I'm still smaller than the dog food bag.

First things first.....what to name him? Adam wanted Luther, but it reminded me of Lucifer and that was bad. In retrospect, it would have been appropriate at times! Sam thought, Ezra. But Ezra is one of our families human names. My friend Mary likes to name her pets human names and desperately wanted "Stan." Nope. I ended up choosing Tobias. It means "God is great" and the biblical Tobias defeated a demon with his archangel Rafeal.

We elected to leave Toby's ears natural. It seemed mean to crop them and then have to tape them in place for months.

Great Danes are lovers of people, children and other dogs. They need to be indoor dogs (yes, I hear the gasps of horror!) Their coats will not withstand the cold. They also are very social and will be terribly lonely if left alone all the time. ANY breed of dog left alone and bored will be destructive. People need to know this breed BEFORE they buy one. Yes, they're huge. They don't know they're huge. But they are also loving, mellow and easy to train. Toby has been no more trouble in the house than our other puppies. You must be willing to befriend and TRAIN your puppy. Toby did not leave my side for months except for his kennel at night and part days while I worked. He went everywhere with us, for socialization and to learn his manners. At 7 months it was decided he will train to be a certified therapy dog. More on his training later.