both of them! It took her only three tries and both she and Lil Linus ROCKED! His Rabies is good until 2011 and so I just did his 3 year DHPP vaccine. His heart, lungs, teeth, coat etc. are awesome and other than a ‘stress’ poop in the run; he did fantastic. That tail just goes a mile a minute! We continue to wait patiently for that ‘right’ matched home to come along and I have new pictures of Lil Linus to post. He came with me and Porridge plus several Volunteers to the presentation BHRR did at St. Lawrence College in early April and was a ham as always. 😛 He has also become ‘quite’ the momma’s boy….. 🙄 😉 LOL

Lil Linus has had a very busy weekend! He went for a sleepover/playdate on Friday and after some little hiccups(such as their crate being smaller than his here that we feed him in and that he loves to lie in etc.); he settled in quite well with them. Lil Linus has always been comfortable no matter; where we were; to pee; yet he demonstrated the ‘shy’ bladder with them. I am very delighted with how quickly the home picked up on sign language and Lil Linus just makes my heart burst with pride with how he behaved. He ‘listened’ quite well, walked great on his leash, behaved in their house and they were able to see when we met up today to go for a hike with friends/Danes; how wonderful he is in the car. They also could not resist his gorgeous, smoochable, squeeable mug! LOL This was Lil Linus’s first time away from ‘us’ since we brought him into our program at 14 weeks of age and as a SN’s; I think he did remarkable. Being so excited and also not having myself around; most definitely contributed to his not wanting to pee/poop and he was quite excited(which as I keep saying; is a form of stress) but overall; I think it was a great experience for him and them. From what I have been told; he was confident to ask for loves and kisses(HUGE HUGE HUGE) and seemed to have found their bed quite cozy(I guess we passed that ‘bump’ too! WOOHOO!). On his last night with them; he slept on a dog bed outside the open crate they have and I just cannot believe how far this boy has come! Then, today; he was part of the pack of Danes/people that went for a hike in Limerick Forest and he had a BLAST! He was quite excited and pulled on his leash/collar for a bit; yet calmed down pretty much. The little goober(and believe me, there is NEVER a dull moment with this boy) decides to go for an unscheduled swim….sigh…. 🙄 at one point; and he gets in the water and quickly realises; that it is 1) chilly 2) kind of deep 3) he is all alone 4) I am SWIMMING….never done this before. I am just getting ready to almost plunge in after him(LT comes to mind….again….)and he turns around and heads back to me and I almost thought I might giggle…his eyes..OMG! Could they have been any wider and rounder. Sweet Lord…..silly goose. Lil Linus being Lil Linus is none the worse for wear and was back out tearing around and having a blast. I have taught all my hearing dogs the words/command ‘bring him/her back’ and Tain was really awesome about this and even one of the other Danes; really did fantastic with that. They would bring Lil Linus back every time yet Lil Linus was also quite impeccable in his ‘watch me’ command and would never get too far before turning around to see where everyone was. My only thing is not wanting him in the bush for obvious/various reasons(spring and bare or not); he is a SN’s and while he is not as in-tune with his other senses like most other SN’s; he still has the ability to get ‘lost’ and could ‘panic’ should he lose sight of the other dogs and us and then just runs to try and find us(even though we are all standing right there). Yet, I have to say that; once again; he has proven himself to have been a great student since I have had him and remembered all of his lessons from when we hike on our own 148 acres etc. He had a incredible afternoon and I learnt some more about him too and it also reinforced just how well, his training has come along. My ‘wittle whinus’ is truly almost all grown up…SNIFF! SNIFF! 😛 YET, we still have to ‘hit’ that second ‘idiot’ stage and at almost 16 months of age; it shall not be too long now….within the next year. LOL I have also added new slides of Lil Linus #63 – #67 which includes some from when his head was still healing, two of him and Ocean and one of him from just a week+ ago(March 2009).

I want to thank Barry for this picture of BHRR’s Lil Linus from our BHRR’s Mini Open House on February 7th, 2009. He is such a clown! I cannot get over how tall he is getting. My goodness, he is one handsome looking boy!!! He continues to be the BHRR ‘class’ clown and what a nut!!!! I have a bunch of pictures I want to add of his healing ‘war’ wound(which is now all healed) and then two of him and Ocean and then I also have a couple just taken recently. Hopefully, I can get this done within the next day or so. This weekend was a ‘tough’ one at BHRR. For now, let me post below the picture from February 7th for everyone’s viewing pleasure. HE is such a ham!!!!

BHRR’s Lil Linus – February 7th, 2009 @ the BHRR Mini Open House

Lil Linus’s head is slowly healing from the inside out. He will have a ‘war wound’ scar there once all is healed up but he is plugging along wonderfully. I have him on antibiotics still and he will be for the next long while(minimally 3 weeks). It is granulating beautifully. I was looking at him yesterday and said to Sean that MAN! He has really been growing(up and out) this past while. I think he must be close to 150 pounds now. This spurt he is on has just matured him so much yet then you see him move and you KNOW that he is very much all puppy still! AND the way that he looks at you; he will always be my ‘class clown’. He is just so happy, mellow and I cannot kiss that mug enough each day!!!! He now will come on my bed without too much encouragement and will even sleep there for part of the night sometimes. IT has taken this long for him to hand over that sleeping trust to us. HUGE HUGE HUGE progress made here. In the past week, he has also decided that *I* am the right ‘flavour’ for him and I get the best ‘almost kisses’ possible. He is very stingy, just like Bronson is with the kisses and he is getting closer and closer to giving me a true kiss. Linus is another one that my heart is going to feel quite raw when he is adopted yet it is time for him to become ‘king’ of his own home and we hope that his right matched home will come along. If not, he is most welcome to continue to call us his own and he teaches me every day to ‘slow down’, to try and ‘relax’ more and to ‘not mind the little things’. HE is going to make an incredible therapy dog. Lil Linus stayed out the whole time when we had guests here on Saturday(usually he comes in and out of the bedroom) and he was AWESOME! Not one moment of counter surfing etc. He makes my heart swell with such pride over how he conducted himself!!!!! Our ‘Lil Linus’ is growing up…sniff! sniff!!!! One thing that has not changed his his wee hours of the AM rumbles through the house and right now; his new partner if Ocean…a very willing partner too! LOL

Right now, I am ‘liking’ what I see with Linus’s incision and I am going to ‘hold’ off bringing him in today. If need be, I can do it tomorrow. The edges are coming together nicely and it is less swollen and looking much healthier than it was last night. I am continuing to pump those antibiotics in him and I will be cleaning it again shortly. We are not out of the woods yet but I am liking where things are heading at this time. YAY!

Lil Linus has been a ‘BAAAADDDDD’ monkey…sigh! On Saturday, his incision looked awesome yet at around 10:00 PM on Sunday night; I am lying on my bed and Lil Linus walks into the bedroom; quite pleased with himself and I take one look at his head(he is in an E-collar to try and keep him from rubbing etc…) and he has the drain pulled out of his head and hanging there by the two stitches the Vet put in to keep it there…..So, I was not overly concerned as the Vet said I could take it out Sunday night or on Monday and so, with Sean’s help; we took the two stitches out to remove the drain that was now completely on the outside of his head. I checked the stitches and all was good…PHEWWWW! E-Collar went back on, Lil Linus was given a treat and life moved forward. At around noon on Monday; I am getting ready to take a shower etc., to head into work at the hospital and in comes Lil Linus looking most thrilled with himself and I had that ‘sinking’ feeling(he is a smart one and has figured out how to rub his collar on things to scratch his head…..) and sure enough; Lil Linus had pulled out two of his stitches…UGH! I cleaned it up, assessed that we ‘still’ could be ok on the healing part, put him in his crate and headed off to work(I debated about bringing him with me so that he would not be at home alone until Sean came home shortly thereafter; yet I know that he would have been stressed and there would have been no one to monitor him closely/constantly at the hospital….) and knew that Sean would be home within the hour+.  Sean gets home and things are great! PHEEEEWWWW again! The next thing I know; Reception tells me I have a call and that it is Sean. I was not thinking ‘Lil Linus woes’ at the time until he says, “I was helping the kids with their homework and Linus comes up to me and he looks like he is so happy with himself….’ and I almost felt my knees crumple and I was not sure whether to cry for Lil Linus, cheeky monkey; had now pulled out another one of his stitches and after asking Sean how bad it looked etc., said ‘ok, I am putting Linus into the schedule for tomorrow AM to have the surgeon take a look at it, just so I have a spot in case we have to re-suture’ So, Sean cleaned up Linus’s head, ensured that the E-collar was in place and tethered Linus to him to keep even a closer eye on the little goober!  😛 Fast forward to when I come home. Dogs are excited and Lil Linus comes up to me and rubs his head on me in the E-collar right on the spot he wanted the most as I am grabbing his head and if this boy could grin, I would have to say he was doing it from ear to ear. 😈 He had managed to do what we have tried to prevent him from doing since we stitched him up. He managed to take all of his stitches out. I could only shake my head and sit down and sigh. I cleaned up his head, smelled it and it is still on that ‘verge’ of going ‘either’ way and the area where the drain came out is nicely granulated yet I am concerned about the other area. I will see what the morning brings yet I have a feeling we might very well be heading out to the hospital for a new surgery and stitches for him. He has had this mission ever since we got him home(he was a wee bit of a monkey when he was neutered BUT not like this!) and he just seems so very pleased with himself over his accomplishment. Have I ever mentioned how much I love this boy 😉 ……..I am praying for granulation and healthy pink edges tomorrow AM but if he needs to go back in and has to have more debriding/stitches and another $1,000 Vet Bill, we will do what we have to for him. My concern that I was talking to the Vet about is even if we do re-stitch it(he has not even been 3 complete days since we had did the original sutures); is trying to ensure that they are in long enough to heal as best as we can. He has been under almost a 24/7 watch as it was and tethered, wearing an e-collar, sleeping in my bed etc.  🙄 We are going to have to be just that much more resourceful moving forward in keeping him from being a ‘BAAAADDDDD’ monkey!!!

I brought Lil Linus into work with me yesterday when I started my shift at 4 PM. He got a pretty bad booboo when another Dane’s tooth ‘stuck’ in the miles of skin on his head late that afternoon while he was having a play date. I originally thought the gash was about 3″ yet when I looked closer; the gash itself is just under 2″ and when the Vet did a bit of an exploratory on it last night after Linus was in la-la land; it is more like 3″ with where the tooth went up underneathe the skin yet did not tear through. I cannot thank my Vet enough for being so flexible and staying late with me to sew Linus up. He cut away the dying tissue(by the time we were able to get him on the table; 5 hours had passed). It was an insane day at the hospital and I am so appreciative. I will have to bring in tons of baked goodies for all!!!! Lil Linus weighed 61.80 KGS(135.96) pounds. The Vet had asked me how much I thought he weighed and I said about 135 pounds and I was not far off!  😛 Lil Linus is on Deramaxx 100 MG daily for the next 4 days or so and if he needs something stronger; I will switch him to Tramdol 50 mgs. He is on 3 tablets of 375 mg of Clavamox BID and I brought him home with me last night and he is now resting comfortably. With the 1″ or so area found under the skin; the Vet elected to put in a drain(he poked a hole through the skin where the under the skin tooth wound ended and inserted the drain at that spot/sewed it into place) and I will remove it on Monday. A little lower down and to the middle and Lil Linus would look like a unicorn. 😛 These sweet SN’s become so stressed sometimes in a Vet Hospital and he had diarrhea in his run, the poor thing. There were so many people that had not seen Lil Linus since the KAH/BHRR Microchip Clinic last August and so many marveled at how much he has grown and his gorgeous lips and expressions! He is such a clown that one……The Vet agrees that he is in excellent shape and is wonderfully healthy! We ran some bw on him before his surgery and his insides are equally as healthy as his outsides! He is a very special boy and like all of our animals at BHRR; we are very protective of them and will do our best to ensure that they go only to the best matched homes possible. I am attaching a small slideshow below of Lil Linus’s play date booboo. This is the sort of injury that I also see our Tain possibly getting or our English Mastiff as with all that skin; it is so easy for a tooth or nail of another animal in play to become ‘caught’. 🙁 Lil Linus was such a trooper though.  After it happened and I looked him over; gave him a big hug with some smooches; he then wanted to go back and play some more! LOL PLAY TIME over ‘Lil Buddy!’ That was a very expensive ‘play’ date……Lil Linus’s Vet Bill was almost $1,000 from his play injury………….as they say ‘accidents’ happen and this was a pricey one…..sigh……………..

Finally! TWO new pics of Lil Linus now posted Slides #61 & #62. LOOK at that gorgeous head on this boy! The lip and those facial expressions! He is a stunner! He is doing wonderfully and his appointment for his feet should be this Friday, if I do not bring in a Client’s Dane that night for training. Like most of the other animals, I would really like to get a current weight on him too. He is so wonderfully proportioned and just a happy boy! He still becomes so excited when it comes to eating that he will make these really desperate sounds of ‘don’t forget me’….’I’m over here’…….Food will always be this boy’s vice and talk about impreccable obedience when treats are involved. Definitely the way to this man’s heart that is for sure! His best buds right now are Bronson, Hamilton The Newf, Shiva and not as much yet still there Porridge. Porridge seems to have shifted to the ‘new’ blue in our home, Tain. He does get rockin’ with Shiva and Abbi at times yet not to the extent he does with the others. He and PPSS have been known to start some ‘midnight’ rumbles in the house too; almost scaring the stuffing out of us as we wake up with a start. We have very specific requirements for his future home; Great Dane experience, SN’s experience, someone that works from home or works part-time; a home that has at least one other dog and is comparable in age/energy level and size. We continue to wait and see if that right matched home will come along for BHRR’s Lil Linus. He most certainly has wheedled his way into my affections, that is for sure and being SN’s is very dear to my own heart. Yet, he no longer needs us and it is time to allow him to spread his wings and be ‘man’ of his own home. I know that I am going to shed my share of tears when this boy is adopted. That I freely admit. BHRR’s Lil Linus is full of very special gifts and lessons and the home that he shall go to will be blessed in having him. I have learnt much from Linus as I have with BHRR’s Little Tyke and I am very thankful to them for that. Those two could very easily be brothers in how similar yet different they are as individuals.

Sean and I feel comfortable at this time to put BHRR’s Lil Linus back up for adoption. We were going to wait another month; until he turned 1 yet he is doing SOOOOOOOOOOO well! I do plan on bringing him in to have his feet looked at yet one more time but I am feeling really good about how things are at this time. Any new home will have to understand that excellent nutrition is a must for his continued proper development and that exercise management is going to be key so that he does not put himself at a high risk at hurting himself. Some days, he just wants to zoom and be a complete goober outside and we must ‘tame’ the wild beast and once he is settled; allow him to go and play again. He is just a riot this one!!!! We continue to work on ‘gentle’ when he plays with 11 week old Tain for he thinks that Tain is an extra large stuffie and likes the ‘squeaks’ he can elicit when playing with him as he thumps a large paw on Tain’s head or rump to hold him still to groom and lick him. LOL He is a good boy and I am very proud of him. I have a real soft spot for this boy and he has come so far during his time with us. He is going to make someone an excellent family member and there shall never be a dull moment in your home while BHRR’s Lil Linus is in it! 😛 I have a couple new pics to post of BHRR’s Lil Linus and MAN! HE is stunning!!!! I will do my best to get those pictures up within the next day or so.

Lil Linus is doing great! MAN! I have to get a new weight on the big brute! His feet have not pained him in quite some time and Sean and I are going to hold off until he turns one to determine if he can go back up for adoption. His feet are still a bit flatter than I would like to see yet he is not limping or making any sounds of distress of late and we have seen some ‘zoomies’ from him. 😛 Should LL be put up for adoption, he will go to a home that works from home, works part-time, is semi-retired or retired. Like BHRR’s LT, he really needs the stimulation and training and this is something that only a home that can be with him a lot can create that proper environment he needs. He would do best in a home with at least one other dog; male or female yet that is not a mandatory requirement as long as he is being socialised frequently in situations and has the opportunity to have his own social network. He is a very high maintenance boy with energy and enthusiasm and I continue to feel that he is related to BHRR’s LT for I keep calling him the ‘Mini Model T’ quite often! 😛 Feeding time continues to be quite the event with LL and if I could bottle just some of that zest for life; I will have found the fountain of youth! LOL He is a really great boy and still a bit of a knucklehead when it comes to his leash manners in distraction situations, the goober!

On Sunday September 7th, Sean and I plus kids did the Wiggle Waggle Walk with several friends; THANKS Leesh, Suzanne, Chuck and Matt! Suzanne and Chuck took some wonderful pics(we forgot our camera) and we would like to share! BHRR’s Linus showed us that he clearly needs more distraction/social training in respect to leash manners in those types of situations(1,500 people and their dogs!!!). Linus made a great new friend today and I have to say they both looked great together! We would be concerned in respect to Lil Linus’s health etc. and longevity with a possible adoption yet Sean and I have always said for the ‘right’ home we would consider a BHRR Haven Dog up for adoption.

[Show as slideshow]

I have added three new pictures of Lil Linus; Slides #58, #59 & #60. 🙂 He is getting so big and man! Does he like to ‘hog’ the bed! For a puppy, he can sure stretch out long and wide! LOL Lil Linus likes to play best in lying down or slow moving energy bursts. He can no longer zoom and run and zip as he did when he was smaller due to his poor bones. He is such a nice boy and his new balloon collar that I asked Amanda from The Panache Pooch(remember you can help BHRR when you order from The Panache Pooch and use the code bhrr) to make for him SUITS him to a ‘T’. He is such a happy boy despite everything!

BHRR’s Lil Linus came out to the KAH/BHRR Fundraising Event for part of the afternoon(the whole day would have been too hard on his bones/feet) and he had a blast! People were in awe to realise that he was just over 8 months of age now(time sure flies!!!!) and he weighed 56.0 KGs(123.20 pounds) when we weighed him. We do need to re-calibrate our weight scale so we can get a more accurate account of his weight. He was such a good boy and I just burst with pride over his ‘social’ progress! I call him my ‘mini LT’ for man! When it comes time to eat, he is a train wreck like LT as he gets so excited for his food! LOL

We have made the decision(at least for now) to move BHRR’s Lil Linus into our ‘BHRR’s Haven’ Program. He is having a lot of difficulty with his feet and bones at this time. 🙁 He has added a new best friend though; Cherokee and it is so cute to watch! I swear he treats her as if she is a girlfriend and she is LOVING the attention!

Lil Linus is recovering really well from his minor neuter complication with the assistance of the Clavamox. When people were here for our BHRR Mini-Open house on July 12th, some questioned as to whether he had been neutered or if only one testcile had been removed for that was how swollen he was on the one testicle. Poor thing……He has been an awesome trooper and I just have to get new pictures of him and the DBB girls posted. Life has been insane here with event planning. 😛 At this time, we are still not sure if he is going to be up for adoption and will update as we can.

Lil Linus’s incision had healed wonderfully from his neuter UNTIL today…..he came in from outside and he was bleeding fairly profusely and it was running down his legs. I check the incision site twice a day and this AM(and the Vet that saw him tonight agreed; he is all but healed); it was looking lovely. The one thing that Lil Linus has had is a lot of is swelling thoughout his whole healing process that has now spread up into the sheath. Not to be overly graphic yet it looked like he had one enlarged testicle with very little bruising, just swelling. I brought him into work with me today and the Vet took a look at him and thought it was most strange, an almost completely healed incision and this dripping. It is like the swelling built up and burst through a little spot and while it was not infection; the poor boy has got to be uncomfortable. Lil Linus gets the HUGE amazing dog award for he sat when asked, lied down when asked and provided no resistance; just trust in lying on his side while the Vet examined and poked/prodded him. I was so proud of him!!!!! I keep saying how far he has come and this was just another testament to the wonderful boy he really is. The Vet felt that icing might be ok when I asked about hot compresses as I was wondering if it might not be better to encourage the drainage. The Vet felt that as it was not infection that was coming out; that icing might be more effective. I am not sure how well Lil Linus is going to take to the icing of his privates though!!! We discussed antibotics and I make a joke(that did not seem to be caught by those listening…LOL) about hey, do we try cephalexin for we all know how effective that has been on my dogs of late. The Vet took me seriously and said ‘well, this is not a skin infection; the problem lies deep down; so we would not use cephalexin.’ 😛 Needless to say, Lil Linus is on 2 tablets of Clavamox 375 mg every 12 hours for a week. We will see if that works. We are back using the Deramaxx for pain for him for the next 5 days too. The vet just thinks it is so odd to be almost completely healed on the outside and yet have this swelling etc. and draining coming from the inside. Lil Linus’s weight was 51.4 KGS(113.08 pounds) and he is not quite 7 months old yet. Linus LOVED the trip through Timmie’s and McDonalds on the way home and my windows are proof of all his slobbery excitement over the treaties given to him! LOL I have more pics to upload and hopefully, I can get that done soon……

Lil Linus was neutered today and he is now home resting as comfortably as possible and feeling ‘right’ sorry for himself. 😉 He weighed 110+ pounds and eveything went well. We are now also working with a specialist as Lil Linus could possibly have a form of gigantism. I have only ever experienced one ‘dog’ gigantism situation and that was with an EM; a close relative of our own EM; who ended up passing away at only 18 months of age due to complications associated with gigantism. Tumours are just one cause of gigantism and we need to research and learn more about this and how it will impact the quality of Lil Linus’s life and adoption potential etc.; should, he in fact; have this condition. I personally do not find his height/weight out of the range for a healthy 6.5 month old GD yet he is very distinct with his looks and there is something ‘wrong’ with his bone growth as seen in his feet. As we learn more; we shall post more. Should it be decided that it is in Lil Linus’s best interest to not be adopted; he shall remain as a BHRR Haven Dog and continue in hogging my bed! Lil Linus has not slept in a crate for quite some time now and has finally figured out how to get on the bed(not consistent but he is doing it!) and sure likes to ‘spread’ himself out! LOL We feed Lil Linus in his crate as he is a quick eater and loves his food and has no qualms about finishing his food and then trying to sneak in food from any other dog’s bowls. He shows very little possessiveness over much these days(super high value item like a meaty bone can cause a growl or two yet he will take his treat to his crate and lie quietly with it) and I have seen him quite often chewing one end of a rope and BHRR’s Porridge chewing the other end. HE has remarkable patience with this 11 week old puppy and deserves an award FOR BHRR’s Porridge is a fiesty one!!!! He will happily share a spoonful of PB with the other dogs and I am very proud of this boy’s progress. He is now on yet another collar too! LOL I have been in touch with Amanda from The Panache Pooch about a special collar for him. Balloons always come to mind when I think of Lil Linus for he is now a very happy boy! He is still a little handshy here and there and sometimes will just ‘bolt’ from a room if a sudden motion is made; yet he is getting better. He does not mind the vacuum and after seeing PPSS being vaccumed; has enjoyed that himself! LOL He is still nervous of things like papertowel rolls etc. and I make a point of dropping one of the floor and also treats and getting him used to seeing them around and being held and walked with. Just a delightful boy this one and yes, I have new pics I MUST post! 😛 He is learning more and more signs daily.

Lil Linus’s neuter appointment is now scheduled for June 26th. New pics to post soon.

Lil Linus’s neuter had to be rescheduled from yesterday. I was sick and shall reschedule when I am back at work at the hospital. Lil Linus also decided to ‘pull’ a BHRR’s Miss Gracie as I call it and broke the same finger she did years ago(my ring finger on my right hand); causing me mucho agony! LOL The swelling came up so fast, I did not even have time to pull my engagement ring that I wear on that hand off. Typing and working with the animals shall prove to be very challenging and Bronson also has a show coming up in a week+; so life is going to be interesting! 🙄 😛 Linus on the other hand, is doing GREAT! Did not stop him in his excitement to get outside at all! LOL The ‘war’ wounds that we must sometimes pay for in Rescue!

New slide #57 of Lil Linus with a GD puppy friend posted. 🙂 Lil Linus’s presurgical bw came back normal so we are ‘a-ok’ for his neuter on June 9th. It seems that every day that Linus gets up in the AM, that he is bigger! LOL

I took Lil Linus to work with me last night to do his pre-surgical bw and he weighed(once again, hard to get a true weight with his leaning on the wall! LOL) 43.8 KGS(96.36 pounds). I know that he weighs more than that. I will have to get a height on him soon. He was a HUGE hit once again at the hospital and what a luvbug! He still will not go to the bathroom at the Hospital and had his first pee accident in months in one of the large runs….poor thing……we will continue to work on this. When things quietened down; he came up to reception to hang out and was so wonderful about lying on his blanket and staying put. THAT is almost unheard of with him! LOL Busy boy that he normally is. He is so happy about going in the car(loving those timbti treats on the way home!)and his leash manners just get better and better! His recall is coming along so nicely too! He is still a bit ‘shy’ here and there with sudden movements and sometimes he still will act nervous around Sean yet we are having less and less moments of those types. Lil Linus has the best ears! They are so large and soft and you just want to squish and smooch them over and over again. 😀 His neuter is scheduled for Monday June 9th and about 2 weeks after that(barring any complications with the neuter or depending on X-ray results on his feet); he should be available for adoption. I have a new picture of him(with a friend) to post. Linus is so patient with the little ‘fiestmiester’ as I call this now 8 week old GD puppy!

Since I had Lil Linus in, I have only had to drain about 8 cc’s out of his seroma and now a clot has formed and the swelling has greatly decreased. We will re-assess when he is neutered. I have to get a new weight on this boy! HOLY! He is growing everytime he sleeps! LOL He has a new best friend here; one of the new GD rescue pups(all have approved adoptive homes from our waiting list to go to in a few months when they are fully vetted, altered plus microchipped) we brought in from a recent seizure and he has been just incredible with him!!!! Very patient, gentle and has not shown one bit of resourcing over a toy or food with the little goob. I am very proud of Linus and his progress! I have new pictures to also add of Lil Linus and hopefully shall get those posted within the next week. Adding pictures on this new site is much harder than my old one and it is a very time consuming process. I know that many enjoy all the pictures as part of our BHRR flavour and I promise to get them up ASAP. The only time Linus is in his crate is for night time sleeping and if we shall be away from home longer than a hour or so. When he wants to nap, he can often be found lying on one of the Kuranda beds or in his open crate yet like most of the dogs; loves Abbi’s crate the best(I still think it is because it is right by the computer). He still has this desire to dig and UGH! 😛 I am hoping to neuter Lil Linus within the next month and yes, I still call him Lil Linus! I knew from the night we picked him up that he would be a very large boy and I just love the name for him!!!! He shall soon be outgrowing this latest collar that he is wearing and I am eyeing up one of Amanda’s(The Panache Pooch) collars for him! http://www.thepanachepooch.com/ The white one that says ‘SO TO SPEAK’. I JUST LOVE it! Have to save up those pennies first. 😀 http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-86935534919295_2000_730110

When I brought Lil Linus to the vet tonight; he weighed 40.8 KGS(89.76 pounds) BUT he was leaning on the wall a bit. LOL I am relieved to know that he has a seroma; so it is a play injury and we could even see some tiny scratches when it was drained. We drained almost 17cc’s out tonight and I shall continue to drain it throughout the next week(when it looks like it has 10cc or more in it) and then apply pressure for about 30 minutes(AND that should be fun as Mr. Wiggle Butt is ‘always on the move’ LOL) to hopefully, get the pocket to stop filling up. He was SUCH a good boy when we were draining it! TALK about progress! HE more than earned his Timmie’s timbit and heck! I even bought him his own donut!!!! HE was just awesome!!!!! We are hoping that it will heal and he won’t need antibiotics or anything more invasive which would be done if necessary when he is neutered . He was a huge hit at the hospital again and has many admirers! He was great about getting in and out of the car and those leash manners; WOW! He wore PPSS Panache Pooch collar tonight and I think I am going to have to order one for him sooner rather than later as he looked SMOKIN’ in it!!!! He is also on his last hole on his current collar and will need a new one soon anyway. At the rate he is growing; he is going to be a sizeable boy(yet I already knew that) and I sometimes wonder who is Breeder was and where they were located for while we picked him up in Montreal from his latest home; he is not typical of a ‘Quebec’ looking byber Dane and I would almost bet that he came from outside of that province and somehow ended up there. He will not have a ton of height compared to some Danes(it is all relative, I know) yet from the moment I saw him; I knew he would be sizeable. I am also looking much closer at his feet and how collapsed they still are and we shall do x-rays on them when he is neutered. I am suspecting, fractures that have healed in such a way to have given him this ‘collapsed’ look as we have seen it in the past with not the proper levels of protein, calories and carbs(nutrition) being given to Dane puppies and they have stress fractures etc. and sometimes, even without proper treatment(yet how painful); they can heal and look a bit abnormal. From my discussions with a couple of Vets; they concur with this possible scenario and as he shall be neutered within the next month and has had no pain in his feet; *if* what has caused his feet to look like they do are old fractures; they have long since healed before coming to us and we can wait until then to get a better determination on things. I just do not desire to see him having foot and joint problems later on as he matures for he is going to be a large and heavy boy.

The ‘bad’ luck continues for the BHRR animals here. When I got home from the shows yesterday, I had my usual ‘mob’ greeting from the animals WHICH I love and then I did my ‘once’ over on the dogs and I found a sizeable lump on the side of Lil Linus’s head near his left ear. It was not there on Thursday when I left and Sean says that he did not notice anything unusual either. I made an appointment for Lil Linus to go into the Vet today and I am a wee bit worried as the lump/swelling is larger than it was last night and I am not sure as to what it could be. If he was ‘stung’ by something; he is showing no other signs of a reaction and he does not have any cut or scrape to indicate any kind of injury or infection that way. We shall do some FNA’s etc. and while it is not comfortable for him to have me touch it; it does not pain him much. He is eating very well as usual, drinking, playing and has no fever or diarrhea either. I think Linus loved the kisses I gave him best! Lil Linus has also discovered the comfort of the king sized bed and does not hesitate to put up his front feet and then look at you over his shoulder to say ‘hey, a little help here lady!’ LOL I am just delighted with his comfort and self-esteem levels. He has had no major resourcing in the longest time and the consistency of being fed on time, getting enough food, positive NILIF training(doggie boot camp), made to feel secure and the building up of his trust with the proper communication and pace for him; has really helped Lil Linus. He is a barrel of fun this one. As Sean said last night; he is always happy and like Abbi; I swear he actually smiles at you! His leash manners are just awesome and he has picked up several more signs and he keeps me challenged in finding ways to keep his brain stimulated for he is BRILLIANT!!!! You can put a treat in three separate pillow cases and he not only knows which pillow case has the treat(you might be surprised by how many dogs just cannot smell the treat and know where it is AND even if you put the treat in the pillow case right in front of them!); he knows HOW to open the pillow case and get the treat(many dogs will just try to go ‘right to the source’ and tear the pillow case up). In a study that was done quite some time ago by some reasearchers; the poodle had been deemed the only breed that would actually utilize ‘thinking’ processes to open the pillow case to go inside for the treat. Myabe Lil Linus is actually a ‘poodle’ in disguise???? 😆

New pictures of Lil Linus posted in slides #47 – #56. 😀

SO much to update for so many of the dogs here! Lil Linus came with me to work last night instead of Saturday(I had to bring Bronson back in)and he now weighs 32.60 KGs(71.72 pounds). He came with me with LT and he layed right on LT’s back on the way in and then while they were in the large run they were both in! LT just loved the snuggling! LOL He is SO much better in travelling yet is still not comfortable with his own company outside of our house and everytime, I took LT out sans him or when I swapped LT with Bronson(Sean brought Bronson in later so that we could do a recheck on him); he was a wee bit upset. He did settle down after a short period of time and that is PROGRESS! He was SOOOOOOOO much more social and what a dream he was in handling for his shots, exam etc. The Vet noticed a HUGE difference in how he was behaving and also in how much weight plus muscle he has put on. He impressed everyone with his recall, sit and name signs and layed very still on his side munching treaties while the Vet rechecked his hips. He was not happy about having his left front leg and joints manipulated(he has had some limping off and on; yet he is an active boy and could have been stepped on by one of the other dogs or even tripped on his big ol’ hoofs; yet I wanted to have it checked). His hind end was better yet the Vet said that with so much muscle and weight on him, it is harder to get a good manipulation on him. We will X-Ray when he is neutered if necessary. He received his final vaccines and was microchipped and throughout it all; he remained most interested in the liver treat I was holding. THE big success came when Bronson took his chewie away and when he tried to take it back; Bronson was a bit of a goober and Lil Linus just came over to me, sat down and looked at me with his big eyes! WOOHHOOOOO! No resourcing, getting upset etc. OF course, I took the chewie away from Bronson and gave it back to Lil Linus BUT WOOHOOOOOOO! I am very proud of him! He still has his ‘moment’s’, yet they are getting fewer and farther between and he will sit and share a large spatula of PB with the other dogs now without a blink of his eyes. He also has not had an accident in the house in quite some time. The Vet Hospital is another story for he just is not confident outside of home and won’t pee in a strange place(so any place other than home for him at this time), no matter how often you take him out AND even with Bronson plus LT there with him doing their ‘thing’. So, needless to say; after 8+ hours of being at the Hospital hanging out; he had two pee accidents and only in his pen. So, I am feeling still good about it all. On the way home, he climbed or rather crammed himself up on my back dashboard and hung out watching the world(as much as he can see it in the dark LOL) on our way home. He also was much better at meeting strange dogs; still unsure and nervous that they might hurt him but much better. That is going to be a thing that we will continue to focus strongly on; outside the home dogs for him. While he is mingling with all 16 other dogs here; he NEEDS a lot more work with ‘stranger’ dogs. I still have those pictures to post and hopefully, the week will be a better week here and give myself more time to post them up. Sean also has been very busy and promises to get back to helping me continue to move over information from our old site. The last thing I shall add on this update is how AWESOME Lil Linus was at our latest Mini-Open House on Sunday April 20th. It was one of our larger mini-open houses(we generally like to keep them to about 12 people) with 16 people and Lil Linus did amazing with all. 😀

I have new pictures that I have to upload for Lil Linus and shall do ASAP. It has been a very busy time here. We were part of a 3 Rescue Group Rescue effort to save 28 Newf Pups and all have now been full vetted and are happily settling into their foster homes. In addition to this; we have had to bring our almost 7.5 year old GD Maggi into the Vet’s for what has turned out to be a sebaceous cyst between her toes, Dyce had a post-treatment visit and his elbow and leg(left one again) is all swollen for a third time 😕  and also our Bronson had to go in for an allergic reaction. We now have Kona headed in for her annual on Friday and Lil Linus is coming with me with LT to work on Saturday for his final vaccines. LT will be in for a recheck on the ruptured SC on his own head. BUSY! BUSY! BUSY! Lil Linus is doing well. Very little resourcing now yet when it does happen, it is less forceful than it was. PROGRESS! He has completely slid backwards in his housebreaking this past weekend while I was away. From some reason, only he really knows; he has decided that he should be playing outside for hours and hours and due to the nice weather; we will leave the front door open so the dogs can go in for water, to rest etc. while we work on yard tidying etc. as the snow melts; but when he needs to go to the bathroom; he will come inside; pee or poop and then run back outside to play!!!! LOL He is a riot to watch doing this. It is like he calls a ‘timeout’ to the play and runs inside; pees and/or poops just inside the door and runs back outside; calls a ‘timein’ and resumes play! OMG! TOO funny! It will click….time and patience. One of his best friends and who he has become quite unseparable from is Hamilton The Newf! Lil Linus was very lost when Bronson was in SYR and Hamilton The Newf was being neutered for PPSS slept a lot(recuperating from all their constant play! LOL). I also wish to state for those that do not understand our polices, mandates etc. that Lil Linus is NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION! HE still needs to be altered and even after that; he will not be available until he is ready. He has come far since his arrival yet he has much more progress to be made with his self-esteem, confidence, appropriate communication, socialisation etc. He will let us know when it is time.

The Vet Hospital called yesterday to day that Lil Linus’s fecal came back negative! YAY! He is now worm free! New slides #38 – #46 have been added. He is still collapsed in his pasterns and we will continue to try and get them to ‘lift up’. Last night, he discovered his ‘voice’, and as ‘shhh’ has been added to the signs he is learning; we continue to reinforce it! LOL He is getting so much better in his housebreaking and LOVES his crate about 98% of the time! He very happily goes in there and settles down and what a GOOD BOY he is!

New slides #32 – #37 of Lil Linus from yesterday. 🙂 All that snow is so cold and hard on his tender little tootsies yet he loves to go out!

I brought Lil Linus with me when I worked on Monday at the Vet’s and had him examined etc. He now weighs 53.24 pounds(24.2Kgs) and the Vet agrees with me on the collapsed pasterns plus his hips. He was more resistive and uncomfortable when the left hip, knee etc. was flexed and rotated over the right. We will monitor as he grows older and do X-Rays when he is neutered. Due to his vaccines haven been given at such a young age; we just boostered him tonight and will wait another 3 weeks before the rabies is given. I brought in a fecal sample to be tested to see how we are doing with his de-worming. He was so much better in the car and settled down best when he was allowed on the passenger side seat with his head in my lap or resting touching my side! He still is nervous about driving anywhere and did not realise we were actually home until he was walking up the steps and you should have seen how much he changed! He was so happy and relieved to know that he was now back home! At the hospital; he continued to charm everyone and was not happy about being in a pen by himself yet he needs to learn that his own company is ok too. 🙂 He settled down after awhile and we brought him out on several occasions to mingle and socialise. He had the opportunity to meet and play with a Golden Retriever Puppy yet when that puppy began to bark at him; he barked back and was scared and then hid behind me. He was much more interested in the humans around him than any of the dogs. I gave him the ‘shhhh’ command and he listened! YAY! He will need a lot more outside(yes, we have 17 other dogs but he needs others)the home with other dog interaction. Not being 100% comfortable in his environment, he did not pee outside and had two accidents in his pen instead; which is ok. That will come. When he come home, he could not greet all the dogs fast enough and did not know who to play with first. I also discussed with the Vet about his ‘resourcing’ and that this is going to be a huge thing for us to work on for to see such a thing in a 15 week old pup is something else. She agreed and many stated just how much he is in the right place for him to overcome all that he has to. His heart, eyes, ears, teeth and body looked good and while thin; he is putting on the weight and should continue to blossom. I was just so thrilled by the kisses he continues to shower upon me more and more as when we first picked him up; he would only feel comfortable giving them to Sean. Lil Linus’s vet bills tonight was just over $150.00 and if anyone would like to help us by sponsoring him, donating toys, a new collar(he came with a choke collar that not only was not the best for a puppy but was too small and quite hard to get off and he is now wearing Mudslide’s old feminine one! 😳 ) I know that not only would we be so appreciative of the assistance yet I know that Lil Linus would too; especially if he had a collar meant for the manly boy he is! His next vet visit shall not be for another month but I will bring him in when I go into work to continue to expose him to different things.

BHRR’s Lil Linus – DEAF Male Young(3+ months) Harlequin Great Dane, born December 7th, 2007 and weighed 50.16 pounds(22.8 KGs) on March 18th, 2008. We picked him up in Montreal, Quebec in the evening of Saturday March 15th as he was at risk of being pts. He is not neutered at this time and not yet fully utd on vaccines. I will be bringing him in this week to give him boosters(his first vaccines and second were at such a young age that we will not give him his rabies until he is closer to 5 months)and I am currently de-worming him and he is now on Sentinel. He will be neutered in a few months time. His vision is also normal for a SN’s and DOGGLES is a good recommendation to help protect him in the sun and snow. We are working on crate training and for the most part; Linus will give me about 4.5 hours a night in a stretch before ‘squeaking’ to come out! 😛 He really likes BHRR’s Abbi’s crate the best and can often be found lying in there with or without her. I am not sure if it is because it is located in the sunroom where my computer is or not for he likes to be ‘around’ me. We have learnt so much about Linus in the one week he has been here. The night we brought Linus home; he just walked right up the stairs and into the house as if he owned the place! The next thing he did was put his front feet up on the kitchen counter and look for ‘yummies!’ He had no problems about making himself at home. Linus has come a long way with touching for he did not like to be touched too much when he arrived; especially around the head. If he was unsure, he would come up to you and let you give him a quick pat and that was all he needed to move on WHICH is great for we do not believe in ‘babying’ and ‘enabling’ the dogs. We teach them safe and calming words plus signals and touches and just move forward after they are done in a situation that might make a dog uncomfortable. By the first 24 hours; Linus had been integrated with 15 of the 17 other dogs here. Mazda and Cherokee preferred to stay snoozing in the recreation room which is fine as they play QUITE rough at times! LOL Linus LOVED KB/JB when he met him! That little tail just would not stop wagging. Linus’s best buds are KB/JB, Soul(WAS there going to be any questions on that one!), Bronson and now also Hamilton. Linus is like Abbi in that he wants to play with the ‘BIG DOGS’ and cannot wait to do so! Unlike Abbi, however; he does not possess the same level of ‘common’ sense and often finds himself in the middle of the action and then being bowled over. Yet, after recovering to the safety be it the front step or a bed; within seconds he is right back out there going at it again! Linus is NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! His personality is HUGE+. We are also working on doggy boot camp with him(NILIF) as he is resourcing and does not like to share what he believes are high value items. Yes, he is only 3+ months and he has no qualms about taking another dog on(perceived offense yet most often only in his imagination due to his inside insecurities) over something. Linus is required to share his food bowl in addition to the water(which he is fine over) and all toys. He has come a long way in just a week and we need to be on top of things for this is not behavour we wish to see develop in the wrong direction. Will he always be this way; hard to really say at this point; yet we will aim to keep up a management/treatment program and work on his self-confidence ‘build’ up in the right ways FOR as much as he is outwardly ‘full of steam’; inside he is a little puppy that has had to grow up a bit too fast mentally/emotionally(he was bounced around in at least 3 homes before coming to us) and has not been given the right tools to be able to develop the way he should. We are working on the housebreaking and he is no longer trying to ‘hump’ everything around him. AND for clarification sake; humping does not always mean mating or dominant behavour either. It is done often by puppies to build up their self-confidence. He was fairly thin when he arrived and with the de-worming plus homecooking in addition to Canidae; he is growing well. He is collapsed in his pasterns and I have him on Ester C right now. We will also look closer at Linus’s hind end for he is a bit ‘wonky’ back there right now and will do X-Rays if needed when he is neutered to get a better idea of what we are looking at. Linus knows how to ‘sit’ like a pro now and other than that; he has finally picked up ‘no’ and more often than not; likes to ignore you when you use his name(he will look away or walk away)! Housebreaking is coming along………..slowly! He will be outside(he loves outside yet does not want to go out by himself) and does not think about doing anything until he comes in and then well……………. 🙄 He also has ‘destructo’ jaws and anything is fair game to him right now; toys, shoes are a favourite of his; ankles, clothing; you name it! He is going to have very powerful chewing tendencies like our PPSS has and will require many many many Giant Breed and durable toys. YET, the neat thing is that he has not desired to destroy his ‘Tigger’ stuffie. Unfortunately; Hamilton The Newf got a hold of poor Tigger and Tigger has been a little mangled. Linus still wuvs him though! He is taking re-direction well in the replacing of the non-acceptable item with an acceptable one and I will stock up on even more for with his mouth; PPSS and Guinness; we are going to need more toys that can take a beating! Linus is insecure about car rides so I take him often with me just for short jaunts and make sure that I visit Timmie’s or McDonald’s so that he can get a special treatie! When we came home from when I took him to work with me; he went from a little mush in the seat to “OMG! WOW! FOR ME! A TREATIE! MAYBE THE CAR IS NOT SO BAD AFTERALL!’ He is getting better at riding and in time; I am hoping that he is feeling secure enough to know that he is not going to be changing hands to another anytime soon. He is also doing fantabulous with his ‘startle’ reflex from when he first arrived. He has gone from waking up panicked and running away making soft sounds of distress to now if maybe opening up his eyes yet most often stretching and making cute puppy grunts and moving his body so that we can rub his tummy! NOW that is success!!!!! We are always in his mouth, touching feet, ears and tail. He even comes up for special lovings now all on his own!!! NOW, the one thing I have to mention is Linus’s snoring! OMG! I was thinking it was Guinness(our 204 pounds EM) or Sean snoring and in fact it is Linus! HOLY! What is he going to be like when he is an adult! LOL Linus makes a great alarm clock and you can be very reliably assured that at 7:00 AM everyday; he is up and at it; raring to go! A long update to be sure but it has been a very big and busy week for Linus.