Elphaba came into our life at a time when Megan and I were spending a lot of time at work and school and we were very stressed. We went on a date for some dinner and Michael decided that it would relieve stress if we went to the pet store and played with the puppies. Well, there was a Great Dane there and it instantly stole Megan’s heart. The Great Dane has been her dream breed since she was a little girl, so there was no winning any argument about getting a dog. We did decide to use a local breeder as opposed to a pet store because we wanted to know where the puppy came from and that its parents were healthy and well cared for. The next morning, Megan found a breeder and we found Elphaba.
Elphaba was named after the lead character in the musical Wicked. Elphaba is the Wicked Witch of the West, but she is only known as “wicked” because she had a bad publicist and her reputation was tarnished by the Wizard of Oz. In reality, Elphaba is a sweet hearted but somewhat awkward and clumsy lady and that seemed to absolutely sum up the personality of our puppy!
Michael always wanted a Black Lab and Megan wanted a Great Dane, so we compromised and got a black Great Dane. Having a big dog was important to both of us. Megan likes to have something big to boss around and Michael loves to wrestle with the big dogs. Elphie is great at both. We discovered early, she is VERY food motivated. It all started in Puppy Class (which is really Puppy Owner Class) where we learned that Elphie would do just about anything for hot dogs or other smelly treats. Speaking of hot dogs, that is how we taught her to enjoy her bath… While one of us slowly feeds her a hot dog, the other one gets to give the bath… One way, you get your fingers nibbled and the other way, you smell like a wet dog.
Elphie has had one major injury. She was running on wet concrete and tried to swerve around a concrete post. Unfortunately, her feet shot out from under her and she slammed into the post. She got a few stitches and a bright pink cast for her efforts and we both got proof that this dog completely owned our hearts. Michael always plays the tough guy when it comes to the dog, but in reality, he is a big softie who only pretends to be tough when it comes to the dog.
Elphaba’s favorite toy is a $1.99 squeaking ball we bought in South Carolina. It has the most obnoxious and loud squeaker in the entire world and she love to chew on it for hours. The funniest times are when she starts howling while she chews the ball. It is a little canine concert that she shares with the entire apartment complex!
Elphie has recently received her AKC ILP listing that will allow her to participate in performance events. We look forward to Elphie’s first show before April of 2009.
We love working with K9TL. Elphie gets so excited when she sees the course and she starts jumping into the air like a rabbit when she finishes (which is especially funny considering her size!). Everyone is so friendly and very helpful as we try to learn how to make our dog look great. (Remember, the real training is teaching the humans… the dogs are WAY smarter than we are…) Elphie especially loves the tunnel and the jumps! Many people roll their eyes at us when we tell them we are doing rally and obedience with a Great Dane because they think the dog is too large for things like the tunnel and the weave poles… Well, no dog is too big to play and have fun, and ours does both of those with zest and zeal!!!
Breed: Great Dane Place of Birth: Arizona DOB: May 17, 2006 Nickname: Elphie Likes: Squeeky Toys, peanut butter Pet-Peeves: Vacuum Quirky Tid-bit: Bites her toe nails Our Similarities: Ability to ignore Michael when we are mad at him! Trivia: Great Danes have no concept of their size. They are notorious for their desire to be a lapdog which has resulted in tow “Dane Specific” moves… The Great Dane Lean where they stand next to you and slowly begin leaning on you with greater and greater force. The Great Dane Lap Sit… if you are sitting, a Great Dane will face away from you and slowly back up until the end up sitting right in your lap, thus giving you maximum access to pet all of the best places!!!
When I saw Rocket at the Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley, he was playing with a squeaky toy and having fun, even by himself. He was very friendly and anxious to play. I really took to his personality, and told him that he may be the guy for me. When I told the Humane Society person I was interested in him, she chuckled a bit. When I asked why, she said “You’ll see”. It was because he was wildly energetic and unfocused. I’ve trained dogs before, and he seemed smart and trainable, just untrained to me. I thought that if I could teach him to behave without breaking his spirit, that he’d be a great companion
He is a lot of fun, very happy go lucky, affectionate, and brings lots of joy into our house. He is filled with curiosity and a zest for life. Despite his wild energy, he is a nice guy. He isn’t aggressive with other dogs or with people, but can be trying with his boundless energy. He likes children, and is gentle around them. He gets into “little boy” type mischief regularly, getting into things out of curiosity or swiping things that look fun to play with. He loves to hunt. He chases squirrels, birds, and bugs. Sometimes he watches airplanes in the sky as if they were big birds. He chases laser lights as if it was an insect. He has even dug up earth worms in the garden.
Breed: Jack Russell Terrier — Chihuahua mix; his personality is mostly like a Jack Russell Place of Birth: Unknown, but probably in the Bay area DOB: August 13, 2007; adopted April 29, 2008 at 8 ½ months of age. Nickname: Not really a nickname, but we tell him he’s a “such a Noodle”. Likes: He is extremely social. When we take him to the dog park, he greets every dog and every person, and many of the people comment on his friendly disposition. He loves to play with other dogs at the dog park, especially running — nothing is more fun than a good game of chase — either as the leader or a follower. For a small dog, he likes to play hard. He loves playing ball, tug of war, chasing a laser light, chasing bubbles, and squeaking and ultimately de-stuffing stuffed dog toys. At the end of the day he likes to burrow under the covers and snuggle. I love to snuggle with him in the late evening or morning, as most other times he won’t sit still long enough. Pet-Peeves: Rocket does not like to be locked into or out of a room. If he hears anyone go into a room and close the door, he’ll immediately run down the hall, to the door and start scratching on it. Quirky Tid-bit: Most of the time, his ears stand straight up, but when he’s tired, his ears droop forward. He likes to steal socks. He is not very food motivated and won’t eat most dog treats. He likes to shower people’s faces with kisses if they’ll let him. When I’m on the computer, he’ll sometimes stare at the screen to see what I find so interesting. Then he’ll lunge toward the cursor and bite at it, as if it was an insect. Our Similarities: We’re both blondes and we both like exploring new places and trying new things. Trivia: Jack Russell Terriers were originally bred in England for fox hunting alongside hunters riding horses. They are hunters, fast and courageous enough to run and keep up with horses, but compact enough to follow a fox into a fox hole. JRTs are intelligent, playful, and intensely curious. They thrive on action and adventure, and may get into trouble as a result. Chihuahua are very individualistic so personalities can vary widely. They are intelligent, lively, affectionate, deeply devoted and loyal. They can become strongly attached to one or two people. They like to be the center of attention. Many are wary of strangers, but not Rocket. Rocket wants to meet and play with everyone!
On a beautiful day in the late spring in upstate New York, we watched as Cookie and her littermates, at merely 4 weeks of age, playing and tumbling on the breeder’s sunny porch. Among the pack was a little kitten of similar age but much more agile, prancing around the wobbly puppies. We were both giddy from the cuteness overload, but we didn’t realize that when Cookie finally came home with us a few weeks later, she would bring along something more than the typical puppy playfulness. Cookie was just a little peanut back then, but we noticed the feline streak in her right from the start. She liked to communicate with her paws, and she would stalk a toy from a distance then pounce on it. I think growing up with a kitten at the early stage of her life really did have an impact on her behavior, and it was certainly an interesting thing to observe. Even to this day, when Dobby, her little brother, is being obnoxious, Cookie would not be shy about giving him a good smack on the head to remind him who the boss is.
We call Cookie our sassy girl because she is not only athletic but is also full of spunk. And being a toy fanatic, she makes sure the rules are known: 1) All toys go through her first, especially the new ones and, 2) No toys should be played without her, um, “supervision.”
Cookie is extremely smart. From a very young age, she was able to identify her toys (and there were LOTS of them) by name. She also has incredible problem-solving skills. An example would be when we bought a new bed for her a while back, and her little bro immediately planted himself in there and refused to move. Cookie tried to negotiate a deal with Dobby so she could have her bed back. We think she gave a pretty good shot despite Dobby’s shameless butt.
We didn’t know a lot about dogs when Cookie first came into our life, but she has taught us so much about what it means to love and be loved, to understand and be understood. She’s very loving, always craves attention from anyone and everyone, and most importantly, she is a wonderful big sister to Dobby by putting up with his silly antics and smothering Frenchie kisses without a complaint. She’s amazing, beautiful, and will always have a special place in our heart.
Breed: Boston Terrier Place of Birth: New York DOB: May 14, 2002 Nickname: CookieMon, The Little One, Magic Cookie Likes: Falling asleep sucking on a toy, sun basking, and smacking Dobby on the head Pet-Peeves: Cold weather, getting wet, and mommy & daddy having disagreements Quirky Tid-bit: Complete belly makeover when season changes
Our Similarities: We both embrace the inner cat in us, frown upon cold weather, and we think girls rule! Trivia: The Boston Terrier is the first genuinely American breed. A result from selective breeding of the Bulldog and the white English Terrier in the Boston area during the 1870s, the breed was recognized by the AKC in 1891. Lively and highly intelligent, the Boston Terrier has won the nickname “the American Gentleman” not just for the dapper appearance, but also for the excellent disposition & winning personality.
