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Black is beautiful
Black is Beautiful
by the Black Danes in Rescue
Posted on the Harlequin Haven website
Once upon a time, there were many homeless Black Danes in Rescue, and for some reason they found it hard to be adopted. People would call and e-mail about the other Danes, but seldom about the black ones.
“Why is it that people do not want Black Danes?” asked the black puppy. “I thought people wanted puppies even if they were black!”
“Well,” said the older and wiser black Dane, “blacks are common, and few people want a common color!”
“I am NOT common,” said the black puppy. “I resent being called common! I am unique! My Grandma told me I was. She told me that we all are special and unique in our own way!”
“Last week your sister was shown and adopted,” said the old Dane. “She is a merle, not a black, and I hate to be cruel, but the people did not even ask to see you, did they?”
The heartbroken puppy hung his head. “No,” he replied. “But don’t people know that looks are only skin deep? I am gorgeous on the inside, and I have a huge heart, and I am just looking for a family that can love me as much as I will love them. I guess I will grow old at the Rescue just like so many of the other black Danes that have lived here all their lives.”
“Wait a minute,” piped up a young black male. “I am very handsome, and I have cropped ears. I should be very adoptable!”
“Yes, young man,” said the older black Dane. “You are more adoptable than the ones with natural ears, but look at the Fawn boy with cropped ears, or even the Harlequin with natural ears. People always want them, and they will have a home months, or maybe years, before you have a home! Be thankful that you are handsome and have cropped ears that stand. Feel sorry for the black Danes that had their ears cropped and they do not stand, or the ones that have injured their tails and had to have them docked. NO ONE ever wants them! Just look around at the ones who have been waiting for homes month after month after month.”
The older, wiser black Dane continued, “You may not want to believe me, but I have lived here all my life. I am now old and wise, and I have faced the reality that people do not want us because we are black. What a sad world it is when people think that color, size, or even cropped ears matter. What really matters is what is in our hearts, and if people would just give us a chance, they would find that we are just as good as the other Danes at Rescue!
What is really sad is that there are breeders out there producing more of us. And people will buy them! They will pay a lot more money to get that cute little puppy. Too soon, that puppy ends up here in Rescue with the rest of us. After all, who wants a plain old black Dane? I dread the look on their faces when their owners DUMP them. As you can see, the other colors seldom are dumped. Why do breeders keep breeding when there are so many homeless Danes already? Why? Why? Why? I thank God every day that the wonderful people at Rescue do not care about color, age, or what our ears look like. They just care that we are homeless and need to be loved and cared for. Maybe someday people will see us through the eyes of the people at Rescue-see us for what we really are-Great Danes, the gentle giants of the dog world!”
Showing Dogs
EVERYONE wants to breed their dog, it’s all over MDS “want a mate to breed” but how many show pictures do you see posted here of show dogs? I have seen a couple: a bloodhound and a mastiff, and of course BGDawgs.
Do people realize that without dog showing and performance events, there would be very little type or consistency in any breed? ALL purebreds would eventually disappear.
The time, energy in training and conditioning, money (entry fees, motels, GAS???? traveling to shows that are sometimes hours away, dog supplies, the best foods) that goes into showing is overwhelming and is usually only done by the breeders that have their breed’s best interest at heart. The people who want to produce better examples of their breed, better puppies.
Wanna breed? Then you should try it, enter your dog in a show. Get up the guts to take him/her in the ring. Trot around to show the judge their movement, teach them to stand for the judge to examine them. Compete against fair competition. See what that feels like. What have you got to loose?
The judge will let you know if your dog meets his or her breed standard or not.
Mammary tumors
This is a mammary tumor. It is a good reason to spay your female dog BEFORE she ever goes into heat. If you do that, your dog will NEVER have one of these. It eliminates the chance 100%. This one came out of Charlotte 3 yr old intact female dane - who is now spayed. This tumor was as big as a half pound burger. It required them to take so much tissue that when they sewed her back up, they had to stretch the skin, resulting in all of her 24 stiches being pulled out by the tension.
This is the hole that was in her side for over a month as the surgical site healed. This could have been totally avoided. Charlotte’s owners before us should have gotten her spayed, and before her first heat cycle. That in itself would have spared her the pain that she had to endure because the hormones in her body created this tumor.
If you are thinking of breeding, keep these pictures in mind. They are only one example of health issues associated with keeping intact pets. Poor Char didn’t deserve this, and the best part is that she is a mismark, a product of an irresponsible “breeder” to begin with and because of that, she should have never been bred anyway.
Again
“want a mate to breed”
WHY???
Even people who know they have dogs with genetic health conditions. I ask a simple question, sure maybe it wasn’t what you want to hear, but I get a snotty answer and then blocked (good). Honestly, tell the truth
You import a dog, want to breed it, find out bad news health wise and are going to take the selfish route, throw caution to the wind and then “hope he doesn’t pass it on” to his puppies? Guess where he got it from? Not only that I hear, we probably wouldn’t breed him anyway, but it is clear as day on your page ”want a mate to breed”...
Big difference between pumping out mass quantities of puppies in a puppy farm and producing one litter of puppies from parents (even one) with KNOWN genetic health issues. That’s why people test their breeding dogs for thyroid issues.
Truthfully it is people like this that make me want to give up. Feeling like no one gets it and everyone is selfish gets old. It amazes me how many “experts” there are in dogs.
People who wouldn’t think of giving up weekends and holidays to show or compete, proving that the dog they are thinking of breeding actually meets the breed standard, actually has something to contribute to further generations of the breed the owner proclaims to love.
Instead thinking, gee— I spent all this money on this expensive rare dog imported from overseas, maybe other people will too and I can make back my money,
all too common…
Why do we get a dog? Is it to turn him into a stud farm? A puppy factory? Maybe just one litter so we can have one “just like her”? Or do we get a dog because we want someone who will love us for who we are? Unconditionally.
If you love your dog and you didn’t aquire a dog because you think you want to be a dog breeder, then do right by your dog. Feed him the best food you can afford, as this is his daily nutrition. It is his best defense against disease and illness. Keep him indoors as part of the family where he is warm and dry and loved. Get him altered so he can live a peacful relaxing life as your companion and not be hormonal and cranky. Smelling a bitch in heat 10 miles away makes an intact male’s life miserable and frusterating. An intact female has a huge risk of pyometra and mammary tumors (see our other blog). Make sure he visits his doctor regularly so he can be healthy for many years.
Don’t exploit him by trying to make a quick buck.
Poor Diesel
This is Diesel, he is Nigel and Lilly’s brother. I had to take his owner to court to try and get him back because she let him deteriorate to this condition. She had taken him to the vet for shots and to be neutered, but not to find out why he looked like this. I had her sign a contract when she took him that outlined everything. She initialed each paragraph and then signed the entire contract. She told me she understood the contract and agreed to it, but when I asked for the return of Diesel, she refused, so we went to court. The judge didn’t agree with me what “vet care” was, so she got o keep him and shortly after she began toting around her new mastiff puppy. In my gut, I feel that Diesel is now dead.
Good owners are hard to find, look at these pictures of what a promised “good home” turned out to be and then ask yourself if you would want one of your dog’s puppies to end up like this. If there ever is a “next time” I am considering having the contract signed in blood : ) LOL
It is heartbreaking.
CGC
I am excited and very pleased to share that as of today, I am now an approved evaluator for the AKC’s Canine good citizen program. I can’t wait to hold a test. A couple of our dogs have their CGC and it is a fun way to “prove” your dog is a good citizen. If you are unfamiliar with the program, check out this link:
http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/index.cfm
They send you a nice certificate that looks nice in a frame on the wall, plus it helps certain breeds “prove” they are not mean.
7 became 6
It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that our Gus crossed the bridge today. Our pack was seven and now is six. We are sad and will miss you boy. Say hi to Sunny on the other side.
RIP- 01-19-00 to 05-14-08
Why does everyone want a mate to breed???
I am so curious as to why everyone (it seems like pit bull owners especially-1 in 600 pitbulls is lucky enough to stay in it’s original home) wants to breed their dog? Can anyone answer that for me? I mean, I get it and all, wanting a puppy to be like it’s parents (which rarely happens anyway), but in the grand scheme of things don’t people realize that those puppies are probably going to ( if they stay in the same home you place them in) reproduce again and again and agian?? If you breed your dog and you do it with the intention of taking each and every puppy you produce back if something happens, for the entire life of the dog, then fine. You have your breed’s best interest at heart and you are being responsible for the life you created. If you are in it to make a quick buck, then the dogs are the ones who suffer.
Still reading>? GOOD- look at this video on youtube and then tell me that you still want to breed your dog and NOT care where the puppies end up.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1bpDE6Vx_QU&feature=user //—>
There is a part one, but this part shows everything. Watch the whole video-
Yes, you have the right to breed your dog, BUT it is your RESPONSIBILITY not to!
By the way, this is my two cents worth so take it for what it is worth. Please spay and neuter, if you want to raise pups, go to your shelter and offer to foster a pregnant dog. Be a part of the solution not the problem.
Spaying BEFORE the first heat cycle completely 100% eliminates the chance of your bitch developing mammary tumors. This one was the size of a half pound burger and Charlotte got 24 stitches that all ripped out.
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