Someone recently posted – and has not been the first time – on our facebook about how can I tell the Dane Trio Pups apart. Here is my posted response:

As the saying goes, ‘A mother knows’. They are all their own individuals with different personalities, likes/dislikes and they look quite different and are all uniquely their own dog. They are much more/different than just predominantly the colour of white.

They are all different sizes with BHRR’s Sleet being my small, feisty yet mighty girl and will take none of Summits’ ‘crap’. Such a beautiful girl. She is a survivor all the way. She is the most special needs of all three and no one better ever think about putting her into a bubble for she will burst out of it, offended and ready to prove to the world that she is no different than any other dog. 

When things get too exciting for her or she feels overwhelmed, I have been the only one to be able to get her to sit, take the deep breaths in, re-collect and be able to come back and focus. When she is overwhelmed, she would grab and shake things to try and release her tension….she is so much better already.

She was really closed and shut in, frustrated that no one could understand or speak her language and now, she has been relaxing and being able to love life in ways that were once closed off.

She is a thinker, does not like to be told ‘no’ and can solve puzzles so fast. She is brilliant! She has done more for Summit’s bad boy ‘tude in a short period of time than I have done in many weeks. She so rules!

She has learned how to open xpens and crates and when she sets her mind to something….watch out! 

She is a big risk taker….no fear this one! 

She has taken a long time to love to snuggle and cuddle and now, she loves it and is alway crawling on my lap and laying her head on my shoulder. She loves to be rocked. Many special needs dogs can feel threatened by being held and I have worked very hard to demonstrate that touches are good and hands are loving and helpful, not hurtful.

She has had the most anxiety in the car almost from day one and so much improvement being made one baby step at a time.

BHRR’s Glacier is my ‘soft’ boy. Loves everyone and everything. He is happy from the moment he gets up to the moment he falls asleep. His world is full of so much sunshine and rainbows and happiness. 

He is very smart in his own special way and he is incredibly loving.

He is my sensitive one. I have worked to build up his comfort and confidence and he is the follower, not the leader. Every time he does do something all on his own, he is praised and encouraged. 

Due to his lowered confidence level, he has been the resourcer of the Trio and much patience, consistency, understanding plus time has and remains going into his training program in regards to this. Sharing the communal water bowls is pretty much a non issue now and the rest will come. He is only 4 months old and has already made wonderful progress. With no structure prior to myself getting them, it was a ‘fend’ for yourself mentality and now he is learning, we are here….we will take care of things and no one will lack for anything. He is learning he will get enough food and water and love and things will be ok.

If he could, he would be held in your arms all day, 24/7. He loves human contact and all of the dogs – his loves everything! – and he is the one that relies most strongly on finding my scent and needs to know I am ‘close to him & very around’ yet he is becoming more independent as learns that he is ok on his own four feet. 

He is the one that will come to me to ‘tell’ me if one of his siblings has been doing something they should not – ie Summit grabbing a paper towel roll. He is getting so much better at being part of the mischief these days and that is fantastic!

He is honest and soft and so sweet. He just melts your heart in a million ways. He has a monkey side that we are seeing more and more of and he is getting much better at holding his own against his siblings. 

We have been working on his excitement level for when he is excited, he wants to grab and jump and that is a big growing Dane. He is a big baby and so proud of his progress too!

Summit – he is my ‘bad’ boy! Very intelligent and loves being cuddled only on his terms and when he is done, he is done! 

No fear for this boy! Another big risk taker and as he has been maturing, he is settling into a fine young man. 

He was a bit of an inside out bully as I term it and he has come a long way with his manners and he is a star pupil – most days now! 

If there is trouble to be had or mischief to be done, you can bet that this fine young man had something to do with it! 

He is a delight mix of ‘old’ soul and bratty baby and I have a feeling that he was the one to ‘look’ out for his surviving siblings – 5 of them – and we have been working on showing him that he can be a puppy and let us be the ones to take care of him.

He can be so serious and grown up many times over. Pulls at your heart in some ways and it warms my heart to see him be a puppy. 

I could write Gwennie novels about them all, all day long. They have their similarities yet they are very very much their own dogs.

It would be so wrong and it would be doing them an injustice to say they were all the same. 

I am so proud of them all!

They are all treated and trained to help each of them reach their incredibly amazing full potential.