Tinker

by adie
(Cumbria)

Me and my Bouncer!

Hi! Meet Paddy the Great Dane and Tinker the Jack.

What an experience she is!....lol

I have always owned and will continue to own the big Dane guys, I normally have two but decided after being asked to take on a very over confident and wilful 8 week old puppy (of unknown origins) to bring Tinker into my life instead.(This is never having owned a Jack or a Jack puppy before.)

My first suprise was when at 8 weeks I took this cute bundle to the vet for a check over and was actually bitten because I wouldn't let her get on the floor. I'm holding her down on her side with two fingers on her neck, the vet's trying to get an examination done, and my thumb is bleeding!
Two weeks later she sank the teeth in my hand when she was being towel dried. lol

I have had to be more intense with her training than any dog I've owned. I let her get away with nothing and have developed eyes in the back of my head....she is a challange and I've fallen in love!

Paddy the Dane (14 stone) is very tolerant of her and she is already top dog after me...she never quite wins with him though as when he's tired of her he will pick her up by the scruff and deposit her somewhere...she's been put in the log basket and on a bookshelf before now. He will also pin and hold her down with his foot when she gets carried away biting his muzzle.

It's fascinating to watch a small dog determined shes going to have that chew hes got put her whole head in his mouth to get it while growling (his head's bigger than her whole body!)
However she is actually now at 7 months a great little dog...she walks to heel off-lead if I shout for the Dane to go down/stay outside she lies with him til I free them from the command, she will leave, wait,stay and I never need to recall her as she won't actually leave me to go off. If she does wander a bit I just keep walking...so she has to watch me...but her recall is perfect when I need it. She's people friendly, not dog aggressive, doesn't chase, I can take her anywhere.

But I have earned her behaviour through sheer hard work and battle of wills at times!!