Sam was put to sleep on 01/12/2006, the doctor said he was too old and it was better to put him down rather than letting him suffer from constant pain.
Sam was in pretty abd shape, he was always moaning and could hardly get up from his bed in the morning and he hardly eat. We had to feed him Disprin every night so that he could go to sleep.
Sam was always known to have wierd personality and characteristics; but I think thats what made him so special and you couldnt help but to like his neurotic yet funny behavior.
Sam is a cross breed of Great Dane and Rhodesian Ridgeback, gigantic breed.
Rhodesian Ridgeback:
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a strapping great dog which was used by the native warriors of Southern Africa to hunt lions.
By necessity, the Rhodesian Ridgeback had to be extremely versatile. He needed to be fast enough to chase and cut off escaping game, strong enough to pull down wounded bucks, courageous enough to hold lions at bay, and tough enough to withstand extremes in temperature, including going without water for up to twenty-four hours at a time. Added to that he needed to be a superlative watchdog to keep guard over the Boer farmers, their families and livestock.
Today's Rhodesian Ridgeback embodies all the strength, fearlessness, agility and endurance of his forebears. He is aloof with strangers, however providing he is socialised and trained from an early age, he is quiet and well behaved, very attached to his family and reliable with children. He is easy to care for, co-operative and responsive to training.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback has a short, sleek coat the colour of a lion, with a clearly defined ridge of hair down the back growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat.
Great Dane:
The Apollo of the dog world, the Great Dane was used by the German nobility to hunt wild boar and stags. To contend with the swift, savage, powerful European boar, a real superdog was required - and this is exactly what the Great Dane is!
A massive dog, spirited and courageous, with a proud dignified bearing, it is little wonder the Great Dane is considered the king of dogs. Aloof in the company of strangers, the Dane is nevertheless the gentlest and kindest of dogs with his own family and friends. Ultra loyal, dependable and devoted in the extreme, he is generally a very gentle playmate for children.. Despite his size, he makes a well-behaved house dog, and thoroughly enjoys his creature comforts.
Regular exercise and training is essential for the Great Dane, as is special care and feeding for a growing puppy.
Sam has characteristics of both breed, he was very loyal, well trained, could go without water for hours and despite his gigantic outlook, he was very gentle. Feeding him food off my hands was never a problem, I just have to say "Gentle" and he would take the food gently off my hands, his teeth would never touch my hands.
He was very protective as well, whenever we were out for walk, he always walked beside me and would never leave me too far behind if I let free. Sometimes, he would sit next to me and wait for me to finish whatever I was reading, sitting on the bench at the park.
Sam had extremely high pain threshold, he could knock down our fly screen doors without feeling the slightest pain. That's his way of telling us he couldn't wait anymore, he wants to go to his bed NOW!
I felt very sorry that I couldnt say good bye to Sam as I was in Malaysia when they put him down. However, I am glad that he is no longer in pain..... RIP Sam, I will always remember the black dog who is always gentle...
