New puppy.

[Parvati]

This is my new Great Dane puppy, Violet. She's 4 months old here, but she's actually almost 6 months old, now. (I didn't know her breed for certain when I said I'd take her--thought perhaps she was some kind of bloodhound. One round of genetic testing later, and lo! Great Dane.) She's a very sweet dog. 85lbs of very sweet dog that will probably top off somewhere in the 140-160lb range, so there's a pretty decent chance that this girl will outweigh me. Yay?

[NYGman]

I prefer run of the mill Dane's but very cute.

[Judge Roy Bean]

Congratulations!!!

We had the happy/sad experience of family with a harlequin Great Dane that was so lovable but had so much strength that children were simply incompatible.

The brush of the tail could clear a card-table, ending a game of Monopoly, chess or Risk in seconds! She also had a habit of coming over and putting a foot on someone's foot who was sitting, thus neutralizing any movement and pinning them into the chair or sofa with her head on their lap.

My female relative was the only person who could get her out of the house onto the patio without having furnishings scattered around the kitchen during an overly-playful chase.

As you already know, they are known as the "heartbreak breed" because of their propensity to have life-threatening conditions but there's almost nothing like having a horse-sized pet who thinks it's a lap dog!

[notorial dissent]

Gorgeous animal, congratulations, she does look a love.

[webhick]

That's a funny looking horse.

[Famspear]

In that picture, she reminds me of our black Labrador Retriever. He's a bit over a hundred pounds and he is just as lovable as can be.

He will never get as big as a Great Dane.

I remember years ago, an acquaintance of mine had two Great Danes -- they had wonderful dispositions - great with people. One of them liked to "dance" with people. I could get him to stand up on his hind legs, with his paws on my shoulders, and slowly "dance" around the room with him. Standing up like that, he was just as tall as me, or maybe taller. Hilarious.

Let's hear it for Canis lupus familiaris!

[ArthurWankspittle]

Congratulations - looks lovely. I will also echo the judge's comments. I used to work with a man who bred Great Danes and I think he called their tails "table clearers".

[eric]

A very sweet looking little pup - by the size of her feet she will probably grow up to be a big girl. I love her eyes by the way. At work I handle boys from when they are just little piglets weighing about 50 pounds and are like little puppies until their mature age when they are around 1500 pounds and up to my chest and I'm over 6 feet tall. All my boys have their own name that they will respond to, and even though they're massive animals driven by hormones and territorial ambitions, and think nothing of using physical force to get their own way, they're still my kids. I won't be in the barn when one of them has to be put down due to old age or sickness. My current male children are Bandit, Pierre, Jack, Oscar, Scottie, and Buddy. (The other roughly 2500 girls just have numbers). I still have three younger boys who will be named this year by the children of farm employees at their annual Christmas party.

[Burnaby49]

How about Ty, Derek, and Kevin. It will make things easier when you have to put them down.

[eric]

How about Ty, Derek, and Kevin. It will make things easier when you have to put them down.

Sorry, but they're too honest to be sullied with such names.

[Parvati]

At work I handle boys from when they are just little piglets weighing about 50 pounds and are like little puppies until their mature age when they are around 1500 pounds and up to my chest and I'm over 6 feet tall. All my boys have their own name that they will respond to, and even though they're massive animals driven by hormones and territorial ambitions, and think nothing of using physical force to get their own way, they're still my kids. I won't be in the barn when one of them has to be put down due to old age or sickness. My current male children are Bandit, Pierre, Jack, Oscar, Scottie, and Buddy. (The other roughly 2500 girls just have numbers). I still have three younger boys who will be named this year by the children of farm employees at their annual Christmas party.

Oh, you have a farm, too? (I assume you're talking about cows, btw?) We never had a dairy operation, but we had chickens, horses, a mule and (sadly) pigs. We don't do pig work, anymore.

That's a huge operation you're talking about, there. How many acres of pasture?

[eric]

At work I handle boys from when they are just little piglets weighing about 50 pounds and are like little puppies until their mature age when they are around 1500 pounds and up to my chest and I'm over 6 feet tall. My current male children are Bandit, Pierre, Jack, Oscar, Scottie, and Buddy. (The other roughly 2500 girls just have numbers). I still have three younger boys who will be named this year by the children of farm employees at their annual Christmas party.

Oh, you have a farm, too? (I assume you're talking about cows, btw?) We never had a dairy operation, but we had chickens, horses, a mule and (sadly) pigs. We don't do pig work, anymore.

Not my farm, I'm just a cog in the machine. I'm an employee of what is technically known as a vertically integrated Agri-business with operations in Canada and the US for the hog market. The boys I mention are "teaser boars" whose function is to excite production sows as part of the breeding process, so they get a lot of human interaction and attention. Good, "stinky" (extra virile) boars we keep until old age so they can get truly massive.

That's a huge operation you're talking about, there. How many acres of pasture?

Going from memory, I believe our Crops Division works 58 sections ( 1 section = 1 square mile, more or less).