Duke (Babe’s brother) gets new life as therapy companion dog: Marmaduke’s new owner is giving us updates of this wonderful Great Dane’s new life and his new “job”. (Both Babe and Duke were emaciated when they arrived at AAKS. Photos of Duke and Babe as they appeared then can seen here.)

April 2006: “Well Duke had a short day at work but did great!!! S. took him to the vet in xxx to get his Rabies shot for me then brought him to me at work for about an hour . . . [The nursing facility residents] loved him. I had to [visit] the ones who had been waiting to see him. There were many more I could have visited but S. had to get home so her hubby could go to work and Duke was getting really warm. I thought the one lady who had done rescue in her day was going to climb right up and over her bed rail to see him! S. said when she got [Duke] home and let him in the back yard he ran around and rolled on the ground scratching his back like oh yea I'm home!! He has settled in so good!!! I think he knows he found his home for life!”

June 2006: Duke is doing fine. He is quite the trickster! He opens my cupboards and get out what he wants so we are going through mouse trap therapy which seems to be working. He has had little tantrums and tore stuff up but it is like he is making a statement but not too loud. It is never anything I really care about. Just a little something we have to work thru. He is sooo good with the kids which means a lot to me. I will just have to put child safety locks on my lazy susan, nothing too major.

He is OK with water. I took him to the lake and he went in only because I did but I got the loose hair rinsed off him. He is shedding really bad. It is so funny at first he did not know what the brush was. Now when he sees it he lays down for me to brush him and when I quit he looks at me like “you’re not done are you?” . . .

He went to the T-ball game with us tonight. He was a very good boy. He is great all except his breaking into my cupboards and eating me out of house and home in a way I think it is sort of funny, the crazy mutt.

I talked to a friend who also has a Dane and her advice to me was to exercise him before I left for work. That was a joke! I ran around the yard like an idiot and he looked at me like “are you joking? I haven’t even had my first cup of coffee!!!” I bought a toy that you put treats in and stuffed it with steak today and he was good today.

He did very well when he went to school. I [have enclosed] a picture. The kids and staff liked him. Teachers I didn't know asked me to take him around their class room.

I have loved my other dogs but not like Duke. He is one of a kind!!!! There is just this way about him and I guess I understand the bad things he does is because of him not having food for so long. I really think it will get better . . . He is such a dip. But that is why we love him so much.

September 2006: Well Duke passed his first state inspection. We had survey this week and I still brought him on his work day he did great as usual. Many of the residents have treats in their rooms for him and he knows what ones they are!!!