On occasion, I watch the dog shows like Westminster and Eukanuba... and often I wonder how any decision at all can be reached? Tough job and I'm happy I don't have to do it. I have in the past been MOST perplexed when the dog is taken for a walk / trot around the ring. I've thought, "What could they possibly learn from a dog walking 20 feet away and 20 feet back?... Don't all dogs look the same when they trot? - Seems like it to me!?" Once again, I was wrong.

Ava doesn't move like any dog I have ever seen. She taught me how beauty and grace can rest in the stride and movement of an animal.

This is where I should add that Luna has no grace of movement. With his long legs, he is the perpetual "Bambi-on-ice-scene" indelibly carved into our memories, or the giraffes we see trying to drink from an area somewhere close to their hooves. Where he is lanky, she is proportioned. Where he is comical and goofy, she is regal and poised. The difference is astonishing and I gained the insight to see through the eyes of a Westminster judge for the first time.

Soon after arriving, I was out in the back yard watching her as she roamed at a trot learning the lay of the land. I saw it that day for the first time, but said nothing and just savored the moment. It is true I feared my family may think me mad... until one day my son piped up and mentioned "how pretty she looks when she runs", seconded by my husband, and I added my nod. I realized then that only half the people who stare at us during our evening constitutionals are gawking at their size. Even Luna prances proudly, head held high during walks.

It reminded me of my elementary class trips to the zoo and how it was always more exciting when the animals were roaming or swinging or flying around. It wasn't just seeing exotic animals up close- you can of course get that from books, but their movement that added to our understanding of what they are in the world. Just another lesson graciously provided by Ava.

I realize these pictures can not do her justice, but someday I'll figure out how to upload video so you can see for yourself.

Lazy sunny summer afternoons...




Since Ava has joined our little pack, Luna has learned what it means to be a dog. He "fluffs" the carpet before twirling in a circle for the perfect carpet nap, spends actual time outside to do the daily perimeter fence smelling, AND actually rolls in the grass. After 4 years of living as something else in his mind, he has found peace in being a dog. Quite the change.

We frequently play I-SPY with Luna's spots.

On his right side is a big beautiful heart (which my sister was first to notice - and thereby officially started the I-SPY game when Luna was just 10 weeks old). I love this shot of him trying to do his best to be friendly with the neighbors!


And on the left side of his neck, he has vanity spot. His own profile proudly displayed, his spot mimics the image of a Great Dane profile -cropped ears and all. We have also found the United States, an exclamation point, and Captain Hook's hook. Great fun!



Also, as you can see... Ava is back to her lazy ways. She is doing much better, although I did revert back to using the syringe for subsequent pepto doses. Turns out she is waaaay too smart for that whole "lick the plate" deal to fool her more than once. I have spent the last two days rearranging furniture and she has trailed behind sniffing the new path through the house to aid with those dark, late-night strolls around the house.

I arrived home to find Ava was sick... everywhere . She has caught a bug and her digestive system is on the fritz.

I called the vet and promised I would keep them off food and water for 24 hrs. What I didn't tell them was that I was about to give her Pepto Bismol under the direction of two dane owners I trust immensely. But I was not looking forward to the battle. Ava, can be stubborn when it comes to medicine and there is no reasoning with her if she won't look at you (again, deaf and blind). Then I thought of how she is always eager to lick off my plate if I offer it. Sure enough! When I came at her with a syringe, she backed away and hid ... but when I smeared it on a plate from the cupboard... she licked it without protest . They are both resting now and I hope she will be on the mend soon. As for me? I am left with clean up...

FYI: For those of you in need of a serious pet cleaner, zeroodor.com is the only one I use. The stuff is no-lie magic?! I'm not in the business of advertising for companies, but if you have not tried it... my three animals and white carpet are testimony to my trust in the product. If you have tried it - I would enjoy hearing how /if it worked for you.

Numa is a solitary cat and would undoubtedly throw a fit if another feline came to be part of the pack (again, that may go back to his "i am a dog" thing - but who's to say for sure?), so naturally that leaves canine additions. Of course it takes some getting used to on his part, but he seems to forgive me each time I trail an unusually large dog home behind me and he somehow he finds peace with it.

Yeah, that hasn't quite happened yet for Ava and Nums... Don't get me wrong, there are signs that deep down they have grown fond of each other, but the chase is just too tempting when the urge hits them.

You see, Ava followed Numa around the house for the first several weeks after she arrived. It was a new environment, she was out to meet the locals, and Numa was having none of that. He would, yeowl, hiss, and fire a one-paw-warning-shot over her bow, but Ava just kept coming. What Numa had yet to discover was that Ava has some sight and hearing issues. She didn't hear the yeowls or hisses and she didn't see the warning shot. In fact, Ava is blind in one eye and what remains of her vision in the other is blurry at best. But Numa is black, the carpet is white, she was able to see him no matter how bright the light source, and used him as an "involuntary seeing-eye cat" to learn the lay of the land.
This was winning her no points in Numa's book.

Being deaf means Ava meets and categorizes people and animals through scent. However, she conveniently lacks an understanding of personal space. Makes sense to me... the closer she is, the more she can smell. The down side comes in when you realize the two areas that have the strongest scent on your body.

The northern region typically brushed and flossed
and the southern region where cold, wet, large, noses are alarming at best.

Even if she is polite and decides to smell the nose / mouth region of someone she meets, it is still unnerving to be nose to nose with a giant dog you have never met before. Not for the faint of heart and Numa is no exception.