This story is for adults and children who are afraid of the big dogs.

Rudy is a great dane. Those of you who have seen a movie about “Scoobie Doo”, know by now, that great danes are gentle, generous and adventurous creatures. However, every great dane just like every human being, has its personality. Rudy is exceptionally kind. There is not one mean bone in his body. He is willing to meet and greet any person coming to the house, with all his possessions and a generous smile. And of course, with a friendly jump to get closer to your face. Rudy does not feel his size. Since he always looks up on the people he loves, his perception is that he is really small . People coming to the house feels the underestimation instantly . When 150 pounder jumps on you with the a friendly but unstoppable force, you need to protect yourself from the fall. However, there is a little trick on how to control this friendly greeting. Just extend your knee toward Rudy, and he would immediately know that you came prepared. He would try to get around it couple more times, but then he would stop attempts to see you up close and personal. However, he would never give up showing you his love and affection.

Beginnings ...
Rudy did not have it easy in his life. Great danes grow their full size of in average 5 foot 5 in 1 year- it takes humans 15-19 years to reach their complete size. This rapid growth is tough on a puppies bones. Some of them develop a bone disease that might be dangerous and painful. Rudy was on of these puppies. Fortunately, he has adoptive parents who were willing and able to give him so much love, help and hope that he recovered but with some lasting complications.

Rudy was born in Pennsylvania in a truly beautiful country house on a hill. This house has horses, ducks and cats but the biggest population there is a family of great danes. The owner of the house is a great dane breeder. A breeder is a person who makes his profession or a hobby to develop pure breed dogs. Pure breed means that the mother and the father of the dog are from the same breed family. In the case of Rudy, his natural mother and father are the great danes.

It's not an easy job to breed truly beautiful puppies. You need to have enough room in the house, a big playground, great food, medicine and necessary veterinarian help. But most of all, you must have love, patience and big admiration for the beauty of your loved ones- the dogs.

Rudy was born in December. He had a lot of brothers and sisters- his mother gave birth to 6 puppies. He was shy, though. When his potential new father came to the house looking to adopt a child (the puppy), was siting in the corner of the cage full his siblings in the midst of attacking their mother in search for a milk.

Rudy's potential father glanced at the shy “blond beauty” – this was a love at first sight. He took Rudy in his arms. He hugged him. His puppy fur was like a silk. His breath smelled milk. His small paws were reaching out to a giant- a human being. For a puppy or dog, the human being is a creature from anther planet- unknown, powerful, dangerous, exciting, mysterious. Rudy wanted to spread his “wings” and fly. He was searching for a true family. His potential father was looking for child to care for an love. His previous dog passed away 2 months prior and his heart was still bleeding. Their lives merged at this perfect moment.

Rudy's adoptive father's name is Peter. Let me introduce you now to Rudy's meant-to -be family. His adoptive parents know how difficult it is to be part of the society that is full of strangers. They came to United State from another continent-Europe, searching for a new life. Theirs country collapsed in many separate pieces. They were looking for a stable and happy place. That's why they came to a new continent, to the continent of Americas.

Rudy's adoptive mother's name is Irena. Peter and Irean have 1 daughter, who they love dearly. She is grown up and lives a separate life in New York City. The family's dog- the daughters' childhood companion, died at the age of 10. This loss was very painful for everybody. After 2 months of sorrow and moaning, Peter and Irena decided to adopt again.

The day Peter went to Pennsylvania searching for a new family member, was a beautiful winter day. The snow flakes were falling to the ground, the nature looked peaceful and serene. The Pennsylvania house looked like a little ferry tail with the ducks an horses and the breeder's family decorating house for Christmas. Peter retuned home excited. He told his wife that he found a new son- a little creature from the heaven. “We are going to name him Rudy”, he said. “We always admired our new New York city major- Rudy Guliani. Plus, it is just a good family name-Rudolph.” Irena agreed “When can we bring Rudolph home? “-she asked. “ In 1 week”,- Peter said,”t “the breeders need to prepare everything for an adoption”.

So in one week, Irena and Peter traveled to Pennsylvania. The breeder's wife opened the door and smiled “We will bring your Rudolph at once,” -she said- “I know how anxiously you were waiting for him”.

The kitchen was roomy and smelled like a holiday should smell - a little expectation of the miracle. The breeder brought Rudolph from the great danes settlement in the basement. Rudolph did not look anything like a Rudolph. He looked like a scared little puppy – his was trembling and his very neat gentle stomach was moving in the search for the air- he was breathing a change -for better or worse. Unknown things scare us- the puppies, the children, the adults.

This was the first time Irena has seen him. Her heart pounded. She was hooked forever.

Later in the car, Rudy was sitting very quietly, leaning to Irena 's stomach. He never moved. They stopped couple of times on the gas station-it was a 3 hours ride. The new parents wanted to give Rudy some water, let him go to pee. Rudy did not want to move. He attached himself so firmly against Irena's body, during the whole 3 hours ride she felt his heartbeat.

When the new family came to their house in New Jersey, everything was prepared for the new addition. The house had a puppy food, the little bed, the toys. However, Rudy refused to eat or sleep on his bed. Irena put him on the coach and from this moment on, he felt that this coach was his little safety harbor. He would climb down only to go the backyard and then he would climb up right back Only after couple of days in the house, he started to taste the food. He was so neat that every time any little peace of the cereal would fall on the floor, he would gently picked it up. After this ritual, he would climb right back to his little safety nest.

With the time, he loosened up. He felt loved and admired unconditionally. This gave him the strength and the courage and grew his awareness of the world surrounded him. However, he never got used to be left alone in the house.

The first time Rudy was left in the house by himself was the very next day after his arrival. His parents put him on the bed, closed the door and went to the store to buy food.
When they were leaving, Rudy was looking at them -his head leaned toward his left shoulder, his eyes concentrated on them with the surprise. When they came back home in couple of hours, Rudy's head were in the exact same position. He seems to be stunned that they same people in whom he invested his entire life and trust, were able to abandon him. He refused all explanations provided -the need for work, the necessity to be independent. Since his stepparents love him dearly, this refusal limited their vacation time away from home significantly. And every trip they make, they try to make it with Rudy. It's not a sacrifice from their end, however. True love is never a sacrifice-it's life itself, it's life's true meaning