Yesterday I took some time to go outside with my two Great Danes, eleven year old Alyce and six year old Moose.

The air was a bit cool, but the sun warm. As I sat in the lawn
chair, Moose came up for a scratch on his chest. I glanced over at Alyce, who had made a bed of the leaves and grass that remained from last autumn. Her face is turning white now. The once taut skin around her face sags a bit.
She blinked back at the brightness of the sun, and then our eyes met.
Those eyes that have followed my every move for 11 years. Those beautiful caramel colored eyes full of the depth of her soul. Those eyes that have watched for any evil thing that should cross our paths so that she could alert me to it, or to frighten it away. Those eyes that pleaded with me to take her home from the vets after she had major surgery last spring.

Our eyes met as we sat in the cool warmth of the January sun, and her eyes said it's ok. It's ok that I'm growing old and slumbering more, and find it harder to lift myself up from lying down. It's ok because I have dreams of my life with you. They will carry me across the bridge one day, where they will keep me company until we are together again.

~ Lyn Hamer Cook 2000

1989

What an adorable face!
In the Studio, 1989

My husband and I perused the newspaper ads for Great Dane puppies. Upon finding a promising ad, we drove to the owner's home to see the litter.

As we walked through the back gate to the see the puppies, we stepped over ground that was covered in patches of white from a recent snow.

As we approached the large dog house, a tumble of black, and gray furry babies tumbled from the opening to greet us. Wiggling, and laughing up at us, the puppies were a mixture of blacks and merles. But there was one little one who obviously didn't care for the cold weather, and opted to stay in the warmth of the dog house. That little one was to become our Alyce B. Goode.

Being little Miss Sassy in this picture :)
In the Studio, 1989

My husband bundled her beneath his warm jacket as we headed home to our art studio/home.

Alyce grew from a lively pup whose favorite chew toys were our shoes, into an elegant young lady. She has lived with us in three different homes. From the studio where we first lived which was basically a barn, to a real house that we rented, and finally to our home.

In 1994, we added Moose to our family. Even though Alyce had been an only dog, a Great Dane princess for 5 years, she accepted Moose with enthusiasm. They became inseparable.

Baby Moose 1994 meets Skitzi and Alyce

In the year 2000, when Alyce was 10 years old, the horror of bloat and torsion happened to her. Fortunately, I was home when she bloated, and recognizing the symptoms, got her to the emergency vet quickly. The ER vet told me that her stomach was flipped completely over, and that only surgery would save her...BUT, he said, "she is an old dog, and the surgery is expensive. Are you sure you want to go through with it?"

Alyce 2000, taken just before she torsioned

There was no question that we would opt for surgery. Even at 10 years old, Alyce looked and behaved like a 7 year old. She has always had a zest for life, and had been extremely healthy. She came through the surgery, and the recovery period in good shape.

February 2003, Alyce came down with a potentially fatal case of bacterial pneumonia. She was during the day of Feb. 27. But by evening, she was laboring to breathe. I was very concerned about her. She had to be helped outside. This was more than needing a belly sling to help her walk. She was exhausted from trying to breathe. The next morning, first thing, my hubby took her to the vet. They did xray's and determined that either she had bacterial pneumonia, or her heart was giving out on her. They prescribed a very agressive antibiotic. It cost over $100.00 for 10 days worth of medications. They sent her home that afternoon. Nursing is always better at home :) I kept her wrapped up and warm, gave her her medication, and tried to tempt her to eat little bits of food. The vet said that Alyce's condition was critical. It was a very difficult time, as Moose had just a couple days before had a biopsy for cancer (Mast cell tumor) on his ear. Alyce, such a brave and strong girl, pulled through pneumonia. We have almost lost our girl twice in her life.

This fall, 2003, marks Alyce's 14th birthday! She has developed arthritis in her hips, but she is doing ok. She sleeps a little more, moves slower, but her mind is still quick. She lies on her sofa more these days, but she still likes to play with her stuffed toys. She's a very special girl, and very much loved.

On March 21, 2004, Alyce developed a severe limp on her left front leg. We thought she had somehow dislocated her shoulder. The arthritis in her old body was extensive. We made her comfortable on that Sunday night, not knowing it would be the last time we would tuck her in. The next morning, March 22, we took her to the vet. Xrays showed osteosarcoma in her shoulder.Her shoulder was not dislocated, but rather it was swollen. Her leg was little more than a straw, empty where the bone had been eaten away. A spot was also found on a lung, suggesting the cancer was spreading rapidly. We opted to not go the biopsy route. The cancer was too far advanced. Amputation would be the only temporary solution. She had a hard time walking anyway. Amputation was not an option. We chose to help her cross to the other side. It was the single hardest thing I've had to do in my life, saying goodbye to my best little girl. My best friend. My best child in a Great Dane suit. Sometimes I feel her presence strongly, even seeing her at the back door one night. She is a Ångel Alyce now. Wait but a little while my sweet girl. We'll be walking side by side again someday.

October 17, 2003
14 Years of age