Where did that stick go?   I got Camelot II in November of 2008. He came from Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue in Denver Colorado. Camelot II was rescued from an owner that had kept him in a small chicken coop all his young life.  He was extremely timid and scared of everything new and unknown. I don’t know what had made him so afraid. But every new noise scared him making him shivering like a leaf, he tried to hide in the corner of the couch and make himself as small as possible. It was so sad to see him like this. If I lifted my arm he went down looking up with his whole body shaking. I could not walk behind him without him sitting down hiding his rear end. It was as he expected me to hit him. I walk my dogs on trails and some are narrow with bushes and trees on each side. Each time a branch touched him he went down thinking someone hit him.  A distance that normally takes a few minutes took us half an hour to walk. Slowly he realized what was going on and become braver. I have experience with timid dogs and I know the best thing to do is to completely ignore him when he gets scared and starts shaking. After a week of doing that he had become much better and was able to relax more. He now accepted the blender and the vacuum which had terrified him a week ago. It is very interesting to see how dogs learn to recognize different sounds. The memory and ability to store this information is quite incredible. Dogs rely on smell, sound and their eyes to identify their surroundings. Anything new in these areas gets their attention and an urge to investigate and learn.  That’s why I think it is so important to stimulate their mind by visiting new places on their walks. Camelot II had suffered from constant diarrhea since he was rescued which caused his anal glands become full. The same day I got him I switched him to raw food. He got some chicken wings and gizzards. He had never seen food like this I could tell by his puzzled looks. He grabbed a wing and tried to chew it and immediately dropped it on the floor, he sniffing and looking at it. He gabbed it  just to drop it again. He did this a few times before he dared to bite harder and when finally he broke the bone he got the idea. A few wings later he was eating them as he had done this all his life. He looked at me, wagging his tail with a look that said “Finally someone knows what to give me....Thank You!” Camelot was very skinny when I got him, I could see most of his bones and his chest was so narrow and underdeveloped. This must be due to no exercise. It was amazing to see how Camelot gained muscle mass and how his chest expanded from finally being able to run around and play every day, 3 times a day. Within a few weeks he became such a happy fun dog and I could tell he was having the time of his life with Rex and I. Finally he could be a dog and feel safe and loved. He is very considerate towards Rex and never play rough with him. It’s like he knows Rex is old and a bit frail. He does not do what Camelot I used to do; if Rex falls behind on our walks Camelot I would run back to check on him. I’m very happy with Camelot II and how he has turned out. I have no issues with him and he is friendly towards all humans and other animals. He is such an ambassador for rescued and adopted Great Danes. I will keep updating this page with Camelot’s progress. You can follow Camelot and Rex on my blog I love running through snow, where did all that white stuff go by the way? It took me awhile, but I finally learned how to play with sticks and I love it! This sure beats sleeping outside. My new owner lets me sleep on a huge couch with lots of pillows. A documentation about 3 Great Danes on a raw food diet traveling across Northern America www.feed-raw.com All rights reserved Feed-Raw.com Camelot II