Yahoo TV

Briva is a 12 year old Great Dane who has been a wonderful pet and family member. She is in her golden years and she has lost almost all of her sight, some of her hearing, and most of her energy. But she hasn't lost her sense of smell. As she slumbered peacefully by the fire at the family cottage, her owner decided that she deserved the leftovers from breakfast. Briva doesn't get people food very often, but as she has reached such an advanced age, the bad habits that are instilled by giving her scraps just don't seem to matter as much. Briva came to this family as a rescue of sorts. Her owners were kind and caring, but they had two small dachshunds and Briva was a typical puppy, only bigger. She grew so quickly to such a size that her playful nature and energetic behavior terrorized the poor little dogs who lived in her home before her. Her owners had no choice but to give her up. She became part of her new family the moment she walked in the door. But her size and her spunk were costly. She bounced around and broke several couches, smashed through countless sections of drywall, ate anything that wasn't higher than shoulder height, and carried the family beagle around by the collar until his face turned blue from lack of oxygen. She ate a chocolate birthday cake off the table like it was a two bite brownie. She has silently snuck up on numerous cheese platters and stolen her favorite, the creamy brie. She can fit a whole brie cheese in her mouth and walk away like nothing is happening. Briva can reach anything on the counter or kitchen table without leaving the floor and nothing is safe for even a second. A raisin pie cooling on the window ledge vanished without a trace and cat food left within reach doesn't stand a chance. Despite her mischief, Briva is very well loved. She has been the loyal protector and enthusiastic playmate for the kids as they grew up. She takes up the whole back of the family van and sprawls across a whole couch. Her size is actually one of her many endearing qualities. Owning a Great Dane is challenging, but they are one of the most loyal breeds imaginable. As we see in this video, Dave was cleaning the frying pan after the eggs were cooked and it seemed like a good idea to give the leftovers to Briva. Carefully placing a heaping scoop in front of her nose, he quietly waits to see what effect the smell will have on Briva. Her enormous nose starts to twitch and she inhales several times in reaction. Her ears perk up noticeably and her giant head comes off the pillow. Even before she is fully awake, her mouth is open and looking for the source of the delicious aroma. This is the kind of wake-up call that every good dog deserves. Briva quickly figured out that the treat was gone and the need to be awake was gone with it. She was snoring happily again within minutes. Briva spends most of her time relaxing these days, which is just fine. She has certainly earned that privilege.