Growing pains and coat shedding!
So I haven't posted in quite some time, and I'll admit its simply due to my schedule. Regardless I'd like to update on some of Comet's most recent adventures, at least in terms of his growing changes. He's traded his rather dye-able, stain-able, and raucous puppy coat for a more downy undercoat. His most recent guard hairs are falling away and revealing the very, very soft undercoat he has growing underneath. Regardless of this he can't really stand the heat any better, but thats really more due to his younger puppy system, as his body isn't still up to date on regulating ambient temperature.
Some teeth have officially fallen out! Voila, big-boy front incisors, though the puppy canines are still firmly in place.. which is unfortunate, considering that his bottom puppy canines have a tendency to cut into his top gums. I'm hoping the intruding incisors (including the bottoms, more recently) will space out his mouth a bit more, and quit allowing his baby teeth to slice his gums.
Feeding has been great, much better than his previous attempts at keeping a schedule, though I'll admit the double feeding is probably a better bet than feeding him three times a day. He basically ignores his first meal, and simply waits for lunch/dinner. This has the unfortunate side effect of loose, erratic stool. He'll dispense his innards at more random times, and with more run, than if I only feed him breakfast and dinner. A bit of research from the Great Dane Lady finds this normal, and I simply have a dog that prefers twice, rather than thrice, day feeding. Since switching, he's had fewer bowel movements, and they've been solid and healthy.
So much for talking of stool, huh? Haha.
I posted about the incident in the Shiloh Forums, but I'll leave it to say I'm insanely proud of my puppy, considering he's showing all the attributes I could ever hope for in a dog. After proving that he is willing and capable of not only detecting, but defending against threats to my household.. I couldn't ask for more. I was so surprised and so thrilled with his immediate guarding instinct, I'm not sure I could have found a better dog. When interacting with people and other dogs, he's friendly and trusting, the epitome of "well-mannered", I was almost worried he wouldn't know what to do in face of a threat. I was proved wrong, and couldn't be more pleased. I know, in the future, people will cross the street to avoid him at full-growth, but thats okay with me. Thats his job, and I won't begrudge him that! Thanks Ma, you've given this world a fantastic canine, and nobody is more grateful than your Shiloh fandom and breeding community.
