Pet Stories
08/23/07
The Most Precious Gift
Dante
I learned the hard way that breeding dogs is not for the inexperienced or faint of heart! Chancey, our Great Dane, has a fabulous pedigree and her breeder strongly suggested that we should have puppies. I was apprehensive, but finally agreed. Although I had a lot of help it ended up not being an undertaking I’m anxious to repeat.
Following an easy pregnancy, Chancey went into a difficult labor. She had her first baby at home. We had to really work on him, but he finally yelped and took his first breath. We named him Jack because we were eating Jack in the Box breakfast sandwiches when he made his arrival. Several hours passed without another pup, so we rushed to the after-hours clinic for an emergency C-section. Two more boys were born there, Alex (Alexander the Great Dane) and Dante.
Two days later, little Jack died. He must have been without oxygen too long at birth. We were devastated, but Chancey, Dante and Alex needed us.
Dante was mostly white. Often, all white or mostly white Great Danes can be deaf and/or blind. After he was born, several breeders told me I should put him to sleep, but I just couldn’t. I had a hand in bringing him into this world, and I owed him every chance at life.
As we waited to find out if Dante could see and hear, we decided that if he ended up being disabled we would keep him and find someone to help us train a blind and/or deaf dog. Right on schedule, the boys opened their eyes. Dante’s were blue—beautiful to look at, but still cause for concern of blindness. Our worries were soon put to rest, however, as it became obvious that Dante could see and hear just fine—the puppy that many would have put down at birth was perfect!
Now we had a decision to make. My husband and I adored both puppies. As much as I wanted to, I knew we couldn’t keep both Alex and Dante. I couldn’t decide between them, but my husband and Chancey preferred Alex. The majority rules, so Alex was staying with us.
Dante would go to live with my sister, Toni, her husband, Darren, and their English Mastiff, Nikko. It was the best possible place for him—and me. By giving him to Toni and Darren, I would forever be a part of his life—and I knew they would love and cherish him just as much as I did. I delayed it as long as possible, but when he was ten weeks old I drove Dante to his new parents. I stayed a few days to make sure he was happy and to help him settle in. Dante had already adjusted and was running around chasing Nikko when I left. I cried all the way home.
Nine years ago, I gave Toni and Darren the most precious gift that I will ever have to give—as that was my first and last attempt at dog breeding. A mere 12 ounces at birth, my “little” Dante is now 180 pounds and still battling the odds. At four years old, Dante was diagnosed with cancer and given just a few months to live. Five years later his incredibly sweet and loving spirit is still with us, which we all consider to be our most precious gift.
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