I’ve been keeping a bit of a secret..

This is Jasper, he is six years old. At the time he was relinquished, he was only around 100 lbs.

When I picked him up, his foster mom had him on his way up to 107 lbs.  There is a lot to tell you about this sweet boy, but understand, he was not expected. We just seemed to be a perfect fit for him, even if I was very reluctant. He needs a pack, he clearly couldn’t be an only dog, a ranch house seems best and someone who has handled a big, strong Dane before were all needed, and well, that’s us. I took a couple of weeks to give it serious thought while his foster mom evaluated him and made sure he was gaining weight and didn’t have any serious health or behavior problems.

We had a vet visit today, and he’s a chubby 120 lbs after just 10 days here and is getting quite the booty.

Despite his original condition, he’s pretty healthy. I was worried about his hips, knees, and elbows but they look healthy, and once he’s got his muscle built back up, he should be good. Our vet thinks he may have malformed femurs due to poor nutrition as a pup, but shouldn’t affect him much as he ages. Not that being a little knock-kneed has slowed him down any. He matches Trixie zoomie for zoomie, and they wrestle like he’s a puppy, too.

Despite the condition in which he arrived at the rescue, he clearly had people who loved him, because his spirit is strong, and he’s a complete gentleman. So neglected, but no signs of any abuse.

While he is a gentleman, he has some bad habits. But when given proper boundaries, he adjusts quickly, and I expect continued progress on counter surfing, personal space, and leash manners.

As you can imagine, counter surfing was because he was hungry all the time. With 4 meals a day (for now) and about 12 cups of food, his hunger has abated, and he’s been very good at listening when I tell him he’s not allowed in the kitchen. My counters are still cleaner than they’ve ever been, because why tempt him with ripening tomatoes and the random dirty dish in the sink?

His first night, I found him standing on his hind legs at the sink – all 6+ feet of him –  looking over the pan I’d put in there. I was tempted to get him an apron and a dishcloth and have him do the dishes.

The first day he was here, he jumped over my 4-foot baby gate like it was nothing, and I thought for sure I was screwed because my Dane crate is too small for this tall boy. But he has respected all boundaries now that he understands he’s safe, fed, and with his pack.  My usual boundaries of baby gates leaned against doorways have been enough for him.

For an unexpected addition, he’s been a joy. Scout is still a little miffed, and his attempts to charm her have been rebuffed, I do think she’ll come around. Trixie is over the moon. Another playmate. For that, Scout is grateful, LOL

That’s enough for this post. I’ll update you on his condition as he adapts to his new home.