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shabby_elegance_onli
Camelot l (2000-2008). The greatest Great Dane I ever
had!
I got Camelot from a breeder in California in 2000. He was only 5
weeks old. He was quite a handful puppy to raise. Extremely active
and playful. Everything had to be turned into a game. Camelot had
the personality of 3 or more dogs. It was never a dull moment when
Camelot was around.
From he was a little puppy he loved to tear branches of trees, clean
of all the smaller branches and twigs until he had a clean stick.
Then it was time to play tug of war or fetch. All his life he
maintained this fascination with sticks. All I had to say was :Go and
find a stick” and he was off to a bush or small tree to break one off.
Fortunately it never became an obsession, he would stop if I asked
him to.
Camelot had this amazing awareness of where I was at any time.
He never run off or got lost. Every 8-12 seconds he would check on
me. I timed this many times over the years. If I was not in his
eyesight he would stop whatever he was doing and search for me.
We played hide and seek often, it was hard since I had less than 10
seconds to hide. He always found me with 30 seconds.
All his life Camelot had this ability to turn anything we did into a
game. I have never had a more playful Dane and he never slowed
down even as he got older. But if it went out of control he would
stop immediately when I said “calm down”.
I do not teach my Danes tricks, only basic commands to keep them
safe. I do however look for things they enjoy and expand on those.
I live and travel to places that I can safely keep my Danes off-leach.
They spend 90% of their life off leach. On our walks I let them
explore and investigate all the different smells their keen noses pick
up. I believe this behavior is very important for them mentally and to
satisfy their curiosity and need for exploring. This is their mental
workout and helps them fulfill their daily need for mental
stimulation. This combined with vigorous exercise lead to calm and
balanced dogs
Camelot has been to over 10 states with me. In my previous job I
traveled and moved around every 3-6 months. Camelot never had a
problem adjusting to this. He seem to thrive on exploring the new
places and the surroundings we lived in. He was never left alone for
more than 3 hours. If I had to apart from him longer I would find a
kennel.
Camelot loved spending time in kennels and doggy day cares so
much that I let him do this 1-2 times a week even if I was at home.
These kennels and doggy cares soon referred to these days as
“Camelot Days” due to his size and playfulness he dominated the
pack and got them all playing his many games. The staff at these
places all said they never met a more friendly and playful goof ball
of a Dane. Camelot is one of these dogs that anyone will fall in love
with instantly.
I still miss Camelot 1 tremendously, he was a huge part of my life
over the 8 1/2 years he was alive. I often told people that he lived
every day as it was his last day. He was such an inspiration for my
book about living in the now.
Camelot was fed RAW and natural foods his entire life. So when he
was diagnose with cancer I was shocked.
One day I noticed he was acting slower than normal and he did not
want to play. He was also drinking more water that he normally did.
This was not a good sign so I brought him to the vet. A few hours
later they asked me to come down and the news was terrible. He
had developed a large tumor inside his chest, undetectable from
the outside. This tumor has started bleeding and was filling his
chest with blood. This would eventually restrict his lungs from being
able to function.
The vet told me that the only option was to put him down. I was in
shock. My dear Camelot was dying and I could not do anything.
This magnificent animal completely healthy otherwise was about to
die. It was so hard to comprehend and understand.
They brought Camelot into a visitor’s room so I could spend some
time with him. He looked so sweet and calm and it was impossible
to understand that he was just hours from passing away.
As I was reading the paper to authorize the injection to put him
down I felt I was in a bad dream. As I picked up the pen to sign the
documents I sensed this gently bump on my elbow. It was Camelot
looking at me with bright eyes, tail swagging and a look that said
“Hey..hold on..I’m not ready. Take me home please. I not ready to
go” That was all I could think.
Against the vets advice I took Camelot home and promised to bring
him back if he got worse.
Camelot lived another week. He gave me the best week of my life.
Gave me time to prepare for his departure. This is the best gift he
could have given me. We went to all his favorite places. He got to
swim in the lake again. His absolute favorite thing to do.
Camelot died peacefully in my arms a week later. His tumor once
again started bleeding and this time it did not stop.
Words can’t describe how much I loved this wonderful happy dog. I
will never forget you Camelot I, you will always be that one special
dog. I miss you so much.
At the lake for the last time. Camelot passed away 2 days later.
Only 8 1/2 years old. No joint problems, strong heart, no teeth
issues. His teeth was never cleaned once! They were all pearly
white. Never had bad breath. His overall smell was so unique and
pleasant, even when he got wet. I’m not kidding here, it always
amazed me. Camelot stayed lean and fit at the same weight all his
adult life 140lbs summer and 145lbs in the winter lbs.
Raw diets has so many benefits.
No stick to big for this guy
Always looking for fun
I can relax for a pose
Winter was my favorite time
Come and take my stick!
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I have recently learned that the
creek that runs by my place has
high contents of chemicals that
can cause cancer. Camelot loved
this creek and played in it and
drank from it daily. If I had known.
A documentation about
3 Great Danes on a raw
food diet traveling across
Northern America
)
